Editing Ross Perot (section)

==Political activities==
=== Early political activities ===

[[File:Ross Perot Allan Warren.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|Perot with a portrait of [[George Washington]] in his office in 1986]]
After a visit to [[Kingdom of Laos|Laos]] in 1969, made at the request of the [[White House]],<ref name=Jackson /> in which he met with senior [[North Vietnam]]ese officials, Perot became heavily involved in the [[Vietnam War POW/MIA issue]]. He believed that hundreds of American servicemen were left behind in Southeast Asia at the end of the U.S. involvement in the war,<ref name="nyt062092">{{Cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE1DC133FF933A15755C0A964958260 |title=Perot and Senators Seem Headed for a Fight on P.O.W.'s-M.I.A.'s |author=Patrick E. Tyler |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 20, 1992 |access-date=January 5, 2008}}</ref> and that government officials were covering up POW/MIA investigations to avoid revealing a drug-smuggling operation used to finance a secret war in Laos.<ref name="time062992">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975891-6,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214004511/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975891-6,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 14, 2008 |title=The Other Side of Perot |author=George J. Church |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 29, 1992 |access-date=January 24, 2008}}</ref> Perot engaged in unauthorized back-channel discussions with Vietnamese officials in the late 1980s, which led to fractured relations between Perot and the [[Presidency of Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] and [[Presidency of George H. W. Bush|George H. W. Bush administrations]].<ref name="nyt062092" /><ref name="time062992" /> In 1990, Perot reached an agreement with Vietnam's Foreign Ministry to become its business agent if diplomatic relations were normalized.<ref name="nyt060592">{{Cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DC1F31F936A35755C0A964958260 |title=Perot to Testify in Senate on Americans Missing in Southeast Asia |author=Patrick E. Tyler |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 5, 1992 |access-date=January 24, 2008}}</ref> Perot also launched private investigations of, and attacks upon, [[United States Department of Defense]] official [[Richard Armitage (naval officer)|Richard Armitage]].<ref name="nyt062092" /><ref name="time062992" />

In Florida in 1990, retired financial planner [[Jack Gargan (politician)|Jack Gargan]], employing a famous quotation from the 1976 movie ''[[Network (1976 film)|Network]]'', funded a series of "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" newspaper advertisements denouncing Congress for voting to give legislators pay raises at a time when average wages nationwide were not increasing. Gargan later founded "Throw the Hypocritical Rascals Out" (THRO), which Perot supported.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Isikoff|first1=Michael|title=Unlikely Suitors Pushed Perot Bid|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/archive/politics/1992/05/31/unlikely-suitors-pushed-perot-bid/bc22e3e3-16b5-4d87-a852-2277c6d26952/?resType=accessibility&nid=menu_nav_accessibilityforscreenreader|access-date=December 28, 2015|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 31, 1992}}</ref>

Perot did not support President [[George H. W. Bush]], and vigorously opposed the United States' involvement in the 1990–1991 [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]]. He unsuccessfully urged Senators to vote against the war resolution, and began to consider a presidential run.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1992 Run For The Presidency |url=http://cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/conventions/long.beach/perot/political.fray.shtml |publisher=Reform Party |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131132826/http://cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/conventions/long.beach/perot/political.fray.shtml |archive-date=January 31, 2014}}</ref><ref name=wait>{{Cite news |last=Quindlen |first=Anna |title=Public & Private; Waiting for Perot |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/03/opinion/public-private-waiting-for-perot.html |newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=November 13, 2012 |date=June 3, 1992}}</ref>

=== {{Anchor|1992_campaign}}1992 presidential campaign ===
{{Main|Ross Perot 1992 presidential campaign}}
[[File:Third debate 3267.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Perot meets [[Bill Clinton]] and [[George H. W. Bush]] at the third presidential debate at [[Michigan State University]], October 19, 1992.]]
On February 20, 1992, Perot appeared on [[CNN]]'s ''[[Larry King Live]]'' and announced his intention to run as an independent if his supporters could get his name on the ballot in all 50 states. With such declared policies as balancing the [[Balanced budget amendment|federal budget]], favoring certain types of gun control, ending the outsourcing of jobs and enacting [[e-democracy|electronic direct democracy]] via "electronic [[town meeting|town halls]]", he became a potential candidate and soon polled roughly even with the two major-party candidates.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://people-press.org/report/19920616/year-of-the-outsider |title= Year of the Outsider |website=Pew Research Center |date=June 16, 1992 |access-date=October 5, 2010}}</ref>

