Washington, Thursday
ROSS PEROT is running for president. He announced this afternoon that
his volunteers had asked him to do so. Since he chooses them, pays them,
and dismisses any who do not agree with him, he had no trouble
anticipating what they would say.
''Neither party has effectively addressed this issues,'' he said. He
will ensure that they do so in the remaining four-and-a-half weeks of
the campaign.
One bemused observer compared him to the lady who won the New York
Marathon by taking the subway. Mr Perot, after causing immense
excitement between February and July, dropped out of the marathon -- and
has now reappeared, in the last lap, refreshed and energetic, ready and
willing to take on the other two candidates who have been running proper
campaigns for months past.
Mr Perot apologised for dropping out of the race in July, and blamed
the other candidates, George Bush and Bill Clinton, of neglecting the
issues.
''Nobody in Washington takes responsibility, even when they have
direct responsibility,'' he said. He denounced the deficit-spending of
recent years, saying: ''The people know it is wrong to spend our
children's money.''
Mr Perot has been criticised for egomania. ''We don't want ego-driven,
power-hungry politicians,'' he said. He also announced firmly that he
would not deal in personalities, and would answer no questions on the
matter.
There followed a raucous press conference during which several
reporters tried to ask him why he paid for private detectives to spy on
his volunteers. Mr Perot asked, in return, why reporters never asked Mr
Bush or Mr Clinton the same question.
The two rivals say that Mr Perot's appearance will not affect the
outcome of the election. They would say that. In fact, Mr Clinton's
staff are worried that Mr Perot will take enough votes from him in a few
states to allow Mr Bush to carry them. Mr Bush's people fear the same
thing.
Mr Bush is afraid of losing Texas and Florida, the two biggest states
that he is counting on, while Mr Clinton fears for Illinois, Ohio, and
Michigan, middle-sized states in the industrial Mid-West.
The latest opinion polls, broadcast immediately after Mr Perot's
announcement, had more bad news for the president. According to ABC
television, Mr Clinton is ahead in a large number of states, and Mr Bush
clearly leads in none. This is a change: a few days ago, he was said to
be ahead in Utah.
CNN said that its latest poll showed Mr Clinton with 52% of the vote,
Mr Bush with 35%, and Mr Perot with 7%, the rest undecided. The same
poll found that 56% of the electorate had an unfavourable opinion of the
president, and 48% said they would never vote for him. Mr Clinton's
unfavourable rating was 38% and Mr Perot's 66%.
Mr Perot has issued an economic plan which includes some drastic
nostrums to eliminate the deficit. They include sharp cuts in Government
spending and rises in taxes. Everyone earning more than $55,000 a year
would be hit, and the petrol tax would go up 10 cents a year for five
years.
There is, however, some doubt over when this programme would be put
into effect. The book says immediately. The man who wrote it says 1994,
by which time the recession should be over. Mr Perot was not asked about
this.
He was, however, asked if the book represented the final plan he would
offer. He said it would not, and that his success as a businessman
derived from his readiness to change plans at a moment's notice.
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