President Barack Obama is a failure as president, according to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who appeared Thursday on
Newsmax TV's "America’s Forum."
"Certainly if I was giving him a grade that you would see in one of our schools, I'm not sure it would be a passing grade," Perry told host J.D. Hayworth.
"The president seems to be feckless when it comes to sending the message to our allies that we're going to be there with them, and that's the same message that our enemies, those that don't have America's best interest, are hearing from this administration as well," he said.
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"When you think about Libya, when you think about Benghazi, when you look at Egypt, when you see what we've done to Israel and the leadership turning their back on one of our best allies in that region; when you see Syria, when you look at the Ukraine and the Crimea, and you look at the way that
they're giving legitimacy to the Iranians, that is not a passing grade in anyone's estimation."
The longest-serving governor in Texas history and a Republican candidate for the White House in 2012, Perry said Thursday that he’s made no secret of a possible encore in the 2016 presidential election.
"I don't shy away from the fact that I've been in a preparation mode and in a very deep preparation mode for the last 22, 23 months and I'm going to continue to do that," he said.
"Next week I will hand over the reins of Texas to a very capable Greg Abbott as he and Dan Patrick take over as governor and lieutenant governor. I am excited about the opportunities that I have in front of me."
Before announcing a decision sometime in May or June, Perry said he will be traveling to key primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, in addition to "some international travel in there as well, interspersed with substantial preparation and policy meetings."
As governor, Perry said he’s learned the importance of surrounding yourself with
an experienced cabinet, something he criticized Obama for failing to do.
"The greatest lesson that I've learned is that you have to be very consequential," said Perry.
"Make decisions to go forward, to analyze, but the most important thing [for] a leader, whether it's the president of the United States or whether it's the governor of a state, is choosing men and women who have the experience, who have the known background to go and perform well.
"If there's one thing that I would criticize this president on, it's because he has put too many people into places that matter that didn't have the experience of running and running things successfully prior."
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