Perot denounced Congress for its inaction in a speech at the [[National Press Club (United States)|National Press Club]] in Washington, D.C., on March 18, 1992; he said:
{{Blockquote | style=font-size:100% |This city has become a town filled with [[sound bite]]s, [[shell game]]s, handlers, media stuntmen who posture, create images, talk, shoot off [[Roman candle (firework)|Roman candles]], but don't ever accomplish anything. We need deeds, not words, in this city.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/rossperotspeakso00pero|url-access=registration|title=Ross Perot Speaks Out: Issue by Issue, what He Says about Our Nation : Its Problems and Its Promise|last1=Perot|first1=Ross|date=1992|publisher=Prima Pub.|isbn=978-1-55958-274-2|language=en|page=[https://archive.org/details/rossperotspeakso00pero/page/55 55]}}</ref>}}

Perot's candidacy received increasing media attention when the competitive phase of the primary season ended for the two major parties. With the insurgent candidacies of Republican [[Pat Buchanan]] and Democrat [[Jerry Brown]] winding down, Perot was the natural beneficiary of [[populism|populist]] resentment toward establishment politicians. On May 25, 1992, he was featured on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' with the title "Waiting for Perot", an allusion to [[Samuel Beckett]]'s play ''[[Waiting for Godot]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19920525,00.html |website=TIME Archives |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060627205758/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19920525,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 27, 2006 |title=''Time'' magazine cover: H. Ross Perot|date=May 25, 1992|access-date=May 22, 2010}}</ref>

Several months before the Democratic and Republican conventions, Perot filled the vacuum of election news, as his supporters began petition drives to get him on the ballot in all 50 states. This sense of momentum was reinforced when Perot employed two savvy campaign managers in Democrat [[Hamilton Jordan]] and Republican [[Ed Rollins]]. While Perot was pondering whether to run for office, his supporters established a campaign organization [[United We Stand America]]. Perot was late in making formal policy proposals, but most of what he did call for was intended to reduce the deficit, such as a [[fuel tax]] increase and cutbacks to [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1992-10-14-9210140963-story.html |date=October 14, 1992|title=Ross Perots' plan to tax gasoline primes the pump |author=Mike Royko |work=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513194033/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1992-10-14-9210140963-story.html |archive-date= May 13, 2022 }}</ref>  In June, Perot led a [[Gallup poll]] with 39% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/11/us/the-1992-campaign-on-the-trail-poll-gives-perot-a-clear-lead.html |url-access=subscription |title=The 1992 Campaign: On the Trail – Poll Gives Perot a Clear Lead|date=June 11, 1992|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=October 24, 2016}}</ref>

In July, the Perot campaign fell into disarray and his polls fell sharply.  The [[1992 Democratic National Convention]] was held on Monday, July 13 through Thursday, July 16, during which time there was increased media coverage of the general election. ''[[The Milwaukee Sentinel]]'' reported that Perot's campaign managers were becoming increasingly disillusioned by Perot's unwillingness to follow their advice to be more specific on issues,<ref name="milwaukee" /> and his need to be in full control of operations.<ref name="milwaukee">{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Jd8VAAAAIBAJ&pg=5420,3383510&dq=ross-perot&hl=en|title=Perot advisers reportedly at odds|date=July 14, 1992|work=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|The Milwaukee Sentinel]]|page=2A|access-date=May 27, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=January 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'' reported such tactics as forcing volunteers to sign [[loyalty oath]]s.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Perot asks volunteers to sign loyalty oaths|date=July 14, 1992|work=Tampa Bay Times|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1992/07/14/perot-asks-volunteers-to-sign-loyalty-oaths/}}</ref>  Perot's poll numbers had slipped to 25%, and his advisers warned that if he continued to ignore them, he would fall into single digits. Hamilton Jordan (a high-ranking manager in the Perot campaign) allegedly threatened to quit, but senior campaign officials denied this.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Holmes|first=Steven A.|date=July 14, 1992|title=Perot Adviser Threatens to Quit Over Frustrations With Campaign|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/14/news/opposition-independent-perot-adviser-threatens-quit-over-frustrations-with.html|access-date=October 24, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

