Ross Perot, a self-made billionaire business magnate who twice ran as a third-party candidate for president, died Tuesday at his home in Dallas surrounded by family.I suppose that's true enough. At the time, particularly in 1992, he was seen as the guy who siphoned off enough votes from George H. W. Bush to allow Bill Clinton into the White House. That's debatable, and frankly not that interesting. The Bushes present their own issues.
He was 89.
"In business and in life, Ross was a man of integrity and action," a statement from his family said. "A true American patriot and a man of rare vision, principle and deep compassion, he touched the lives of countless people through his unwavering support of the military and veterans and through his charitable endeavors."
Once Perot lost his second race, back in 1996, we didn't hear much from him any more. I don't see that the issues he was most concerned about have been addressed. Government has grown under Clinton, W, Obama, and Trump. Perot's concern about the national debt? Pshaw. Perot liked graphs. Here's one:
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| Spending fools |
As for Perot, he's as relevant now as any of his other third-party predecessors were. He might as well be Fighting Bob La Follette or Strom Thurmond in his Dixiecrat phase. We don't have anyone who is seeking to repair our government any more. Trump is simply trying to forestall worse ideas than what we've seen and endured already.
Round the decay/Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare/The lone and level sands stretch far away.
3 comments:
H. Ross Perot, the public Ross Perot, is a love him or hate him kind of guy. The businessman Ross Perot was astute and loyal, as far as I know, to his employees at EDS. I would imagine most people don't remember the time of the Iranian revolution when Perot recruited a retired Army Special Forces legend named Bull Simmons to rescue two of his employees held hostage by the Revolutionary Guards. The story is told by Ken Follet in the book "On Wings of Eagles."
The private H. Ross Perot is something all of us would do well to emulate. After the failure of the Iranian Rescue on April 25, 1980. He and Colonel Simmons created the Special Operations Warrior Foundation whose mission statement calls for the support of dependants of SOF personnel who lose their lives while on duty (both combat and training). The foundation covers all the education and counseling expenses through completion of their final educational path (One of the first recipients is now an MD.)
Since 1980 there have been over 1,100 SOF killed in the line of duty, and the foundation is committed to fully funding the education of over 700 children and spouses. Perot's legacy, as well as that of George Steinbrenner, will live on through the funds they quietly donated to make this charity viable.
Thanks, John. I am deeply ambivalent about Perot’s public career, but he was a tremendous advocate for those who served our nation. And you are right to remind us of it.
Yes, John, thanks for that. Perot was a real patriot. Some of his ideas where a tad off, but he meant well. He was also a strong financial backer for Trump's presidential campaign.
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