Rick Perry on why he lost in 2012: 'I wasn't healthy'

As former Texas Gov. Rick Perry gears up for a potential 2016 White House run, he’s finally coming to terms with his lack of preparation, both mental and physical, that led to serious embarrassment on the 2012 trail.

“There were two issues with me in 2011. One is I wasn’t healthy,” Perry said regarding back surgery he had in 2011 before he launched his bid, in an interview Tuesday on NPR’s “Morning Edition.” “You know all the health stories — it was what it was.


“The other [issue] was in preparation and just spending the time on all the issues that are important.”

Though Perry shot to the front of the pack in polls after he announced his candidacy in August 2011, his campaign lost steam after a series of gaffes, including the infamous “oops” moment in a CNBC debate when he failed to name the third of three government agencies he would dismantle if elected. After the debate Perry told reporters, “I stepped in it man. Yeah, it was embarrassing. Of course it was.”

Perry told NPR that as he preps another campaign he’s staying positive, even though he currently sits at about ninth place in most early polls and video of his famous gaffe still garners clicks on YouTube.

“We are eternally optimists. If you want to see an eternal optimist, talk to a dry-land cotton farmer,” Perry said of his rural roots at a gathering in Rock Rapids, Iowa.

The Texas Republican has said that he will formally announce his 2016 intentions on June 4 in Dallas.