Sign up to get the Morning Examiner in your inbox.

If Rick Perry was a pitcher who had been called up to the majors in August, his manager would be telling him to pack his bags for a return trip to the minors. His first debate performance was uneven but showed promise. He showed he had the guts to confront Mitt Romney where Tim Pawlenty didn’t, but he also obviously needed better command over the issues and he faded as the debate went on.