Media and 1992 Presidential Campaign: Perot!

"Ross Perot was the surprise of the election. As an independent he gave quite a scare to the other candidates as well as to many of the voters. His popularity became very widespread so the media did not know how to represent him. He provided an alternative to the usual politicians. He received his snubbing from the press when he dropped out of the election in the summer. Many who had put hard work into his campaign were severely disappointed. The media had a field day covering that story. When he reentered the election, the media was sure to remind the people of the time he let them down." MA

"...in the June 29 issue of Time there is an article on Ross Perot titled 'The Doubts About Ross Perot' by George J. Church. It states that on March 25, 1987 Ross Perot says, 'We must cut spending and raise taxes to pay our bills. We all know it. Let's make sure our leaders understand that this must be done.' The media compares this with a quote five years later on June 3, 1992 by Ross Perot that states, 'Putting more money in the government is a serious mistake. And I have said I will not raise taxes.' What might have been necessary in 1987 is not what is necessary in 1992 or what Ross Perot believed would solve the problem in 1987 does not apply to 1992. The media distorted these quotes to make the public think Ross Perot is two-faced. What a person thought ten years ago isn't necessarily what a person believes or practices today." OK

"Ross Perot really seems like a swell guy. I think that if we the people of the United States would have given Perot a chance he could have changed the world. He could have gotten us out of our trillion dollar deficit. It would have been hard for the people but he could have done it. Another point is that I trust him. I myself liked how he ran his campaign, he spent his own money and not the people's. The way he ran his campaign is the way most people would do it; he was honest and admitted that he didn't know much about the government. He said that he was a businessman, which he is, and that while he may not know much about government, he knows how to run a business and being the president is like running a bigger corporation." MN

"H. Ross Perot, a Texas billionaire, came barging onto the scene. He immediately made it clear that he was independent of both parties, and only ran for the presidency because he felt that he could do a better job than either George Bush or Bill Clinton. The media loved him, and as a result so did the rest of America." MD

"In a time of great economic strife, Perot was a very attractive candidate to many Americans. He had practical experience backing him that he could apply to a national economic policy. However, Ross Perot left questions in the minds of many Americans concerning other matters. Issues such as health care, education, and international affairs were left seemingly unaddressed. . . Ross Perot may not have become the next president of the United States, but his campaign was far from weak. His effect on the 1992 election was substantial, because he knew how to 'play the media game'. . . To be able to utilize the power of the media to its fullest extent, lage sums of money are needed, and Ross Perot definitely had the money. . . He gained the support of millions of Americans through the little boxes in their living rooms. . . It may have been his economic policy, or it may have been his genuine, fresh 'Hey, I'm no politician' attitude. Whaever it was, the people saw it and felt it through the media . . . Ross Perot is a cunning man. During his campaign he was well-aware of the American fascination with newsworthy events, so he played on that fascination and achieved more political success than the nation had ever expected from him." PA

"Although most of the articles on Ross Perot were supportive of him, they would never let the public forget that he was rich. For example, two of the articles had caricatures of Perot, one of them portraying him as a hero on top of an ocean of money and the other as a classroom teacher with money being added on a blackboard behind him. U.S. News and World Report also showed Perot having an attraction to conspiracy, and this was well before his accusations that the Bush campaign threatened to ruin his daughter's wedding with compromising pictures. The question we should ask is whether the presentation about his attraction to conspiracy warned us of this upcoming accusation of Bush, or did it contribute to our utter disbelief of his questionable theories?" MO

"(Perot's) poor press relations may have been a mistake that cost him many votes later on." MA

"Buying television time gave Perot the chance to charm the audience with his charisma and quick business savy and showed America that not every politician is out for money. Perot gave this year's campaign a new twist, which in the future, neither politicians nor the media will forget." OR

"Ross did get a little hot and bothered at times but, he usually made fun at himself." OH

"The half hour television slots purchased by candidate Ross Perot also provided viewers with an idea of his political platform. With his charts and graphs he drummed up many supporters. Even though he did not win, or even come close, he nevertheless converted many Americans in a very short period of time." MA

"For Perot, although he did finally start focusing on the issues, it was too little too late; his dropout in the summer did not help matters much." IN

"The media didn't trust Perot, and if the media didn't trust Perot, then the people didn't either. The media harassed Perot, asking questions about why he entered the race, how much money he was spending on his campaign, and questions about his personal life. Then, when Perot mysteriously dropped out of the campaign, and reentered later, the frenzy of the feeding vultures doubled in intensity." PA

