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Henry Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Election date
November 3, 1992
Running mate James Stockdale
Opponent(s) Bill Clinton (D)
George H. W. Bush (R)
Incumbent George H. W. Bush (R)
Election date
November 5, 1996
Running mate Pat Choate
Opponent(s) Bill Clinton (D)
Bob Dole (R)
Incumbent Bill Clinton (D)
Born June 27, 1930 (age 77)
Dallas, Texas
Political party Independent
Reform
Spouse Margot Birmingham
Children H. Ross, Jr., Nancy, Suzanne, Carolyn, and Katherine
Occupation Businessman
Net Worth $4. In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. The United States presidential elections of 1992 featured a battle between incumbent President, Republican George H Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale (December 23 1923&ndashJuly 5 2005 was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the United States Navy William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Pat Choate (born 27 April 1941) is an Economist who is perhaps most known for being the 1996 Reform Party Vice President William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole (born July 22 1923 is an attorney and retired United States Senator from Kansas from 1969–1996 serving part of that time William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA, generally known simply as the Reform Party) is a Political Henry Ross Perot Jr (b 1958) is a real estate developer and Chairman of the Board of Perot Systems. A businessperson (also businessman or businesswoman) is someone who is employed at usually a profit-oriented enterprise, or more specifically someone 9 billion (USD)

Henry Ross Perot (born June 27, 1930) is an American businessman from Texas, who is best known for seeking the office of President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The United States presidential elections of 1992 featured a battle between incumbent President, Republican George H The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice Perot founded Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 1962; sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988. Electronic Data Systems (EDS is a global Business and technology services company headquartered in Plano Texas that defined the Outsourcing business General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. Perot Systems Corporation ( is an information technology services provider based in Plano, Texas.

With an estimated net worth of around $4. 4 billion in 2007, he is ranked by Forbes as the 76th-richest person in America. Forbes is an American Publishing and media company Its flagship publication Forbes magazine is published bi-weekly The Forbes 400 or 400 Richest People (first published in 1982) is a list published by Forbes Magazine of the Wealthiest 400 Americans

Contents

Early life

Perot was born in Texarkana, Texas, to Luly Maye Perot (nee Ray) and Gabriel Ross Perot. Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other [1] His father was a cotton picker. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Perot made Eagle Scout in 1943 and is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. [2][3] The local Boy Scouts of America council office in his hometown of Texarkana is named in his honor. The Boy Scouts of America ( BSA) is the largest youth organization in the United States with over five million His son and two of his grandsons are Eagle Scouts. [2]

Perot entered the United States Naval Academy in 1949 and helped establish its honor system. The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States that educates and commissions officers of the United States [2] By the time he graduated in 1953 he was president of his class and battalion commander. President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. By late 1954, Perot was made a lieutenant, junior grade. In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric However, in 1955, Perot expressed some discontent with his life in the United States Navy in a letter to his father. He quietly served the remainder of his four-year commitment and resigned his commission.

Perot married Margot Birmingham of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in 1956. Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern They have five children (Ross Jr., Nancy, Suzanne, Carolyn, and Katherine). Henry Ross Perot Jr (b 1958) is a real estate developer and Chairman of the Board of Perot Systems. As of 2007, the Perots have fifteen grandchildren.

Business career

After he left the Navy in 1957, Perot became a salesman for International Business Machines (IBM). International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology He quickly became a top employee, filling his year's sales quota in two weeks, and tried to pitch his ideas to supervisors who largely ignored him. He left IBM in 1962 to found Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in Dallas, Texas, and courted large corporations for his data processing services. Electronic Data Systems (EDS is a global Business and technology services company headquartered in Plano Texas that defined the Outsourcing business Perot was refused 77 times before he got his first contract. EDS received lucrative contracts from the U. S. government in the 1960s, computerizing Medicare records. This article refers to Medicare, a United States health insurance program EDS went public in 1968 and the stock price shot up from $16 a share to $160 within days. Initial public offering (IPO, also referred to simply as a "public offering" is when a company issues Common stock or shares to the public for the first Fortune called Perot the "fastest, richest Texan" in a 1968 cover story. Fortune is a Global Business Magazine published by Time Inc's Fortune|Money Group In 1984, General Motors bought EDS for $2. General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. 4 billion.

