The Perot Legacy

by Benjamin, Pat; Donovan, Donna

• ISBN13: 9781614484721
• ISBN10: 1614484724
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-02-12
• Publisher: Morgan James Pub

Summary

"In the 1990s, my campaigns as an independent presidential candidate gave a voice to millions of Americans who had been left out of the partisan political process. These people wantedand still wantto contribute to their country and make America better for their children and grandchildren. This is their story." Ross Perot, 1992/1996 presidential candidate, businessman, and philanthropist In 1992, America began a historic and unique political movement when Ross Perot, a down-to-earth, charismatic billionaire, threw his hat into the ring of presidential contenders. A member of the Reform Party, Perot was the voice for the average American, and he inspired millions of ordinary citizens to actively participate in their government. In The Perot Legacy, political activist and Perot campaigner Pat Benjamin takes you inside Perot's campaign and tells the story of an action movement that turned everyday folks into street fighters as they delved into the depths of dirty politics. Benjamin lays out the campaign's successful infiltration of "politics as usual" and exposes the backroom deals, intimidation, stalkers, and death threats that dogged the campaign's every step. But The Perot Legacyprovides more than a history of the Perot presidential bid. With sharp political sensibility, Benjamin addresses how to harness the growing frustration and disgust many Americans feel over politics today, and she explains how to learn from past mistakes to effectively put regular, real people back in control of the American government. Benjamin combines personal anecdotes, insider opinions, and sound political discourse to create a true testament to America's unique democratic system. It's time to put the power back in the people's hands!

Excerpts

“These are the best of times. These are the worst of times.”

Those words by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities perfectly describe the state of American politics over the last two decades. It was the best of times because Americans began to wake up and eventually rise up in 1992. They slowly began to realize it was time to move from the political status of “outsider” to their legitimate position of “insider.” It was the worst of times because political party members had been ideologically moving further away from one another, within each party as well as between political parties. In fact, extremists in both parties were beginning to move into positions of power.

The pull-and-tug of extremes seemed to be greater in the Republican Party. In a 1992 article for Scripps-Howard News Service, Jane Lowey reported, “Several leading GOP moderates ... recently announced the formation of the Republican Majority Coalition, a national organization ‘to take our party back’ from the Religious Right. The organization made the stand clear in its following Statement of Purpose: ‘We believe issues such as abortion, mandatory school prayer, homosexuality, the teachings of creationism and other similar questions recently inserted into the political context should instead be left to the conscience of individuals.’”