'The, um, uh...': Moment a US senator froze when he was asked to name his favorite books in a TV interview – and asked to 're-tape' it

  • Democratic Sen. Mark Udall was asked to name the three most influential books in his life, and could only come up with one
  • In mid-freeze, he asked a TV interviewer if he could 're-tape' his answer
  • Udall admitted 'I'm brain dead today' when he couldn't think of the last song he had listened to 
  • Moment was reminiscent of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's famed 'Oops' moment in 2011 when he couldn't name all 3 federal agencies he wanted to abolish
  • Ultimately Udall came up with the answers, but only after the interviewer gave him another chance 

By David Martosko, US Political Editor for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

Colorado Sen. Mark Udall, a Democrat running in a tight re-election race, asked for a do-over during a TV interview on Friday night when he couldn't come up with the names of the three most influential books he'd ever read. 

'Oh wow,' he said. 'That's the toughest  – the, uh, three most influential books in my life–'

Gathering his composure during taping of a 'news extra' filmed for the website of 7News in Denver, he came up with one. 'Profiles in Courage. The, um, uh –.'

After a three-second pregnant pause, the stumped senator asked for another chance. 

'Let me think. We can play this over, right? I mean, re-tape this?'

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Do-over? Sen Mark Udall (right) asked the 7News interviewer if he could 're-tape' his answer to a softball question about the three most influential books in his life

Do-over? Sen Mark Udall (right) asked the 7News interviewer if he could 're-tape' his answer to a softball question about the three most influential books in his life

Coin flip: Udall, the Democrat (left), has surrendered a once-robust lead in Colorado's polls to Republican Rep. Cory Gardner (right)

Coin flip: Udall, the Democrat (left), has surrendered a once-robust lead in Colorado's polls to Republican Rep. Cory Gardner (right)

The gaffe was reminiscent of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's 2011 presidential campaign collapse – his 'Oops!' moment during a Republican primary debate – when he couldn't name the three federal government agencies he had pledged to close down if he won the White House.

Fellow debater Ron Paul rescued him minutes later.

Udall's interviewer, Marc Stewart, tried unsuccessfully to help the senator by moving on to a question about music.

'Well, let's go back to that. What about – what about music? What's the last song you listened to?'

Udall came up empty.

'Um, I'm brain dead today, he admitted.'

The questions came at the tail end of a recurring two-minute segment in which Stewart asks politicians 10 yes-or-no questions about pressing issues like the death penalty, gun control and immigration reform.

A newsroom source at 7News told MailOnline that the embarrassing interview was aired live. But Kim Ngan Nguyen, the station's new media director, later said it was taped 'for web only,' unlike longer 7-minute segments with the candidates that aired on TV.

Still, the thumbs-up, thumbs-down options on serious political topics weren't available to Udall in the softball bonus round.

Ultimately, Stewart gave him his do-over.

'Uh, let me catch my thought,' the senator responded.

Adding to the John F. Kennedy book, he cited 'In the Kingdom of Ice,' a book about a ship's doomed 1881 polar voyage; and 'Centennial,' a novel that traces the history of the northeast Colorado plains and became a TV miniseries in 1978.

'Oops!': During a Nov. 2011 presidential primary debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry couldn't name the three federal government agencies he had promised to close if he won the presidency

'Oops!': During a Nov. 2011 presidential primary debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry couldn't name the three federal government agencies he had promised to close if he won the presidency

Udall never named the last song he had listened to, but gave high marks to 'Shotgun Down The Avalanche' – even if he couldn't name the song's title.

'I love Shawn Colvin's song about avalanches,' he said, 'because it's appropriate to Colorado.'

Udall has little hope of an avalanche re-election victory on Nov. 4. 

Pollsters put his race against Republican Rep. Cory Gardner within their margin of error.

The Real Clear Politics average of recent polls gives Gardner a 3 percentage point lead, but Udall was up by the same margin just two weeks ago. 

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