Just prior to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the government of Iran imprisoned two of his employees in a contract dispute. The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Perot organized and sponsored a successful rescue. The rescue team was led by retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel Arthur D. ('Bull') Simons. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. In most countries special forces (SF is a generic term for highly-trained Military teams/units that conduct specialized operations such as Reconnaissance Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Colonel Arthur D "Bull" Simons (United States Army retired ( June 28 1918 - May 21 1979) was a United States Army When the team couldn't find a way to extract their two prisoners, they decided to wait for a mob of pro-Ayatollah revolutionaries to storm the jail and free all 10,000 inmates, many of whom were political prisoners. Ayatollah ( Persian: آيت‌الله, âyato-llâh, from Arabic: آية الله, āyatu 'llāh, meaning 'the sign of The two prisoners then connected with the rescue team, and the team spirited them out of Iran via a risky border crossing into Turkey. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The exploit was recounted in a book, On Wings of Eagles by Ken Follett, which became a best-seller. On Wings of Eagles is a 1983 thriller novel written by British author Ken Follett. Ken Follett (born June 5, 1949) is a British Author of thrillers and historical novels In the 1986 miniseries, Perot was portrayed by Richard Crenna. Richard Donald Crenna ( November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American Film, Television and

In 1984, Perot bought a very early copy of the Magna Carta, one of only a few to leave the United Kingdom. Magna Carta ( Latin for Great Charter, literally " Great Paper " also called Magna Carta Libertatum ( Great Charter of Freedoms The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located It was lent to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., where it was displayed alongside the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. List of archives A national archive is a central Archive maintained by a Nation. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776 announcing that the thirteen American colonies then The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. On September 25, 2007, The New York Times reported that the Perot Foundation, which had lent the document had terminated the loan and that Sotheby's would auction off the document in December 2007. Sotheby's ( is the world's second oldest Auction house in continuous operation (the oldest being Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674 [4] The document was sold at auction for $US21. 3 million on December 18, 2007.

Ross Perot put up the majority of the venture capital for Steve Jobs's NeXT computer project in 1986. Steven Paul Jobs (born February 24 1955 is the Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc and former CEO of Pixar Animation NeXT Computer Inc (later NeXT Software Inc) was an American Computer company headquartered in Redwood City, California that Also in 1986, after heavy criticism of General Motors, which had purchased EDS, he was bought out for $700 million. In 1988, he founded Perot Systems Corporation, Inc. in Plano, Texas. Perot Systems Corporation ( is an information technology services provider based in Plano, Texas. Plano (ˈpleɪnoʊ is a city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U His son, H. Ross Perot, Jr., eventually succeeded him as CEO. Henry Ross Perot Jr (b 1958) is a real estate developer and Chairman of the Board of Perot Systems. Today, H. Ross Sr. serves as Chairman Emeritus, and Ross Jr. serves as Chairman.

Early political activities

In the same year that Perot organized the rescue mission in Iran, Texas governor Bill Clements requested his assistance developing policy to reduce illegal drug use in the state. Governors of Texas William Perry "Bill" Clements Jr (born April 17, 1917) is the first Republican to have served as Governor of the U Perot led the Texas War on Drugs Committee that proposed five laws, all of which were passed by the legislature.

In 1982, he was called upon again by Clements to help improve the quality of the states' public education, and ended up leading the effort ("Select Committee on Education") to reform the school system, which resulted in major legislative changes. The best known of Perot's proposals which were passed into law was the "No Pass, No Play" rule, under which it was required that students have passing grades in order to participate in any school-sponsored extracurricular activities. The intent was to prevent high school sports from being the focus of the school's funding, and to emphasize the importance of education for the students who participated in sports. Another key reform measure was a call for teacher competency testing, which was strongly opposed by the teachers unions in Texas.

Beginning in the late 1980s and continuing in the early 1990s Ross Perot began speaking out about what he described as the failings of the United States government. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Perot asserted that the United States "had grown arrogant and complacent after the War (World War II)" and was no longer the world's greatest nation. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Instead of looking into what was to come, he argued, America was "daydreaming of our past while the rest of the world was building its future. " He said:

Go to Rome, go to Paris, go to London. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Those cities are centuries old. They're thriving. They're clean. They work. Our oldest cities are brand new compared to them and yet… go to New York, drive through downtown Washington, go to Detroit, go to Philadelphia. The City of New York Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə What's wrong with us?

