Perry to Jay Leno on Voting-Age Gaffe: 'I Was Thinking Drinking Age, Maybe

Last night, Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry appeared on "The Tonight Show," where he addressed recent campaign gaffes.

Perry, who has come under fire for a series of recent flubs, cracked jokes, bantered with host Jay Leno and made light of some of his most embarrassing media moments.

"Thanks for coming. You provided us with a lot of material, so thanks for being here," Leno quipped. "Well, that's what I do," Perry responded. "Well, you're a good sport to come, because we've been nailing you," Leno continued.

There was a light-hearted tone as the two went back and worth. Perry, clearing willing to make fun of himself, engaged in joke-making and a healthy dose of self-deprecation. In addressing his forgetfulness during debates, he said, "Every now and then I call my dogs by the wrong name," eliciting laughter from the audience.

Most notably, Perry addressed his most-recent New Hampshire voting-age gaffe. "Those of you that will be 21 by Nov. 12th, I ask for your support and your vote," he told a college audience earlier this week. Since the voting age is 18 and no one is exactly sure what's happening on the November 12th date he references, Perry caught a fair bit of heat.

"You and I -- we grew up in that 21 voting age. I was thinking drinking age, maybe," Perry quipped. "You've got to have an excuse, right, so that's mine and I'm sticking to it," he continued. As far as November 12th goes, Perry seemed to indicate that it was 2012 he was referring to, not the specific day as it seemed in his speech.

Leno, of course, also asked Perry what he thinks about Herman Cain's recent troubles. "Yours are gaffes, those are 'oh my gods,'" Leno joked. Here what Perry had to say about his fellow candidate and watch the hilarious dialogue, below: