(CNN) – Rick Perry sought to defend a recent gaffe in an interview Wednesday, but in the same appearance made another.
On Tuesday, the Republican presidential candidate incorrectly said the voting age in the U.S. is 21 instead of 18 and that the 2012 presidential election is on Nov. 12 instead of Nov. 6, mistakes Perry characterized as human error.
"Look I'm a human being … I'm going to make some mistakes from time to time in my remarks," Perry said on Fox News.
He added that the focus on his missteps is an effort to distract from his policy proposals.
"When someone doesn't want to talk about the substantive issues, when they don't want to talk about the flat tax that I've laid out, when they don't want to talk about major overhaul of Washington, D.C. like going to a part-time Congress, which most of the states operate very well with, they want to find some little error that you've made and go talk about that," Perry said.
But in the same interview, in which Perry appeared from New Hampshire, the Texas governor incorrectly identified the state's early voting contest as "caucuses" instead of a "primary."
"Americans haven't decided yet at all who they want to lead the Republican nomination and we're going to be talking about that, we're going to be talking about it in harsh and strong terms over the course of the next four to five weeks are we get ready for those New Hampshire caucuses," Perry said.
New Hampshire will host the first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 10, following the first-in-the-nation caucuses in Iowa, where Perry has focused the bulk of his energies, on Jan. 3.
Perry rocketed to the top of national and state-wide polls after his late entry into the 2012 race, but has since seen his support fall after disappointing debate performances and errors on the campaign trail.
A recent CNN/ORC International poll of Republican voters showed Perry in 4th place with 11% support behind former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 24%, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 20% and former pizza executive Herman Cain with 17%.
From CNN Politics
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this is the SMART govenor from texas......
You all hate Perry so much for his mistakes. Lets just see what the voters of the 57 States think...
Perry is another G.W. Bush, just not as smart !!!
Bad News Texas! Looks like you'll be stuck with your Governor until 2014. Poor poor Texas.
And then there's the really scary part. This duffus has been elected 3 times as governor of TX. I'm hoping that the proud people of TX will finally smarten up and see that the sole reason for voting for him - that's he's a conservative - is faulty reasoning and doesn't serve the great state of TX .
I generally read almost every article about Michele Bachmann because, frankly, her gaffes and statements provide much humor. I now have to add articles about Rick Perry to my daily reading list because he has developed into a big a joke as good, old Shelley Bachmann.
Ahh, the circus sideshow continues to entertain us all! Politics have become something like a bad season of American Idol. What elections are these Republican candidates think they are running for now? High School Class President! I want some level of intelligence in a future possible POTUS. If anyone's policies that need listening to.....it is Ron Paul. Sadly, his serious proposals are only treated as a joke by everyone because he is considered "unelectable" when he actually does well in the polls in early voting states.
I would predict if Perry were elected, he'd soon have an accident involving beer, a pretzel, some carpeting abrading his face and a dog sniffing his butt while he's passed out in the White House.
Then of course we'd see a man the next news cast with a blemish on his face and gin blossoms about his nose.
We are going to talk about the substantive tough issues if he can remember what they are. Rick you got to be the ball to play in this league. It has to be part of you not something you read in a book. Now go practice your lines and for kreeps sake look in a mirror, you look like a politician.
i am so glad this guy shoots himself in the foot so often. the thought of another pair of cowboy boot either real or a pretend story of an actor in the white house makes me want to up chuck my dinner!
For all you right wingers that are complaining about people focusing on flub after flub from this mental midget, remember all the lies you tried to procreate about Obama: He's a Muslim (he's a lifelong practicing Christian), He was born in Kenya (we all know how that worked out for you) He's a Socialist (He is a Capitalist) and you finally dwell on one tiny misstatement he made while exhausted from campaigning, the famous 57 states slip. Pot, meet kettle.
Not that it seems to effect their electability, but what is it about these TX prez candidates being seemingly unable to keep foot outta mouth?
Perry wasn't paying attention much wasn't he when things were explained. He needs to have a prep session before he speaks. Maybe he should have people walking around with teleprompters so that he doesn't screw up anymore.
The dumbest candidates ever!!
Perry is a walking human error.
This guy can't even remember fundamentals like the legal voting age and whether he's participating in a caucus or a primary?
The fact that some Tea Party wackos think these are just "details" show why half wits like Perry and Bachmann are even considered as viable candidates in the first place.
Definition of "gotcha question": any question the candidate is too dumb to answer.
Perry is just a victim of the Texas educational system. The one to which he keeps cutting funds.
Can this guy wipe himself after using the toilet? Who still thinks this stuffed shirt is fit to be anything other than a coat rack?
wsest seems pretty bitter to me all because his boy "steps in it" so much he needs waders instead of those cowboy boots.
Stupid is as stupid does.
Perry/Palin 2012.....The Stupid Express...
Listen America we in Texas have been shamed for a very long time. It is like the family secret that no ones wants to talk about. Bad things have happened to us and we have been hurt. To help keep the rest of you from being hurt we have to admit our shame and accept personal responsibility for letting a monster loose on America. Just send Rick Perry back to Texas and we will try to keep him contained. Maybe even hand him his head on a platter in the next election.
At least he's still got the two dozen birther votes tied up, so long as Trump stays out of it.
Is the G.O.P intentionally trying to lose in 2012? Being the FrontRunner DuJour is only highlighting their shortcomings with zero answers about Jobs, Economy and ..........whatever the third thing was. ???