Perot planning return in 2004? Book deal circulating suggests maybe...

[hlthe2b]

NOW THIS COULD GET INTERESTING..... It does seem that Perot really hates what Shrub is doing to the country, perhaps even more than he felt for Bush Sr

Perot gears up
According to a book proposal he's circulating, the former Bush spoiler is positioning himself as a voice to reckon with in 2004 -- and maybe more.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Micah L. Sifry

--snip--
But should we really just treat Ross as a bad joke? My read of his proposal is that he is serious about addressing the country's economic problems, furious at the GOP's irresponsible tax cuts and anxious to return to the national stage, possibly with some form of grass-roots movement by his side. For anyone who remembers how little respect Perot has shown for the Bush family over the years -- not only did he break Poppy Bush's hold on the White House, in 1994 he went out of his way to publicly endorse the Democratic gubernatorial opponents of both George W. in Texas and Jeb in Florida -- there's an intriguing subtext to all this: Ross may think that by launching this new effort in time for 2004 he can crack the Republican lock on power again, to stop the party's "radical agenda" and prevent a "fiscal disaster."

--snip--
His agent is telling publishers that he will do a media blitz in conjunction with his book's publication, and says that Perot envisions a series of nonpartisan town hall forums, an echo of the old "electronic town halls" he used to tout when he was running for president. He's not running now, but with any luck his nasal twang could be driving Karl Rove crazy come next summer.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/08/08/perot/index1.html

[jiacinto]

1. Perot endorsed Bush II in 2000

He isn't going to run. Why would he run against Bush?

[gulliver]

12. Perot hates deficits.

And he hates jobs being "sucked" out of the country. Remember all of those charts Perot had in '92. He can just use the same charts to describe Bush 2. It's Bush I all over again, only double everything bad.

[VOX]

13. Indeed he did. He delivered his support of Shrub on Larry King...

Everything Perot ever does politically apparently has to be presented on Larry King/CNN). But when he endorsed Shrub, he got a bit upstaged that evening when the news broke with the story of Bush's DUI. (Remember: "I made some mistakes...I'm not proud of them..., etc.)

I agree -- why would Perot pull an about-face now? What does he have to gain?

[jiacinto]

15. Nothing

nt

[hlthe2b]

2. perhaps, just perhaps...

Perot is among the increasing disgusted REPUGs who were originally sucked into GWB's lies...

Did you read the article, Jiacinto?

[jiacinto]

3. I am not a member of Salon

Thus I can't read it.

[Syrinx]

5. Yes you can

you just have to watch a commercial first, to get a "day pass."

[unblock]

4. this would be HUGE!!!!

this would turn a very important one of lichtman's 13 keys against bush.

i SERIOUSLY doubt bush would win ANY 3-way race where perot peels off republican votes!

[SoCalDem]

6. Bush-Perot-<any Dem>-Nader..Diebold & Es&S=Still TFU

:(

[sistersofmercy]

7. YES YES YES!

Oh I hope he does!!!! It'll certainly help our cause to get Georgie Boy out of the white house! Then there will be no argument about being beat fair and square!

[JohnyCanuck]

8. At least Perot can say, "I told you so"

when it comes to the jobs heading out of the USA making a giant sucking sound.

[mbee]

11. Whatever happened about the trouble his company was in

for their alleged training in energy market manipulation? Also, the night before selection Perot was singing the praises of bush saying he had integrity and the Dems didn't. Just my opinion, but something was fish in Denmark.

[quam]

9. Perot the Publicist Instead of Candidate

Perot could be an armchair politician with a tremendous amount of cash who simply wants to be heard. Perot has an excellent opportunity to show his beautiful and colorful pie-charts and line-charts demonstrating the government's current budget deficit (compared with the government's budget just a couple of years ago) to the American people.

Would such publicity affect the '04 election? Remains to be seen, as I cannot think of a similar circumstance during a presidential election. I do recall reading Perot spending an enormous amount of money during "1984, when businessman Ross Perot toured the state to convince citizen-fans that a high school quarterback who is not passing in school shouldn't do so at the game: No pass, no play." quoted here: http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/01/18/p13s1.htm

[greekspeak]

10. I say "bring him on!"

:-)

[Democat]

14. There are some good quotes in this article

I would love to see Perot jump back in and give Bush some trouble in 2004. We need all the help we can get. Here are a couple of good quotes from the article.

"Nothing so impresses Congress as a sudden groundswell that threatens to wash a couple of hundred members out of office. Accordingly, we appeal to you, the American people, the one invincible force with the power to fix our country. Only if you join us can we succeed; only with your help can our country keep its freedom."

Perot is mad about more than Bush's tax cuts, which he clearly (and correctly) blames for blowing the budget hole wide open. He also thinks the country is awash in "waves of jingoism" since 9/11 and offers sane counsel for dealing with the threat of terrorism: "Avoid panic and judge the odds like poker players." Most refreshing, he's got no use for the Bush administration's efforts "to hobble the commissions appointed to investigate 9/11" and slams the USA PATRIOT Act for going too far.

[quinnox]

16. I thought about this some months ago

basically hoping Perot gets in the race.

This would be a god send for the Democrats. The one concern I have is how probable this is considering how old Perot must be now. Isn't he is his 70's? Does he have the gumption to mount another campaign?

[MaverickX]

17. Perot is somewhat conservative but...

He's more of a Teddy Roosevelt progressive conservative. I don't think Perot is that bad. He should run to replace Dickhead Perry as Governor.