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Rick Perry has figured out the answer to his embarrassingly bad debate performance. He’s just not going to participate in debates anymore:

“We are going to evaluate each debate as it comes and take each one on its own merits,” said Perry spokesman Mark Miner, adding that for now, Mr. Perry is confirmed only for the next GOP debate, set for Michigan Nov. 9th….“The primaries are right aroud the corner and there is simply more to do than there is time to do it,” Mr. Miner said.

But isn’t this going to open up Perry to charges that he’s scared to face his opponents? Don’t be silly, says Perry’s South Carolina chairman, Katon Dawson:

“You have to prioritize exactly what you’re campaign is going to do and what it’s going to look like and what you’re best at,” he said in an interview. “I don’t think Rick Perry has ever hidden from anything.”

So there you have it. Perry’s not hiding from anything. He’s just choosing to stay off national TV because it makes his dimness a little too painfully obvious to voters who are trying to choose a leader of the free world. Better to focus instead on what he’s best at: attack ads and laughably flimsy policy proposals.