In Florida in 1990, retired financial planner Jack Gargan funded a series of "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" (a reference to a famous quotation from the 1976 political and mass media satire movie, Network) newspaper advertisements denouncing the U.S. Congress for voting for legislative pay raises at a time when average wages nationwide were not increasing. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Jack Gargan is a retired financial planner in the United States who became chairman of the Reform Party started by Ross Perot. Network is a 1976 New Hollywood drama film about a fictional Television network, Union Broadcasting System (UBS and its struggle The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Gargan later founded "Throw the Rascals Out", which Ross Perot supported.

Perot did not support President George H. W. Bush and vigorously opposed the United States involvement in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 He urged Senators to vote against the war resolution and began considering a Presidential run.

1992 presidential candidacy

Ross Perot on the cover of Time Magazine
Ross Perot on the cover of Time Magazine

On February 20, 1992, he appeared on CNN's Larry King Live and announced his intention to run if his supporters could get his name on the ballot in all 50 states. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN. With such declared policies as balancing the federal budget, firm pro-choice stance, expansion of the war on drugs, ending outsourcing of jobs, opposition to gun control, belief in protectionism on trade, his support of the Environmental Protection Agency and enacting electronic direct democracy via "electronic town halls," he became a potential candidate and soon polled roughly even with the two major party candidates. The Balanced Budget Amendment is any one of various proposed amendments to the United States Constitution which would require a balance in the projected Revenues Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-choice advocates emphasize their beliefs that having a child is a personal choice that affects a woman's body and The War on Drugs is a prohibition campaign undertaken by the United States government with the assistance of participating countries intended to reduce the Illegal Outsourcing is Subcontracting a process such as product design or Manufacturing, to a Third-party company Gun politics is a set of legal issues surrounding the ownership use and regulation of firearms as well as safety issues related to firearms both through their direct use and through For the protectionist Australian political party from the 1880s to 1909 see Protectionist Party E-democracy, a combination of the words " electronic " and " Democracy," comprises the use of electronic Communications Technologies A town meeting is a meeting where the population of an entire geographic area is invited to participate in a gathering often for a political administrative or legislative purpose

Perot's candidacy received increasing media attention when the competitive phase of the primary season ended for the two major parties. President George H.W. Bush was losing support, and Democratic nominee Bill Clinton was still suffering from the numerous scandal allegations made in the previous months. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States With the insurgent candidacies of Republican Pat Buchanan and Democrat Jerry Brown winding down, Perot was the natural beneficiary of populist resentment toward establishment politicians. Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan (born November 2 1938 is an American Political commentator, Author, syndicated Columnist Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown Jr (born April 7, 1938) is the current Attorney General and former governor of the State of On May 25, 1992 he was featured on the cover of Time Magazine with the title "Waiting for Perot", an allusion to Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989 was an Irish Writer, Dramatist and poet Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters wait for someone named Godot who never arrives [5]

With several months to go until the Democratic and Republican conventions, Perot filled the vacuum of election news, as his supporters began petition drives to get him on the ballot in all 50 states. This sense of momentum was reinforced when Perot hired two savvy campaign managers in Democrat Hamilton Jordan and Republican Ed Rollins. William Hamilton McWhorter Jordan ( September 21 1944 &ndash May 20 2008) was Chief of Staff to President of the United States Edward J "Ed" Rollins (born March 19, 1943) is a Republican campaign consultant and advisor who has worked on a number of high-profile political

Accompanying the surge in support for Perot was increased scrutiny of his background. Reports surfaced of Perot hiring private investigators to obtain personal information about business and political adversaries. His temperament was brought into question by some who claimed that he exhibited irritability and an authoritarian management style. Around the same time, Perot was criticized for a remark made during a speech at the NAACP convention. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations Perot was sympathizing with the plight of African Americans during tough economic times, but referred to his audience as "you people", a phrase that was loudly objected to by some members of the audience, and deemed insensitive by the media. Perot also found himself challenged on gay issues, as he initially opposed lifting the ban on gays in the military and allowing gays to serve in a Perot Administration. After much pressure from gay groups[6], Perot switched stances on gay issues, stating that he would be open to appointing gays to his cabinet[7] and would unequivocally favor lifting the ban on homosexual service in the military[8].