On July 15, Ed Rollins resigned after Perot fired advertisement specialist [[Hal Riney]], who had worked with Rollins on the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] campaign. Rollins would later claim that a member of the campaign accused him of being a Bush plant with ties to the [[Central Intelligence Agency]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/02/opinion/abroad-at-home-why-perot.html?pagewanted=1|title=Abroad at Home; Why Perot?|last=Lewis|first=Anthony|date=October 2, 1992|work=The New York Times|page=31|access-date=May 27, 2010}}</ref> Amid the chaos, Perot's support fell to 20%.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/16/news/campaign-ross-perot-rollins-quits-perot-s-campaign-asserts-his-advice-was.html|title=Rollins Quits Perot's Campaign; Asserts His Advice Was Ignored|last=Holmes|first=Steven A|date=July 16, 1992|work=The New York Times|page=1|access-date=May 27, 2010}}</ref> The next day, Perot announced on ''Larry King Live'' that he would not seek the presidency. He explained that he did not want the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] to decide the election if the result caused the electoral college to be split. Perot eventually stated the reason was that he received threats that digitally altered photographs would be released by the Bush campaign to sabotage his daughter's wedding.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/26/us/1992-campaign-overview-perot-says-he-quit-july-thwart-gop-dirty-tricks.html|title=The 1992 Campaign: The Overview – Perot Says He Quit in July to Thwart G.O.P. 'Dirty Tricks'|last=Berke|first=Richard L.|date=October 26, 1992|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 27, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Whatever his reasons for withdrawing, his reputation was badly damaged. Many of his supporters felt betrayed, and public opinion polls subsequently showed a largely negative view of Perot that was absent before his decision to end the campaign.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/19/us/1992-campaign-ross-perot-perot-says-he-may-rejoin-race-publicize-his-economic.html|title=The 1992 Campaign: Ross Perot – Perot Says He May Rejoin Race To Publicize His Economic Plan|last=Berke|first=Richard L.|date=September 19, 1992|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 27, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In September, he qualified for all 50 state ballots. On October 1, he announced his intention to re-enter the presidential race. He campaigned in 16 states and spent an estimated $12.3&nbsp;million of his own money.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clymer |first=Adam |title=The 1992 Campaign: Perot Gave $12 Million to Aborted Campaign |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 25, 1992 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/25/us/the-1992-campaign-ross-perot-perot-gave-12-million-to-aborted-campaign.html}}</ref> Perot employed the innovative strategy of purchasing half-hour blocks of time on major networks for [[infomercial]]-type campaign advertisements; this advertising garnered more viewership than many sitcoms, with one Friday night program in October attracting 10.5&nbsp;million viewers.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The 1992 Campaign: The Media – Perot's 30-Minute TV Ads Defy the Experts, Again |page=A.19 |last=Kolbert |first= Elizabeth |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 27, 1992 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/27/nyregion/the-1992-campaign-the-media-perot-s-30-minute-tv-ads-defy-the-experts-again.html}}</ref>

