MSNBC Reporter to Rick Perry: 'Are You Smart Enough' to Be President?

In a Tuesday interview with Texas governor and potential 2016 presidential candidate Rick Perry aired on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Thursday, political reporter Kasie Hunt questioned the Republican's intelligence: "Are you smart enough to be President of the United States?"

Perry replied: "I think the standpoint of life's experiences. Running for the presidency is not an IQ test. It is a test of an individual's resolve. It's a test of an individual's philosophy. It's a test of an individual's life's experiences."

Earlier in the exchange, Hunt wondered: "If you do run in 2016, do you think you would have any margin for error?" Perry acknowledged his missteps in the 2012 presidential race would raise the level of scrutiny: "Oh, I think everybody has some margin for error. I've probably got less than other folks, but that's okay." Hunt followed up: "And can you convince your supporters that you have what it takes to run?"

In a discussion with co-host Joe Scarborough after the clip of the interview, Hunt observed that Perry "really has evolved a lot since 2012":

And it's very clear they're doing a lot of intensive media training and he's sort of getting his feet under him in this new, definitely more cautious way that he's kind of approaching interacting with, in particular, the media, as he tries to avoid making any mistakes. They know that he has very little margin for error. He's one major mistake away.

Minutes later, Scarborough noted: "The margin of error for Rick Perry is awfully small. I mean, he's – if he has another rough moment up in a debate, there's no doubt that people are going to be piling on him, and it's not fair..."

Hunt wrapped up the segment by proclaiming: "And I think people that surround Perry know that – they think he can survive a few small missteps. If he stumbles over a word, okay, fine, but they know that he is essentially carrying around his own personal detonator and if he makes a mistake and steps on it in a big way, that's it."

Here are excerpts of Hunt's interview with Perry and the discussion on the December 11 Morning Joe:

6:33 AM ET

KASIE HUNT: If you do run in 2016, do you think you would have any margin for error?

RICK PERRY: Oh, I think everybody has some margin for error. I've probably got less than other folks, but that's okay. I mean-

HUNT: And can you convince your supporters that you have what it takes to run?

PERRY: Oh, I think they're already seeing that. I think you're – listen, when you look at the people that are pouring in here to sit down with us, to talk to us, the policy individuals that have said, "Listen, we want to come help you become even better prepared as we go forward," is already the answer to that.

(...)

6:36 AM ET

HUNT: And are you smart enough to be President of the United States?

PERRY: I think the standpoint of life's experiences. Running for the presidency is not an IQ test. It is a test of an individual's resolve. It's a test of an individual's philosophy. It's a test of an individual's life's experiences. And I think Americans are really ready for a leader that will give them a great hope about the future.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Well, so, she asked the question and it kind of made me uncomfortable.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Were you uncomfortable, Kasie?

HUNT: I wasn't. Rick Perry wasn't. He did just fine. "It's not an IQ test."

SCARBOROUGH: I thought Rick Perry did really well.

HUNT: I really enjoyed talking to him. I mean, he is really – it's very clear to me that they are very serious about making a second presidential bid.

BRZEZINSKI: Oh, yeah.

SCARBOROUGH: And what a difference between four years ago.

HUNT: He really has evolved a lot since 2012, and I think that, you know, he's gotten more and more comfortable in interview settings, in his sort of new role. I interviewed him – I covered him in 2012 and I've interviewed him a couple times this year. And it's very clear they're doing a lot of intensive media training and he's sort of getting his feet under him in this new, definitely more cautious way that he's kind of approaching interacting with, in particular, the media, as he tries to avoid making any mistakes. They know that he has very little margin for error. He's one major mistake away-

SCARBOROUGH: And yet he made the mistake of agreeing to have an interview with you.

(...)

6:40 AM ET

SCARBOROUGH: But the margin of error for Rick Perry is awfully small. I mean, he's – if he has another rough moment up in a debate, there's no doubt that...

BRZEZINSKI: What's his record?

SCARBOROUGH: ...people are going to be piling on him, and it's not fair – but that's the way it was with Dan Quayle, after Dan Quayle got off to a rough start. Dan Quayle – you know, get Dan Quayle when he was relaxed, he could sit and talk foreign policy forever, but you know, he goes to another country and aims a weapon at his face accidently, has it backwards, and that's on the front page of The New York Times.

HUNT: And I think people that surround Perry know that – they think he can survive a few small missteps. If he stumbles over a word, okay, fine, but they know that he is essentially carrying around his own personal detonator and if he makes a mistake and steps on it in a big way, that's it.

BRZEZINSKI: Kasie Hunt, thank you so much. Great job.

SCARBOROUGH: Thank you, Kasie.