Rick Perry and "Oops!": How to Recover from a Brain Freeze
"Oops!"
"Brain freeze."
"Screw-up."
"I stepped in it . . . Matter of fact, stayed in it for a while."
These are the some of the words we're hearing this week, as the political world whirls in a frenzied jig over Gov. Rick Perry's "third federal department" mistake in Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate in Michigan.
Gov. Perry can chalk up one sin of commission, and two of omission to account for his error. The three are listed below, and you won't be surprised to learn I'm just going to discuss them, not try to name the three in advance. When (not if) you face your own "Oops!" moment in a speech or political debate, the suggestions below should help you.
#1: Don't Dwell on Your Mistake
When you goof, it's natural to remain in your own mind in the moment just passed, when your performance seemed to go down in flames. But it was just that: a moment. It's already passed, and you and your listeners are now in the present moment. A good argument can be made that your entire life is nothing but a string of "present moments." The more you inhabit that space when you speak, the more dynamic you'll be in the eyes of your audience.
- John Kennedy lost the 1960 presidential election because in the first debate with Richard Nixon he called Africa a "country."
- Barack Obama opined in the 2008 campaign that there were 57 states, and that stopped his presidential ambitions cold.
You see the point, don't you?
In the aftermath of Rick Perry's "Oops!" moment, the media are proclaiming the slip-up to be the death knell of the Perry campaign. That's nonsense. The fact that Mr. Perry has been consistently under-performing in debates is the real reason this error was so costly.
#2: Stay Away from Lists and Limits
That first bit of advice may seem obvious in the wake of the Perry gaffe: Don't say, "There are 4 items we absolutely need to focus on . . ." What if you forget one or more of them?
Say instead (as Mr. Perry should have said): "Clearly, there are federal departments that should be eliminated entirely. Commerce and Education certainly--those would be high on my list." If Energy also springs immediately to mind, mention that one too. If not, include it a bit later in the debate.
Equally dangerous, however, is setting a limit on the questions you'll answer. Suppose you're giving a press conference or answering questions in Q & A. If you say, "I'll take 3 more questions," and that third question is a killer, what then? You've set yourself up for a disastrous ending: the last thing you say is the one point in your argument you can't justify; or the questioner brings up past behavior that reflects poorly on your leadership; or it's a reminder of your product's exorbitant price tag, or other equally unpalatable developments.
In press conferences and Q & A, say instead: "I'll take 'a few more' questions," and then make the last one you take the question you're strongest in answering. The audience will have that firm response in their minds as they leave, remembering that that was the last thing you said.
#3: Learn to Laugh at Yourself
Interestingly, the Rick Perry of November 10, 2011 is a more attractive candidate than the candidate of November 9, 2011 for one reason: he is making fun of himself and his "brain freeze." In television interviews and other appearances, Mr. Perry is mocking his own debate performance. On the David Letterman Show it's been his 10 top reasons for his mistake; and on the web, asking visitors to "name the federal agencies they'd like to forget."
Every good politician knows when to laugh at himself or herself, and those that don't get a reputation for egotism and remoteness. It's the same with most good speakers in other fields. Few things will gain an audience's sympathy more than immediately poking fun at your own performance when you "step in it."
That shows humanity, humility, and that important third "H" word: humor. Audiences never expect a speaker to be perfect. They simply want the best you have. If that isn't in the realm of the saintly or the godlike, they'll relate.