At one point in June, Perot led the polls with 39% (versus 31% for Bush and 25% for Clinton). Just prior to the debates, Perot received 7–9% support in nationwide polls.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/11/us/the-1992-campaign-on-the-trail-poll-gives-perot-a-clear-lead.html|title=The 1992 Campaign: On the Trail – Poll Gives Perot a Clear Lead|date=June 11, 1992|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 27, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The debates likely played a significant role in his ultimate receipt of almost 19% of the popular vote. Although his answers during the debates were often general, Frank Newport of [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] concluded that Perot "convincingly won the first debate, coming in significantly ahead of both the Democratic challenger Clinton and incumbent President George H.W. Bush".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/13525/What-History-Tells-About-Second-Third-Debates.aspx|title=What History Tells Us About Second and Third Debates|website=Gallup.com|date=October 7, 2004}}</ref> In the debate, he remarked:
{{Blockquote | style=font-size:100% |Keep in mind our Constitution predates the [[Industrial Revolution]]. Our founders did not know about electricity, the train, telephones, radio, television, automobiles, airplanes, rockets, nuclear weapons, satellites, or space exploration. There's a lot they didn't know about. It would be interesting to see what kind of document they'd draft today. Just keeping it frozen in time won't hack it.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sumner |first=Mark |url=http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/19/720644/-All-This-Has-Happened-Before |title=All This Has Happened Before |work=Daily Kos |date=April 19, 2009 |access-date=June 13, 2010}}</ref>}}

In the [[1992 United States presidential election|1992 election]], he received 18.9% of the popular vote, about 19,741,065 votes, but no [[United States Electoral College|electoral college]] votes, making him the most successful non-major-party presidential candidate in terms of share of the popular vote since [[Theodore Roosevelt]] in the [[1912 United States presidential election|1912 election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.270towin.com/1912_Election/ |title=Presidential Election of 1912 |work=270towin.com |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref> Unlike Perot, however, multiple third-party candidates since Roosevelt had won electoral college votes: [[Robert M. La Follette|Robert La Follette]] in 1924, [[Strom Thurmond]] in 1948, and [[George Wallace]] in 1968. Compared with Thurmond and Wallace, who polled very strongly in a small number of states, Perot's vote was more evenly spread across the country. Perot managed to finish second in two states: in [[1992 United States presidential election in Maine|Maine]], Perot received 30.44% of the vote—ahead of part-time resident Bush's 30.39% (Clinton won Maine with 38.77%); and in [[1992 United States presidential election in Utah|Utah]], Perot received 27.34% of the vote—ahead of Clinton's 24.65% (Bush won Utah with 43.36%). Although Perot did not win a state, he received a plurality of votes in some counties.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mustreadalaska.com/ross-perot-has-passed-he-placed-3rd-in-alaska-presidential-election-in-1992/|title=Ross Perot, 89, has passed: He placed 3rd in Alaska presidential election in 1992|last=Downing|first=Suzanne|date=July 9, 2019|website=Must Read Alaska|language=en-US|access-date=July 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-pol-ca-california-voting-history/|title=After decades of Republican victories, here's how California became a blue state again|last1=Krishnakumar|first1=Priya|last2=Arm|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en|access-date=July 10, 2019|last3=Emamdjomeh|last4=Moore|first4=Maloy|date=October 31, 2016 }}</ref> His popular vote total is still by far the most ever garnered for a non-major-party candidate, almost double the previous record set by Wallace in 1968.

