Hey, we've all been there, done that. You're in the middle of a conversation, trying to make a salient and oh-so-important point and then blammo! -- out of nowhere you suddenly just can't ... find ... the ... right ... word. Your brain feels like it's a vast, empty expanse with nothing but a few tumbleweeds drifting by now and then, and you're left feeling rather bewildered, struggling to remember exactly what it was that seemed just so darned important just a few seconds ago.

Fortunately, very few of us will experience that rabbit-in-the-headlights moment on live television. Unlike would-be presidential candidate Rick Perry, who last night had a very public cerebral sno-cone moment lasting over 50 seconds during a televised presidential debate. Listing the three federal agencies he'll abolish if elected president, he lost his train of thought and floundered.

Even with Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and moderator John Harwood trying to make helpful suggestions. "It's three agencies of government when I get there that are gone: Commerce, Education and the, uh, what's the third one there, let's see... " wondered Perry.

Come cringe with us after the jump ...

Ron Paul didn't really help matters by waving his hand in the air and saying "Five, you have five," to which Perry said "Oh, five, okay, so Commerce, Education and the ... uh ... uh." That's when Romney suggested "EPA?" and, like a drowning man grasping at a life preserver, Perry said: "EPA, there you go!"

Only for Harwood to interject: "Seriously, is EPA the one you were talking about?" whereupon Perry said "No sir, no sir." He then continued to try to press the "reset" button in his memory, only to flail further ... "The third agency of government I would do away with, the Education, uh, the uh, Commerce. And let's see. I can't. The third one I can't. Sorry. Oops."

Perry remembered what it was he meant to say later on in the debate: "And by the way, that was the Department of Energy I was reaching for earlier," but his earlier gaffe may have blown his presidential chances out of the water. He told reporters afterward that "I'm sure glad I had my boots on because I sure stepped in it out there."

Cringeworthy -- and, let's face it, hilarious -- as the scene is, it has led many commentators to speculate that it's now game over for Perry's run for the White House. His team announced that the Texas governor will be appearing on several morning shows today in an attempt to repair the damage done to his public image.

Frankly, here at AOL TV we can't wait to see what Bill Hader and the 'Saturday Night Live' writers will make of it this weekend!

What do you think? Is Rick Perry still a serious contender for the GOP nomination?

Follow Catherine on Twitter: @TVClaw.