(First in what will likely be a limitless series)

From Wednesday’s New York Times Political Memo headlined, “Being on Top, Perry Finds, Makes Him Rivals’ Target”:

While Mr. Perry received a warm reception from the audience [at Monday’s GOP presidential primary debate], his performance showed that his transition from governor to presidential candidate is still a work in progress. His advisers believe he withstood the attacks without significant damage, but they concede that his answers could be sharper and more precise.

Mike Murphy, a Republican strategist who was a top adviser to Senator John McCain and is not aligned with a candidate in this presidential campaign, expressed his skepticism as the debate unfolded.

“Listening to Perry try to a put a complicated policy sentence together,” Mr. Murphy wrote on Twitter, “is like watching a chimp play with a locked suitcase.”

That, of course, is an insult to chimps everywhere.