These developments had an adverse impact on Perot's campaign and his approval rating in opinion polls was no longer rising. On July 16, 1992, Perot reconsidered running for the presidency, even if he was not placed on all 50 state ballots. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) At that time he was only on 24 state ballots. He was encouraged by the selection of the Democratic party ticket of Bill Clinton and Al Gore at the Democratic National Convention. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party.

Nevertheless, in September he qualified for all 50 state ballots. On October 1, he announced his intention to start running again. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. He explained his earlier withdrawal by claiming that Republican operatives had wanted to reveal compromising photos of his daughter, which would disrupt her wedding, and he wanted to spare her from embarrassment. Scott Barnes, a private investigator and security consultant who had testified to that effect and supported Perot's story would later, in 1997, reveal that he had tricked Perot into believing that it was true, but it was a hoax he created with others outside any political campaign. Barnes was a Perot supporter, and believed if it were revealed Republicans were involved in dirty tricks, it would harm Bush's candidacy. [9]

He campaigned in 16 states and spent an estimated $65. 4 million of his own money. Perot employed the innovative strategy of purchasing half-hour blocks of time on major networks for infomercial-type campaign ads; these ads garnered more viewership than many sitcoms, with one Friday night program in October attracting 10. Infomercials (or informercials are Television commercials that run for one minute or for as long as a typical Television program 5 million viewers. [10]

Perot's running mate was retired Vice Admiral James Stockdale, a well-respected former Vietnam prisoner of war (POW). Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale (December 23 1923&ndashJuly 5 2005 was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the United States Navy Perot was a long-time supporter of POWs. In December 1969 he organized and flew to North Vietnam in an attempt to deliver 30-tons of supplies to beleaguered American POWs in North Vietnam. Although North Vietnam blocked the flights, the effort was instrumental in bringing the plight of those POWs to the world's attention and their captors soon began treating them better. [2]

Ross Perot (center) along with candidate Bill Clinton (right) and President George H.W. Bush during a 1992 presidential debate
Ross Perot (center) along with candidate Bill Clinton (right) and President George H.W. Bush during a 1992 presidential debate

At one point in June, Perot led the polls with 39% (versus 31% for Bush and 25% for Clinton). William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 The United States presidential elections of 1992 featured a battle between incumbent President, Republican George H Just prior to the debates, Perot received 7-9% support in nationwide polls. It is likely that the debates played a significant role in his ultimate receipt of 19% of the popular vote. Although his answers during the debates were often general, many Democrats and Republicans conceded that Perot won at least the first debate. In debate he is noted to have said: "Keep in mind our Constitution predates the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Our founders did not know about electricity, the train, telephones, radio, television, automobiles, airplanes, rockets, nuclear weapons, satellites, or space exploration. There's a lot they didn't know about. It would be interesting to see what kind of document they'd draft today. Just keeping it frozen in time won't hack it. "

Perot denounced Congress for its inaction. Washington, Perot said,

… has become a town filled with sound bites, shell games, handlers, media stuntmen who posture, create images, talk, shoot off Roman candles, but don't ever accomplish anything. A sound bite is an audiolinguistic and social communications phenomenon whose nature was recognized in the late 20th century helped by people such as Marshall McLuhan. This article deals with the con game For other meanings see Shell game (disambiguation. We need deeds, not words, in this city.

In July, while Perot was pondering whether to run for office, his supporters established a campaign organization United We Stand America. United We Stand America was the name selected by Texas businessman H Perot was late in making formal policy proposals, but most of what he did call for were intended to reduce the deficit. He wanted a gasoline tax increase and some cutbacks of Social Security. A fuel tax (also known as a petrol tax, gasoline tax, gas tax or fuel duty) is a Sales tax imposed on the sale of Fuel. Social Security, in the United States currently refers to the federal Old-Age Survivors and Disability Insurance ( OASDI) program

In the 1992 election, he received 18. The United States presidential elections of 1992 featured a battle between incumbent President, Republican George H 9% of the popular vote - approximately 19,741,065 votes - (but no electoral college votes), making him the most successful third-party presidential candidate in terms of the popular vote since Theodore Roosevelt in the 1912 election. The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States. Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T The United States presidential election of 1912 was fought among three major candidates two of whom had previously won election to the office Perot managed to finish second in two states: In Maine, Perot received 30. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean 44% of the vote to Bush's 30. 39% (Clinton won Maine with 38. 77%); In Utah, Perot received 27. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. 34% of the vote to Clinton's 24. 65% (Bush won Utah with 43. 36%).

