Presidentially speaking, it's been an odd year, but if billionaire H. Ross Perot gets into the race, it soon will be odder yet. Is this guy serious? Deep in the heart of Texas, some very savvy folks are taking him seriously indeed.
Let me say, straight off, if Perot runs, he won't win. Forget it. But if he can get his electors on the ballots of all 50 states, this upstart tycoon could profoundly affect the outcome.Perot won't win for reasons both political and constitutional. These are powerful reasons.
Here in Texas, Perot is the stuff of legends. Abroad in the land, he's nobody. Money can buy TV commercials, and commercials will buy recognition, but voters will need to know something about H. Ross Perot besides his wealth, and what do we know?
We know the year he was born (1930) but not the day or month. His eight lines in Who's Who in America tell us that he is "married," but to whom he does not say. Is he thin-skinned? Hot-tempered? Any bimbos in his bed?
Money is the mother's milk of politics, and Perot has it by the tankful. Reportedly he is prepared to spend $100 million of his own pocket change to publicize his candidacy. OK, it's a free country. But his critics will shout it from the housetops: There's no sign at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. that says "House for Sale."
A campaign stays alive on money, but it moves on the backs of volunteers who weep with sorrow when their guy loses and cry with joy when he wins. It's a personal thing. You can't buy devotion as if you were buying stock.
Constitutional obstacles stand in his way. The people do not elect a president. Electors elect a president, state by state, winner take all. Perot must first get his electors on the ballot, and every state has its own rules.
Washington requires only 200 signatures on a petition. Minnesota demands 2,000, Nebraska 2,500, Alabama and Kentucky 5,000. Filing deadlines begin in Texas in May.
Perot's fortune could hire hands to perform these ministerial tasks. What then? Does he campaign as others do? Is Perot ready to press the flesh at old folks' homes? From what we know of his public positions - he opposed Desert Storm, he favors abortion rights, he opposes free trade with Mexico - the fellow seems to be 60-40 Democrat/Repub-lican. He has a lot of talking to do.
Perot could not carry a single state as an independent, but given the pervasive political discontent, he might well roll up an impressive vote. Many Republicans are unhappy with Bush. Many Democrats are uneasy with Clinton.
I come back to this: The gentleman is an amateur at a game played by professionals. Even if he ran a flawless campaign, a campaign with no foot-in-mouth blunders, he wouldn't ride into the White House. But he could royally mess things up for everybody else.