Rick Perry in Iowa: Americans won’t make ‘small correction’ after Obama

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry echoed what could become part of a presidential campaign stump speech while in Iowa Monday, saying the country is ready for a “substantive shift” after electing a “young, inexperienced” U.S. senator in President Obama in 2008.

“I think the American people are not [going to] make a small correction in course after eight years of a young, inexperienced — although very talented orator — of a United States senator and what has happened in this country economically and even more importantly, what has happened around the globe from a foreign policy standpoint,” Mr. Perry said, speaking at Morningside College in Sioux City.

“I think the American people are gonna make a rather substantive shift to a tested, results-oriented individual who has executive experience,” he continued in a video posted by The Iowa Republican.

Mr. Perry’s would-be rivals for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination include three first-term U.S. senators in Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida.

“And that’s not to say that the other individuals who may not have that executive experience aren’t really good and capable individuals,” he added.

Mr. Perry has been making a concerted effort not to repeat the mistakes of his 2012 presidential campaign, which became defined in part by his “oops” moment during a November 2011 GOP primary debate in which he could not recall the third federal agency he had pledged to shutter.

He noted that he tried “parachuting” into Iowa late in the game, and it didn’t turn out that well.

“However, if you will recall, I actually led the Republican ticket — [if] you remember back in August of 2011, I actually led the polling,” he said. “It was three of the most magnificent hours of my [life].”

In recent days, his political action committee has beefed up by hiring four Iowans, as reported by the Des Moines Register, including Bob Haus, the co-chairman of Mr. Perry’s 2012 Iowa campaign.

New Hampshire Journal also posted a new online ad released by the committee, RickPAC, that was filmed during Mr. Perry’s swing through the Granite State last week.

“It’s snowing, it’s cold, but I’m fired up,” Mr. Perry says at one point. “Live free or die. Amen.”