No, you are not imagining things. This is the Q&A-with-elder-statesmen-who’ve-made-unorthodox-but-splashy-runs-for-
president season.
Ross PerotWe just finished up with Ron Paul. Now it’s Ross Perot‘s turn. Perot ran for president in 1992 as an independent candidate, winning 19 percent of the vote; he ran in 1996 on the Reform Party ticket, winning 8 percent of the vote.
These days, he is focusing on the budget deficit with his new site PerotCharts.com, which uses charts and graphs to explain the nation’s debt. He told The Dallas Morning News:
I wanted something Forrest Gump could understand.
Besides his political activities, of course, Perot also founded two successful technology-services companies: Electronic Data Systems (sold to General Motors in 1984) and Perot Systems, of which he is currently chairman emeritus of the board.
Perot has agreed to field your questions, so fire away. Hopefully he will reward us with his trademark candor, and maybe some giant sucking sounds. As with past Q&A’s, we’ll post his answers in a few days.
Addendum: Perot answers your questions here.
and 
. You can also watch it on 
I’ve seen the Dallas Symphony (and the Pointer Sisters) perform at the Morton H. Meyerson Center and the center itself is truly breathtaking. What was the thought process of donating your money (in conjuction with Morton H. Meyerson) to a performing arts center – and why Dallas?
Why did you chose to join with Steve Jobs in NeXT? What was appealing about this project (besides the obvious), and what do you believe are the main reasons for its failure?
What is your most prominent presidential campaign memory?
How do you believe Social Security can be reformed (or abolished, if you believe this) to benfit my generation (I’m seventeen years old) as well as the current generation?
Easy question, Mr. Perot–
We’re in a mess. What is the first step you would take as a businessman to save money in the current climate?
How will you respond if Obama puts through the tax increase he has promised, particularly with respect to the capital gains tax increase he has promised?
Would you offshore jobs in response to these events? Or have you already done so?
Now what’s that giant sucking sound?
Why did you choose Admiral Stockdale as your vice presidential candidate? I believe Admiral Stockdale was a great American and when he was on stage with Gore and Quayle he made the other two men appear to be mice, in my eyes. Not everyone saw it that way.
1) Who did you vote for in the 2008 presidential election?
2) Were you the questioned Ron Paul billionaire from the primaries who originally claimed intent to run a shadow campaign for Ron Paul with limitless funds?
Mr. Perot,
You garnered 19% of the vote in 1992 as an independent candidate without a true party running on a single issue.
Given how things have changed over the past sixteen years, do you think that it would now be possible for a wealthy individual or group of individuals to bankroll and organize a serious third party to challenge the Democrats and Republicans?
Given the current political apparatus, what concrete steps can we take to bring viable third parties to national politics?
Since your candidacy, independent candidates have not received a significant amount of the vote. Do you think an independent candidate, such as yourself, will be able to make as large of an impact as you did in 1992 and ’96, or even get elected in the near future? Is our country capable of moving past the relatively closed 2-party system?
Thanks,
Rishi