Did you vote for Ross Perot and why?

[DeathTaxesNoles]

Can I finish?

[DeathTaxesNoles]

What made you vote or not vote for Ross Perot back in 1992 and 1996? He had a legit chance and breaking the two party stranglehold. I was too young to vote then but I know my dad did.

[xJones]

Ross is a billionaire who hated George Bush Sr. and put on a good show and he fooled millions of people into thinking he was a legitimate third party choice. He wasn't, he was a flake, and we received Clinton for eight years as a result.

[aimhigh]

Perot just stole votes from Republicans. Is this post a fishing trip for the Kerry camp?

[the OlLine Rebel]

Prime reason: I didn't like Bush's apparent coziness w/the UN and internationalists. And I hated Clinton, even then. Not only was he a Dem but I just knew he was a scumbag (I've seen enough asses like him even before that); immediately stories started surfacing about this nobody from ARK. which didn't make it any better.

Plus I wasn't overly happy about Bush's flimsiness both w/the taxes, and not pushing thru all the way on Iraq. (Which was more show of how he was too willing to acquiesce to international opinion.)

Perot was a smart business man w/reasonable values and still had that American spirit (i.e., love for the country instead of hatred like Dems). Heck, he funded a rescue mission to 1 of those Moslem hell-holes for American hostages. (I can never remember which 1 it was, tho!)

[philsoc]

Disagree. I voted for him, twice. And I'd be tempted to vote for him again (or someone like him that was preaching the same gospel.)

In my mind, Ross Perot is a success story both in economic and patriotic terms - and he was willing to put his money where his mouth is. (So's John Kerry, but it's someone else's money - and I don't want to know who's mouth it is!)

He preached free trade IFF it was fair trade, re-instituting a strong moral compass to a nation that was heading off track, minimizing deficits, an end to judicial activism and to two-party gridlock.

I know most of the people FREEPing are Republican, but that is only because it is the only major party that somewhat represents your views.

Tell me the truth. How many of you/us were excited about the thought of a truly conservative party coming to power that had the goal of breaking through the gridlock and actually accomplishing something important?

[Lakeshark]

This is from my older brother who voted for Perot the first time:

I believed Perot had the business savvy and was a good alternative to what seemed like a RINO in GHWB. He talked a good game and I thought we needed a change.

After the election it became apparent I got change......it was a whole lot worse than most of us who voted for Perot wanted or thought could happen. I actually believed it couldn't get worse than George HW Bush.

It didn't take long to realize what a fool I had been. Duped by Perot, who seemingly only held some kind of a personal grudge against Bush............I got Clinton. Anyone who thinks he did better than Bush would have needs to be, in the very least, psychoanalyzed.

[demlosers]

Why did Perot take himself out of the 92 campaign for a month? Was it because he was rising in the polls and did not really want to be president?

[Celtman]

Why did Perot take himself out of the 92 campaign for a month?

      Good question.  It did seem like his level of success scared him.  Perot had my vote until he chickened out, and when he reentered the race he still left a bad taste.

[xJones]

Why did Perot take himself out of the 92 campaign for a month?

That depends on which Perot story you believe. Perot is an enormous egotist, never wrong, and a tad bit paranoid.

[bellevuesbest]

Fire plug with a bad haircut.

[Jet Jaguar]

If I remember correctly, at a rally, Perot responded to a young black man's question. Perot said something to the effect of- My people and your people share the shame...-
The young black man quickly interjected saying "My People?"
And got really upset. Perot realized that he had flubbed and
tried to talk his way out of what he had just said.
The next day he withdrew his candidacy saying the Bush camp was trying to smear his daughter. I think he withdrew to avoid further scrutiny and questions about race relation.

[Jet Jaguar]

sorry... (race relations.)

[newsmeat.com]

You all may find this interesting (I do):

Ross Perot campaign contributions (1997-2004)