How did Perot get so much support?

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

I'm not talking about after he rejoined, obviously if third party candidates were allowed to participate in debates they would fare much better.

I'm talking about after his Larry King appearance in Feb 1992, by the summer he was actually leading in the polls, with around 39% of the vote. This seems unbelievable to me. How could some random businessman cause such a sensation?

[Sumner 1868]

By spending lot's of money on campaign ads.

[Hydera]

A lot of people got tired of the two party system and wanted a change. Perot made a platform that tried to appeal to all sides of the economic spectrum by combining literally everything from Opposing NAFTA, Allowing gays to serve openly to Cracking down on illegal immigration, Term limits for congress, electing President by popular vote, Balanced budget amendment, tough on crime.

Plus he was an old guy and a self made billionaire and had a humble image to some which appealed to a lot of folks.

Also that exiting the race and re-entering was the main reason of his slide in the polls, the other was the terrible terrible VP debate when he had Admiral Stockdale on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6n5OQVzVVQ

SNL then started to parody Perot so bad that might of caused people to take him less seriously.

https://screen.yahoo.com/joyride-ross-perot-000000231.html

https://screen.yahoo.com/ross-perot-president-000000471.html

https://screen.yahoo.com/ross-perot-cold-opening-republican-000000126.html

https://screen.yahoo.com/cold-opening-ross-perot-larry-000000352.html

[DS0816]

Ross Perot spoke of the deficit and the burden it unfairly placed on the up-and-coming generation. I was 21 years old in 1992. It was my first eligible presidential election of participation. And I voted for him. My thoughts were different back then. I didn't want to keep George Bush in office. And I didn't like Bill Clinton at first. More than 20 years later…I should have voted for Bill Clinton. (I did so with his re-election in 1996.) Ross Perot turned out to be an Alternative Republican. And his endorsements of George Bush and Mitt Romney revealed that all-too-clearly. (Did he also endorse John McCain as well?)

[Hydera]

Ross Perot spoke of the deficit and the burden it unfairly placed on the up-and-coming generation. I was 21 years old in 1992. It was my first eligible presidential election of participation. And I voted for him. My thoughts were different back then. I didn't want to keep George Bush in office. And I didn't like Bill Clinton at first. More than 20 years later…I should have voted for Bill Clinton. (I did so with his re-election in 1996.) Ross Perot turned out to be an Alternative Republican. And his endorsements of George Bush and Mitt Romney revealed that all-too-clearly. (Did he also endorse John McCain as well?)

Bill Clinton in his last three years got a budget surplus if you were that concerned with the deficit.

Perot declined to endorse anybody in 2008, but 2000/2004/2012 it was for republican candidates.

Something to note was that George Bush's margin in 2000 was Basically Dole+Perot voters.

62% of Perot voters in 1996 went towards Bush as well as a lot of conservative democrats who voted for clinton in 1996 and switched over the lewinsky scandal and gun control.

http://tinyurl.com/motd3pq

[Nym90]

It was a great shame that Stockdale became an object of such ridicule considering he was one of the greatest war heroes to run for Prez/VP (as was George McGovern). It is true that he had no business being in the debate, however.

[136or142]

Because he was an effective salesman but  complete shyster who spoke about 'getting under the hood' and 'addressing the problems' without ever answering what he would specifically do.

When his economic proposal that he hired some professor to write for him was actually released, he immediately disowned it and never mentioned it again.

Until Mitt Romney ran his presidential campaign, I'd never seen a bigger phony in Presidential politics than Ross Perot.

[Thomas D]

President Bush & Governor Clinton were both pretty unpopular. 

[Podgy the Bear]

It was a great shame that Stockdale became an object of such ridicule considering he was one of the greatest war heroes to run for Prez/VP (as was George McGovern). It is true that he had no business being in the debate, however.

Ironic that as of late, our acclaimed war hero candidates (McGovern, McCain, Dole, Stockdale, Kerry, etc.) don't make much traction come Election Day and (except for McGovern) lose to the antiwar/"draft dodger" candidate...

[Hydera]

It was a great shame that Stockdale became an object of such ridicule considering he was one of the greatest war heroes to run for Prez/VP (as was George McGovern). It is true that he had no business being in the debate, however.

Ironic that as of late, our acclaimed war hero candidates (McGovern, McCain, Dole, Stockdale, Kerry, etc.) don't make much traction come Election Day and (except for McGovern) lose to the antiwar/"draft dodger" candidate...

I see it in the other way. They did the best they could despite their circumstances. McGovern having to go against Nixon who was riding high in popularity especially after he was gaining 80% of those who voted for Wallace. McCain having to face off against Obama when Bush was unpopular and the economy tanked, Dole who was portrayed as old and couldn't campaign much against Clinton when Clinton had a booming economy to use as an re-election ploy. 

Kerry is a bit mixed since he was wayyy to weak in defending his record against the swiftboaters while on the meantime he couldn't do much against Bush when he surged in the polls after the Osama tape released just before the 2004 election.

Stockdale sadly was pretty much ridiculed actually for the right reasons since he was chosen by the Perot and never wanted to be VP and had only a week to prepare before the VP debate.

[136or142]

It was a great shame that Stockdale became an object of such ridicule considering he was one of the greatest war heroes to run for Prez/VP (as was George McGovern). It is true that he had no business being in the debate, however.

Ironic that as of late, our acclaimed war hero candidates (McGovern, McCain, Dole, Stockdale, Kerry, etc.) don't make much traction come Election Day and (except for McGovern) lose to the antiwar/"draft dodger" candidate...

I see it in the other way. They did the best they could despite their circumstances. McGovern having to go against Nixon who was riding high in popularity especially after he was gaining 80% of those who voted for Wallace. McCain having to face off against Obama when Bush was unpopular and the economy tanked, Dole who was portrayed as old and couldn't campaign much against Clinton when Clinton had a booming economy to use as an re-election ploy.  

Kerry is a bit mixed since he was wayyy to weak in defending his record against the swiftboaters while on the meantime he couldn't do much against Bush when he surged in the polls after the Osama tape released just before the 2004 election.

Stockdale sadly was pretty much ridiculed actually for the right reasons since he was chosen by the Perot and never wanted to be VP and had only a week to prepare before the VP debate.

There was also Al Gore who went to Vietnam (yes he was a Stars and Stripes reporter there, but as anyone who watched Full Metal Jacket knows, the reporters are assigned to their position, they don't get to choose to be one, they are often sent to the frontline (such as one existed in Vietnam) and they carry the same weapons as the assigned soldiers) who 'lost' to George W Bush a de facto draft dodger.

Admiral Stockdale was never meant to be anything more than a placeholder name to be replaced once Perot succeeded in getting his first choice for Vice President on the ticket (I believe he wanted Marcy Kaptur) but first Kaptur turned him down and then Perot dropped out and by the time he reentered the race it was too late to replace Stockdale on the ballot.

[bobloblaw]

My first question is how old are you?

[136or142]

My first question is how old are you?

Who are you talking to? How old are YOU?

[SingingAnalyst]

Voters were sick of Bush, didn't trust Clinton, and were tired of incumbents at every level (Dems controlling the House 38 years, House check scandal, 99% House incumbents re-elected in 1988, etc.) Perot was seen as strong, yet fresh. I am still impressed with the uniformity of his support by region, age, income, level of education.