Rick Perry hopes to be the Tim Tebow of Iowa caucuses

Rick Perry, seeking to recover from lackluster debate performances, proclaimed Thursday night in the last Republican debate of the year that he hopes to be "the Tim Tebow of the Iowa caucuses."
And he said he is eager to "get it on" in a debate with President Barack Obama if he wins the GOP presidential nomination.
Comparing himself to the Denver Broncos quarterback who has led his team to seven wins in eight weeks despite skepticism about his abilities, Perry turned in one of his strongest performances.
He joined other Republican candidates in the final debate before the first votes of the 2012 presidential race take place in just over two weeks.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, battling for the lead, commanded the spotlight going into the 13th Republican debate.
But the two Texans in the race -- Perry and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Lake Jackson -- also hoped to gain support in the run-up to the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.
The first question for Perry focused on his debate skills: A moderator asked whether the governor was prepared to go up against Obama, a proven orator and adept debater.
"I'm kind of getting where I like these debates," Perry responded.
"As a matter of fact, I hope Obama and I debate a lot, and I'll get there early. And we will get it on," Perry said, promising to stress his plans to push for a balanced budget amendment and create a part-time Congress.
Perry noted that many football fans wrote off Tebow as ill-suited to play quarterback in the NFL.
The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner has since gone on to be a fan favorite.


Since taking over as quarterback for the Broncos, Tebow has won the seven of the last eight games. And six were come-from-behind victories, something Perry is clearly hoping to do next month.


In the latest RealClearPolitics poll average, Perry is in fourth place behind Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.


Perry's Tebow reference may also have been a Hail Mary pass to court religious conservatives. The quarterback is known for his frequent expressions of his Christian religion, especially the "Tebow Bow." During games, he drops to one knee in prayer after a touchdown- "Tebowing."


On Thursday, the Texas governor also addressed concerns he wasn't ready to face seasoned debater President Obama.


"I'm kind of getting where I like these debates. As a matter of fact, I hope Obama and I debate a lot. And I'll get there early. And we will get it on," Perry said.


Perry went on to reference his record on job-creation. "We're the national champions in job creation back in Texas.