You might say Gov. Rick Perry courted the youth -- but not the whole youth -- in a campaign appearance at a New Hampshire college.
Speaking at Saint Anselm College on Tuesday, he appealed to students who will be at least 21 before Election Day to vote for him.
"The fact is, those of you sitting in this hall who are going to inherit this country are counting on us," he said. "Those of you who will be 21 by November the 12th, I ask for your support and your vote. Those of you who won't be, just work hard, because you're going to inherit this. And you're counting on us getting this right."
It seems that Perry didn't know or had forgotten that the voting age in America is 18.
The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age in the United States to 18 in 1971. Perry turned 21 the same year the amendment passed.
Perry made another slip by referring to "November the 12th" as Election Day.
New Hampshire will become the first state in the nation to host a Republican presidential primary on Jan. 10; the general election is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2012.
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The flubs caused some whispers in the crowd. He did not address them or take questions from reporters after the event, which was the third of four campaign stops in the state Tuesday.
Campaign spokesman Paul Young said Perry "clearly misspoke."
The governor has become a favorite of late-night comedians in recent weeks. During a presidential debate earlier in the month, he couldn't recall one of the three key elements of his plan to reform government.
 For the latest on Rick Perry's run for the White House, click here to see our special Tracking Rick Perry section. View videos, photos, and stories on the Texas governor's presidential run. |
