Many observers have remarked that Texas Gov. Rick Perry appears
to grow tired during the course of debates, which seemed to happen
again last
night in Orlando. What could explain this? Brian Ledbetter, who
blogs at Snapped Shot,
e-mailed me to suggest that Perry’s debate fatigue may be a result
of his having
undergone back surgery in July:
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is considering a run for president,
is working from home in Austin after minor surgery on his back . .
.
Perry, an avid runner, spent two nights in the hospital after the
surgery on Friday to “correct a reoccurring back ailment,” Miner
said. “The procedure included a small nerve decompression and small
fusion.”
If you know anything about back injuries (and I do,
because my wife once worked in a hospital physical therapy
unit), you know that chronic pain sometimes becomes worse
after back surgery. If Perry is continuing to suffer serious
pain issues, that certainly might affect his debate
performance.
