The Perry Gut Punch — But Was It Really Self-Inflicted?

Sure, the quick take-away is to blame Perry for his own hubris here, but that would be missing the point.  More accurately, the photo represents a media hit-and-run. If the visual media delivers the gut punch here, it’s because the media set up Perry in the first place. (We’re planning another BagNewsSalon for the end of the month on the Campaign ’12 visuals and one image that will surely be in the edit is the Perry portrait by Platon for TIME. From the get-go, this guy’s anointment by the media, visual and otherwise, should not be swept out the door with last night’s confetti, Perry’s lone star-sized ego notwithstanding.

via NYT slideshow.

(photo: Eric Thayer/NY Times caption: Rick Perry appeared with Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., who has endorsed the Texas governor.)