A detailed analysis of the voting demographics revealed that Perot's support drew heavily from across the political spectrum, with 20% of his votes coming from self-described liberals, 27% from self-described conservatives, and 53% coming from self-described moderates. Economically, however, the majority of Perot voters (57%) were middle class, earning between $15,000 and $49,000 annually, with the bulk of the remainder drawing from the upper middle class (29% earning over $50,000 annually). [11] Exit polls also showed that Ross Perot drew 38% of his vote from Bush, and 38% of his vote from Clinton, while the rest of his voters would have stayed home in his absence on the ballot[12].

Based on his performance in the popular vote in 1992, Perot was entitled to receive federal election funding for 1996. Perot remained in the public eye after the election and championed opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), urging voters to listen for the "giant sucking sound" of American jobs heading south to Mexico should NAFTA be ratified. The " giant sucking sound " was United States Presidential candidate Ross Perot 's colorful phrase for what he believed would be the negative effects of the North The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

Reform Party and 1996 presidential run

Perot tried to keep his movement alive through the mid-1990s, continuing to speak about the increasing national debt. He was a prominent campaigner against NAFTA, and even debated Al Gore on the issue on Larry King Live: what was then the largest audience ever to watch a cable program tuned in to the debate. Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former Perot's behavior during the debate was a source of mirth thereafter, including his repeated pleas to "let me finish" in his southern drawl. The debate was seen by many as effectively ending Perot’s political career. Support for NAFTA went from 34% to 57%. The following week, NAFTA passed the House, with some hesitant members of Congress saying the Perot debate helped make a vote for the bill more popular. Perot sponsored conferences which were attended by numerous high-profile politicians.

In 1995, he founded the Reform Party and won their nomination for the 1996 election. The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA, generally known simply as the Reform Party) is a Political The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice His running mate was Pat Choate. Pat Choate (born 27 April 1941) is an Economist who is perhaps most known for being the 1996 Reform Party Vice President Because of the ballot access laws he had to run as an Independent on many state ballots. Perot received just eight percent of the popular vote in 1996, much less than in the 1992 race but still an unusually successful third-party showing by U. S. standards. He spent much less of his own money in this race than he had four years before, and also allowed other people to contribute to his campaign, unlike his prior race. One common explanation for the decline was Perot's exclusion from the presidential debates, based on the preferences of the Democratic and Republican party candidates (as described by George Farah in Open Debates). During presidential elections in the United States, it has become customary for the main candidates In 1996 his opponents were U. S. Senator Bob Dole (Republican) and President Bill Clinton (Democrat). Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole (born July 22 1923 is an attorney and retired United States Senator from Kansas from 1969–1996 serving part of that time William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States

Later activities

Later in the 1990s, Perot's detractors accused him of not allowing the Reform Party to develop into a genuine national political party, but rather keeping it a movement to support him, as people close to Perot's electoral campaign had still been in party offices because the majority of Reform Party members had continued to elect them in party offices. Perot did not give an endorsement during Jesse Ventura's run for governor of Minnesota in the 1998 election, and this became suspicious to detractors when he made fun of Ventura at a conference after Ventura had a fall-out with the press. Jesse Ventura (born July 15, 1951 as James George Janos) also known as "The Body", "The Star", and "The The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the US state of Minnesota, leading the state's Executive branch. The party leadership grew in tighter opposition to groups supporting Ventura and Jack Gargan. Reasons for this were demonstrated when Jack Gargan was officially removed as Reform Party Chairman by the Reform Party National Committee.