A detailed analysis of voting demographics revealed that Perot's support drew heavily from across the political spectrum, with 20% of his votes coming from self-described [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberals]], 27% from self-described [[Conservatism in the United States|conservatives]], and 53% coming from self-described moderates. Economically, however, the majority of Perot voters (57%) were middle class, earning between $15,000 and $49,000 annually, with the bulk of the remainder drawing from the upper-middle class (29% earning more than $50,000 annually).<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Politics: Who Cares|author1=Peirce Lewis|author2=Casey McCracken|author3=Roger Hunt|journal=American Demographics|date=October 1994|volume=16|page=23|url=http://www.hks.harvard.edu/case/3pt/perot_vote.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321084623/http://www.hks.harvard.edu/case/3pt/perot_vote.html|archive-date=March 21, 2008}}</ref> Exit polls also showed that 38% of Perot voters would have otherwise voted for Bush, and 38% would have voted for Clinton.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DB1F3FF936A35752C1A964958260 |work=The New York Times |title=The 1992 Election: Disappointment – News Analysis – An Eccentric but No Joke; Perot's Strong Showing Raises Questions On What Might Have Been, and Might Be |first=Steven A. |last=Holmes |date=November 5, 1992 |access-date=May 22, 2010}}</ref> Though there were widespread claims that Perot acted as a "spoiler", post-election analysis suggested that his presence in the race likely did not affect the outcome.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/videos/the-ross-perot-myth/|title=The Ross Perot Myth|date=October 6, 2016|website=FiveThirtyEight|language=en-US|access-date=August 27, 2019}}</ref> According to [[Seymour Martin Lipset]], the 1992 election had several unique characteristics. Voters felt that economic conditions were worse than they actually were, which harmed Bush. A strong third-party candidate was a rare event. Liberals launched a backlash against 12 years of a conservative White House. The chief factor was Clinton's uniting his party, and winning over a number of heterogeneous groups.<ref>Seymour Martin Lipset, "The significance of the 1992 election." ''PS: Political Science and Politics'' 26.1 (1993): 7-16 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/419496 online]</ref> In 2016, [[FiveThirtyEight]] described the theory that Perot was a spoiler as "unlikely".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/long-before-trump-there-was-ross-perot/|title=Long Before Trump, There Was Ross Perot|first=Galen|last=Druke|publisher=FiveThirtyEight|date=October 24, 2016|access-date=May 9, 2021}}</ref>

Based on his performance in the popular vote in 1992, Perot was entitled to receive federal election funding for 1996. Perot remained in the public eye after the election and championed opposition to the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA). During the campaign, he had urged voters to listen for the "[[giant sucking sound]]" of American jobs heading south to Mexico should NAFTA be ratified.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/specials/issues/world/wordepth/0916perot-infomercial.html|title=Perot TV Ad Assails U.S. Trade Policies|website=The New York Times|access-date=July 10, 2019}}</ref>

=== {{Anchor|1996_campaign}}Reform Party and 1996 presidential campaign ===
=== {{Anchor|1996_campaign}}1996 presidential campaign ===
{{Main|Ross Perot 1996 presidential campaign}}
[[File:Perot Choate 1996 campaign logo.svg|thumb|Flyer from Perot's 1996 presidential campaign]]
Perot tried to keep his movement alive through the mid-1990s, continuing to speak about the increasing national debt. He was a prominent campaigner against NAFTA, and frequently claimed that American manufacturing jobs would go to Mexico. On November 10, 1993, Perot debated with then-Vice President [[Al Gore]] on the issue on ''Larry King Live'' with an audience of 16 million viewers.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Tharoor|first=Ishaan|date=December 15, 2010|title=Al Gore and Ross Perot Debate NAFTA|language=en-US|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2010/12/16/top-10-larry-king-moments/slide/al-gore-and-ross-perot-debate-nafta/|access-date=July 9, 2021|issn=0040-781X}}</ref> Perot's behavior during the debate was a source of mirth thereafter, including his repeated pleas to "let me finish" in his southern drawl. The debate was seen by many as effectively ending Perot's political career.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/03/debate.games.tm/index.html|title=Bush plays off expectations; Gore learns from mistakes|access-date=August 14, 2008|last=Reaves|first=Jessica|author2=Frank Pelligrini|date=October 3, 2000|publisher=[[CNN|CNN#Online]]|quote=Gore's decisive victory was the saving of NAFTA and the beginning of the end of Perot as even a semi-serious public figure.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915033715/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/03/debate.games.tm/index.html|archive-date=September 15, 2008}}</ref> Support for NAFTA went from 34% to 57%.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2010/12/16/top-10-larry-king-moments/slide/al-gore-and-ross-perot-debate-nafta/ |title=Al Gore and Ross Perot Debate NAFTA |last=Tharoor |first=Ishaan|date=December 15, 2010|magazine=Time}}</ref>

