U.S. presidential election, 1992

The U.S. presidential election of 1992 featured a three-way battle between Republican George Bush, the incumbent President; Democrat Bill Clinton, the governor of Arkansas; and independent candidate Ross Perot, a Texas businessman. Bush had alienated much of his conservative base by breaking his 1988 campaign pledge against raising taxes, the economy had sunk into recession, and his perceived best strength, foreign policy, was regarded as much less important following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the relatively peaceful climate in the Middle East following the defeat of Iraq in the Gulf War. Clinton successfully capitalized on these weaknesses by running as a centrist New Democrat and won the presidency. (Perot's campaign was actually labeled by some as being more liberal than conservative -- including plans to significantly raise the gasoline tax and to oppose the NAFTA free-trade agreement.)

Nominations

Republican Party nomination

Despite an early challenge by conservative journalist Pat Buchanan, President George H. W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle easily won renomination by the Republican Party. However, the success of the conservative opposition forced Bush to move farther to the right than in 1988, and to incorporate many socially conservative planks in the party platform. Bush allowed Buchanan to give the keynote address at the Republican National Convention, and his culture war speech alienated many moderates.

Related Topics:
Pat Buchanan - George H. W. Bush - Dan Quayle - Republican Party - 1988 - Republican National Convention - Culture war speech

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Democratic Party nomination

The early phase of the primary was conducted in 1991 when Bush had high popularity ratings in the wake of the Gulf War. Because of this, many well-known Democrats, such as House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Governor Mario Cuomo of New York, considered the race unwinnable and did not run for the nomination, leaving the field to several less-well-known candidates.

Related Topics:
Gulf War - House Majority Leader - Dick Gephardt - Missouri - Mario Cuomo - New York

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• Larry Agran, mayor of Irvine, California
• Jerry Brown, former governor of California and candidate for the 1976 and 1980 nominations
• Bill Clinton, governor of Arkansas
• Tom Harkin, U.S. senator from Iowa
• Bob Kerrey, U.S. senator from Nebraska
• Tom Laughlin, film actor and director from California
• Eugene McCarthy, former U.S. senator from Minnesota and candidate for the 1968 and 1972 nominations
• Paul Tsongas, former U.S. senator from Massachusetts
• Douglas Wilder, governor of Virginia

Clinton, a Southerner with experience governing a more conservative state, was able to exit the primaries positioned as a centrist New Democrat. As his vice presidential nominee, he selected Senator Al Gore of Tennessee, who was not only acknowledged as one of the Congress's most passionate advocates of environmental protection legislation, but also a young Southern Democrat who reinforced Clinton's image.

Related Topics:
New Democrat - Al Gore - Tennessee

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More: 1992 Democratic presidential primary.

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Other nominations

But the country's deep unease over the direction of the economy also sparked the emergence of a remarkable independent candidate -- wealthy Texas entrepreneur Ross Perot. Perot, who earned a fortune in computers and data processing, tapped into a deep wellspring of frustration over the inability of Washington to deal effectively with economic issues, principally the federal deficit, and his volunteers succeeded in collecting enough signatures to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states. Although Perot squandered even a remote chance of winning the election by dropping out of the presidential contest in July and remaining out of the race for several weeks before re-entering, his presence ensured that economic issues remained at the center of the national debate.

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The 1992 campaign also marked the unofficial entry of Ralph Nader into presidential politics. Despite the advice of several liberal and environmental groups, Nader did not formally run. Rather, he tried to make an impact in the New Hampshire primaries, urging members of both parties to write-in NONE OF THE ABOVE. As a result, several thousand Democrats and Republicans wrote-in Nader's own name. Though thought to be a left-wing politician, Nader curiously received more votes from Republicans than Democrats.

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