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.