Washington ( CNN ) -- Texas Gov . Rick Perry said in an interview released Wednesday that he was `` a bit arrogant '' when he launched his ultimately failed bid for president in 2011 , but that after spending nearly two years `` in preparation '' for another , he feels `` substantially more prepared to run . '' Perry told The Washington Post that he may have drawn undue confidence because of his experience as governor of an expansive and economically influential state . During a sit-down at the Republican Governors ' Association meeting in Florida , he said that experience made him feel he could `` step into that role of candidate and stand up in front of the American people . '' `` I was mistaken , '' Perry admitted . The Republican governor entered the 2012 presidential race to high expectations and great fanfare in late 2011 , quickly rising to the top of the polls before plummeting to the bottom after a series of gaffes and missteps derailed his bid . Perhaps the most infamous -- his declaration of `` oops '' when he forgot the final federal agency he 'd nix if he became president -- continues to dog him as he contemplates another bid . Perry acknowledged the fact that his 2012 failures will shadow his political future , but he said he believes Americans would give him another chance if he decides to run again . `` It 's never going to go away , '' he said of his failed bid . `` It 's always there , just as Bill Clinton 's 1988 [ long-winded Democratic ] convention speech is always there . It 's always part of your past . I 'm a big believer that Americans ... are interested in how do you perform after you 've been knocked down . '' But he was satisfied with how his 14-year tenure as governor of Texas had turned out , as Texas continues to boast a strong economy , he said . Perry also expressed pride in Texas ' transformation from `` an intellectual and cultural backwater to a place that is very much on everyone 's radar screen on where would be a good place for us to either relocate or expand . '' The governor said that experience would be part of his main pitch as he runs again , something he said Americans wo n't find in `` another relatively young , inexperienced United States senator or a congressman for that matter . '' Perry , if he does run , will likely face a wide array of challengers for the GOP nomination , many of them members of the U.S. House or Senate . And he said he 'd perform much better in a second presidential campaign after spending `` the last 22 months in preparation . '' `` I 'm comfortable I 'm substantially more prepared to run for the presidency , '' he said . `` I know the challenges . And so , again , I 'm not ready to pull the trigger and say I 'm in , but I 'm comfortable that the process I 've put in place here is a proper , timely and thoughtful process . '' `` The decision [ about running ] may be no , but it will not be a no because I 'm not prepared , '' he added . Those preparations have included multiple trips abroad and chats with policy experts , including former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Shultz . And he 's become a more outspoken critic of President Barack Obama on immigration in recent months , framing his own experience governing a border state as a competent alternative to Obama 's handling of the nation 's immigration problems . On Wednesday , he told the Post that the President 's expected executive order delaying deportations of thousands of illegal immigrants is `` unconstitutional '' and `` unlawful . '' `` It is bad public policy , and the American people are not for it , '' Perry added , calling on Congress to send various immigration reform measures to Obama 's desk to put him on record explaining his opposition to any such reforms . But he framed himself as a pragmatist against the more conservative voices in the GOP calling for the President 's impeachment over the executive order . `` No , '' he said , asked about whether impeachment should be on the table for the GOP in the party 's response . `` I think the American people want to see government work . ... I do n't think the vast majority of people see impeachment as government working . That is a last ditch effort to stick a finger in the eye of the President . ''
Gov . Rick Perry of Texas says with 22 months of preparation , he 's ready for another bid . Voters will give him a chance to overcome 2012 campaign gaffes , Perry believes . He says impeachment should be off the table for the GOP response to executive action .