Ross Perot

Henry Ross Perot, known to most as Ross Perot (prior to 1992, generally known as H. Ross Perot by the public) (born June 27, 1930), is a billionaire American businessman from Texas best known as a candidate for President of the United States (in 1992 and 1996). Perot founded Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 1962. He later left the company, and founded Perot Systems with a similar ethos.

Reform Party and 1996 presidential run

Perot tried to keep his movement alive in the middle 1990s, continuing to speak about the increasing national debt. He was a prominent campaigner against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and even debated Al Gore on this issue on Larry King Live. Perot sponsored conferences which were attended by numerous high-profile politicians. Perot endorsed the 1994 Republican Contract with America and urged Americans to vote for Republican candidates that year.

Related Topics:
1990s - North American Free Trade Agreement - Al Gore - 1994 - Contract with America

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In 1995, he founded the Reform Party and ran under their banner in the 1996 election. He 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 far less of his own money in this race than he had four years before, and also allowed other persons 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).

Related Topics:
1995 - Reform Party - 1996 election - 1996 - Presidential debates

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