In 1995, he founded the [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]] and won their presidential nomination for the [[1996 United States presidential election]]. His vice presidential running mate was [[Pat Choate]]. Because of the ballot access laws, he had to run as an independent on many state ballots. Perot received 8% of the popular vote in 1996, lower than in the 1992 race, but still an unusually successful third-party showing by U.S. standards. He spent much less of his own money in this race than he had four years prior, and he also allowed other people to contribute to his campaign, unlike his prior race. One common explanation for the decline was Perot's exclusion from the [[United States presidential debates|presidential debates]], based on the preferences of the Democratic and Republican party candidates. Law professor [[Jamie Raskin]] filed a lawsuit over Perot's exclusion years later.<ref name=od>{{Cite web|title=Open Debates: Board of Directors|url=http://www.opendebates.org/aboutus/boardofdirectors.html|publisher=Opendebates.org|access-date=November 13, 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053730/http://www.opendebates.org/aboutus/boardofdirectors.html|archive-date=September 21, 2013}}</ref><ref name=cbsdeb>{{Cite web|last=Richards|first=Paul J.|title=Do the debates unfairly shut out third parties?|date=October 15, 2012 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/do-the-debates-unfairly-shut-out-third-parties/|publisher=CBS news|access-date=November 13, 2012|archive-date=November 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118042547/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57531685/do-the-debates-unfairly-shut-out-third-parties/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Later activities ===
[[File:Ross Perot addresses the audience at the “A Time of Remembrance” ceremony.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Perot addresses the audience at the "A Time of Remembrance" ceremony in Washington, D.C., September 20, 2008.]]
In the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 presidential election]], Perot refused to become openly involved with the internal Reform Party dispute between supporters of [[Pat Buchanan]] and [[John Hagelin]]. Perot was reportedly unhappy with what he saw as the disintegration of the party, as well as his own portrayal in the press; thus, he chose to remain quiet. He appeared on ''Larry King Live'' four days before the election and endorsed [[George W. Bush]] for president. Despite his earlier opposition to NAFTA, Perot remained largely silent about expanded use of guest-worker visas in the United States, with Buchanan supporters attributing this silence to his corporate reliance on foreign workers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.buchanan.org/db00-0524.html|title=Perot: H1Bs and PNTR – The Giant Silence|publisher=Buchanan.org|date=May 24, 2000|access-date=October 20, 2004|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816031327/http://www.buchanan.org/db00-0524.html|archive-date=August 16, 2000}}</ref>

In 2005, Perot was asked to testify before the [[Texas Legislature]] in support of proposals to extend access to technology to students, including making laptops available to them. He supported changing the process of buying textbooks by making [[e-book]]s available and by allowing schools to purchase books at the local level instead of going through the state. In an April 2005 interview, Perot expressed concern about the state of progress on issues that he had raised in his presidential runs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/042405dnediperot.3af4b33e.html |title=Point of Contact: H. Ross Perot|work=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|date=April 23, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515001849/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/042405dnediperot.3af4b33e.html|archive-date=May 15, 2007}}</ref>

In January 2008, Perot publicly came out against Republican candidate [[John McCain]] and endorsed [[Mitt Romney]] for president. He also announced that he would soon be launching a new website with updated economic graphs and charts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/94827 |title=Ross Perot Slams McCain|work=Newsweek|date=January 16, 2008 |access-date=June 13, 2010}}</ref> In June 2008, his blog launched, focusing on [[entitlements]] ([[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]], [[Medicaid]], [[Social security]]), the U.S. national debt, and related issues.<ref>{{Cite news| url =http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/19/perot.charts/|title=Ross Perot wants more focus on national debt|author=Jason Carroll|publisher=CNN|date = June 19, 2008}}</ref> In 2012, Perot endorsed Romney for president again.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dinan|first=Stephen|title=Ross Perot endorses Mitt Romney|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/oct/16/ross-perot-endorses-mitt-romney/|work=The Washington Times|access-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref> Perot did not give any endorsements for the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 election]].<ref name=nyt>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/ross-perot-death.html|title=Ross Perot, Brash Texas Billionaire Who Ran for President, Dies at 89|last=McFadden|first=Robert D.|date=July 9, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 10, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>