Rick Perry says 2016 will be very different if he runs for president again

Former Gov. Rick Perry would be a much different presidential candidate than in 2011, if he makes a second bid.

That’s what he told more than 100 supporters Monday at the Petroleum Club in Fort Worth on Monday.

“He said: ‘When I went in in 2011, I was not healthy and I was not prepared. Today I am both,’” said Mark Davis, a conservative talk show radio host on 660 AM The Answer who introduced Perry to the crowd. “He said: ‘I parachuted [into the race] in August. … I was a little arrogant.’”

And he quickly learned how hard a presidential bid is, despite his experience as the longest-serving governor of Texas, Davis said Perry told the crowd.

But Perry also said that if he runs, and he will likely will announce his decision in May or June, “there will be no one who is better-prepared.”

To help with his decision, RickPAC — a political action committee working on behalf of a 2016 Perry presidential bid — was formed last year.

If Perry joins the race, he will face a crowded GOP field that is likely to include several other Texans.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas formally threw his hat into the GOP presidential ring last week. And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who attended a fundraiser in Fort Worth last week, is considering a bid, as is Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who grew up in Texas.

Many people are wondering how a Perry vs. Cruz presidential showdown in Texas would shake out.

Perry indirectly referred to Cruz, Texas’ junior senator, who took office in 2013, Davis said.

“He said there are a lot of people running and a lot of good people are running,” Davis said. “He said he had a feeling our next president will be a governor.

“He said he [doesn’t] think we are going to elect another first-term senator.”

Reaching out

The luncheon Monday with Perry, which was closed to the media, invited attendees “to a gathering of friends of Gov. Rick Perry,” according to the invitation, paid for by RickPAC.

“He wanted to come to town and talk about his message and what he’s doing,” said Texas Transportation Commissioner Victor Vandergriff, an Arlington businessman whose name also was on the invitation but could not attend. “He wanted to see what people in Fort Worth think and believe.”

The crowd, Davis said, was very responsive.

“Every element of the event had the feel of a presidential campaign under construction,” he said. Perry said that if he runs, his message will include job creation, national security and economic freedom, Davis said.

Democrats nationally say Perry is a potential candidate whom Texans should watch carefully.

“As Rick Perry mingles with some of his wealthiest backers, he’ll hope the voters forget his tenure as governor,” said Michael Tyler, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. “As governor of Texas, Perry created two states: one for the wealthy and well-connected and one for the very poor who had to live with his destructive policies.

“Under Perry’s leadership in Texas, poverty increased and, due to his failure to expand Medicaid, access to healthcare suffered. Perry’s failed record as governor of Texas tells us everything we need to know about what kind of leader he would be in Washington — one with the wrong priorities who would not look out for hardworking Americans.”

Work to do

Perry, who became the front-runner after announcing his candidacy for president in 2011, struggled after lackluster debate performance and missteps, including the infamous “oops” moment.

He dropped out of the race in January 2012 but left the door open for a second bid.

“As someone who has always admired a great, if not the greatest, Texas governor, Sam Houston, I know when it is time to make a strategic retreat,” he said then.

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, wasn’t able to attend Monday’s luncheon because of a congressional trip. But the invitations included him.

He said Perry clearly has some work to do — but he’s up for the challenge.

“Four years ago he was walking on water for the early part of the campaign,” said Barton, whose district includes part of Arlington. “Then he sank.

“It’s going to be tougher for him this time, but he’s smarter.”

This story was originally published March 30, 2015 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Rick Perry says 2016 will be very different if he runs for president again."