"The Blade Empire of Concordia, Kansas (ran) these headlines: PEROT HEADED INTO DEBATE AS LOOSE CANNON PEROT OUTSPENDS BUSH, CLINTON COMBINED BUSH SIGNED BILL FOR MONEY FOR HIS OWN REPLACEMENT BUSH BENDS TO EVERY WIND FROM THE RADICAL RIGHT CLINTON GAINS STRENGTH and CLINTON OPENS AIR WARS' Even for a person just skimming through the paper, the impression is given that Perot is unstable and extravagant, that Bush is easily persuaded, and that Clinton is strong, forceful and dependable." KS

". . . it was Perot that showed America that you didn't need a party to be a contender as long as you had TV." KY

"The press and media failed to recognize just exactly how Ross Perot went from 'rags to riches,' helped hundreds of people, and how he would be an effective leader." TX

"Ross Perot was treated with kid gloves throughout the spring because he seemed to represent that the media always likes to see--change!" AR

"Ross Perot had and has good ideas for our country. He was a business man willing to do business for our nation. He did not accept federal monies for presidential campaigns. He used his own money for the campaign he wanted. He bought TV time that would stagger most corporations. He got rave reviews for his ideas." IL

"Perot turned around and did something that no one has ever done. He used television to carry his message to the Americans. Instead of public speeches, he purchased an hour of television time on NBC to sit down and "talk" with America. People watched his "info-mercial" and loved it. It marked the first time that a candidate had ever used the media to get their point across without the media being able to change it. The ratings were so high that he decided to do another one. In all, there were five "info-mercials." In fact, the night before the elections, Bill Clinton joined Perot and had his own "info-mercial." These "info-mercials" are about the only way that a candidate can actually convey his or her message to the American people without having the press change it with their own views. It was creative as well as an effective solution to this problem of media bias." MD

". . . a group of unfulfilled voters screamed for change and formed their own party with Ross Perot as its candidate for president. Although, realistically, his chance to win was minute, the number of voters who did join his leadership staggered the other parties. This 'grass root' movement only existed because of the help of the media. Without getting such great exposure, the movement never could have been accomplished." OK

"Although Ross Perot never proved himself to be an altogether viable candidate (eventually receiving no electoral votes) he did help the media make money. The novelty of his candidacy resulted in the numerous magazine covers supporting his face and the extensive newspaper and media coverage." KY

"Although some were millionares, far above the average person on the social ladder, they used the media to create . . . the impression that they were one of them. They knew that people are more likely to vote for a candidate who is one of their kind and experiences their problems. Such efforts to create a false public image is a common practice." AR

"The media portrayed Ross Perot as the saviour of the country and the public viewed him as this. When Perot decided to withdraw from the Presidential race the media portrayed him as a quitter and consequently so did the public." WV

"Ross Perot spent a record amount of $3.25 per vote; his campaign spending exceeded $70 million, all of which he used from his personal finances." OH

"Perot got so much media coverage because, at the start of the race, he had the money to buy media time and make a name for himself. Once he built up his name, the media began covering him for free. Perot was also surrounded by some scandals, or controversial topics, and that sells newspapers." OR

"Ross Perot's popularity was largely due to his ability to advertise. He was named Advertising Age magazine's 'Adman of the Year.' SD

"The press did not look at the fact that he (Perot) had the least to gain from getting into office. He had the money. . . he also had the power of his business, so less need to take bribes." MO

"H. Ross Perot, the independent candidate, financed his own bid for the White House and built his entire campaign almost exclusively on television. He sneaked his way into the race last spring on CNN's Larry King Live show by saying that if the people placed him on the ballot in all 50 states, then he would run for the presidency. This move and his other strategies. . . were plotted way in advance of their actual occurrence. He did not simply make an off-handed remark, but rather a calculated statement which would catapult him into the political and presidential arena. However, when the media began . .. turning up the heat on Mr. Perot, he bowed out of the race. He re-entered with about six weeks remaining so as to avoid the close scrutiny that the other two candidates (had) endured . . . Even during that period when he was not an official candidate, Perot still manipulated the press. He kept his name in the news just often enough to prevent the public from forgetting him, while staying out of the news enough to avoid bad publicity." MD

"H. Ross Perot, independent for office, used prime-time television to communicate his message. . . for 30 or 60 minutes, millions of Americans viewed his charts, graphs, and heard his views. Instead of letting the media pick and choose his coverage time, he bypassed the media. By buying his way into the livingrooms of the American people, Perot used the television to his advantage. In Ross Perot's run for office, the media played a small role in his campaign. Perot did not need the help or struggle with the media. Ross Perot set out to change the system, and by purchasing personal time on the television, he did just that." NY

"Ross Perot may not have won the election, or achieved any of his political goals in 1992, but he made a statement. He challenged one of the country's most powerful institutions, and he was victorious." OH