Ross Perot speaking at the U.S. Army 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment annual ball in 2005
Ross Perot speaking at the U.S. Army 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment annual ball in 2005

In the 2000 presidential election, Perot refused to become openly involved in the dispute inside the Reform Party between supporters of Pat Buchanan and of John Hagelin. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Democratic candidate Al Gore, then Vice President, and Republican Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan (born November 2 1938 is an American Political commentator, Author, syndicated Columnist John Hagelin, scientist educator and three-time third-party candidate for President of the United States is Professor of Physics and Director of the Institute of Science Technology Perot was reportedly unhappy with how the party was disintegrating, and how he was being portrayed in the press, and chose to remain quiet on the election at that time. He appeared on Larry King Live four days before the election, and endorsed George W. Bush for President. Despite his earlier opposition to NAFTA, Perot remained largely silent about expanded use of guest worker visas in the United States, with Buchanan supporters attributing this silence to his corporate reliance on foreign workers. Eventually, Perot ended all ties between himself and the Reform Party, which was largely defunct in most states and has filed a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) lawsuit against another branch of the Reform Party. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (commonly referred to as RICO Act or RICO) is a United States federal law that provides for extended (Some state parties have affiliated with the new (Buchananite) America First Party; others gave Ralph Nader their ballot lines in the 2004 presidential election. The America First Party is a third party in the United States. Ralph Nader (born February 27 1934 is an American Attorney, Author, Lecturer, political activist, and independent candidate for President The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. )

Since then, Perot has been largely silent on political issues, refusing to answer most questions about politics from the press. Whenever a paper has secured an interview with him he usually remains on the subject of his business career and refuses to answer the more specific questions on politics, candidates, or his past activities.

The one break from this has been in 2005 when he was asked to testify before the Texas Legislature about proposals to extend technology to students, through making laptops available; and changing the process of buying books, through making electronic books available and allowing schools to buy books at the local level instead of going through the state. The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. Perot promoted the legislation. In an April 2005 interview, Perot expresses concern about the state of progress on issues he had raised in his presidential runs.

In January 2008, Perot publicly came out against Republican candidate John McCain and endorsed Mitt Romney for President. He also announced that he will soon be launching a new website with updated economic graphs and charts. [13]

Electoral history

United States presidential election, 1992

United States presidential election, 1996

References

  1. ^ The Ancestors of Ross Perot
  2. ^ a b c d Townley, Alvin [2006-12-26]. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts. New York: St. Martin's Press, pp. 89-100, 108, 187, 194, 249, 260, 265. ISBN 0-312-36653-1. Retrieved on 2006-12-29. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II  
  3. ^ Ray, Mark (2007). What It Means to Be a super duper rich person. Scouting Magazine. Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved on 2007-01-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France.
  4. ^ Magna Carta Is Going on the Auction Block September 25, 2007
  5. ^ H. Ross Perot May 25, 1992, Time magazine
  6. ^ THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Undeclared Candidate; AIDS Demonstrators Disrupt Perot Rally - New York Times
  7. ^ THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Undeclared Candidate; In Shift, Perot Wouldn't Bar Homosexuals From Cabinet - New York Times
  8. ^ THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Undeclared Candidate; Perot Shifts on Homosexuals in Military - New York Times
  9. ^ Barta, Carol. "Ex-Perot aide says he set up '92 `dirty tricks', He says GOP did not tap campaign phones", Dallas Morning News, 1997-03-28. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate.  
  10. ^ THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: The Media; Perot's 30-Minute TV Ads Defy the Experts, Again, KOLBERT, ELIZABETH. New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N. Y. : Oct 27, 1992. pg. A. 19
  11. ^ Politics: Who Cares by Peirce Lewis, Casey McCracken, and Roger Hunt (American Demographics, October 1994, vol. 16, no. 10) p. 23. http://www.hks.harvard.edu/case/3pt/perot_vote.html
  12. ^ THE 1992 ELECTIONS: DISAPPOINTMENT - NEWS ANALYSIS An Eccentric but No Joke; Perot's Strong Showing Raises Questions On What Might Have Been, and Might Be - New York Times
  13. ^ Ross Perot Slams McCain | Newsweek Voices - Jonathan Alter | Newsweek.com

Further reading

Preceded by
(none)		 Reform Party Presidential candidate
1996 (3rd)		 Succeeded by
Pat Buchanan
The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA, generally known simply as the Reform Party) is a Political The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan (born November 2 1938 is an American Political commentator, Author, syndicated Columnist
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