How many of you remember Ross Perot? If you don't just watch Hillary's campaign.

[Savannahmann]

I was struck by memories of Perot in 1992 and his asinine claim that the policies he would govern by would be determined by the Volunteers, and the American People when Hillary decided she didn't have Policies because the people hadn't given her enough feedback.

Translation, I believe in whatever you believe in. I support whatever you support, providing you support me.

It was an astroturf campaign, where Perot supposedly got confirmation of what the people believed by talking to the Volunteers, and then ran out and said they believed in him. Suddenly, Perot didn't believe in the wisdom of the People anymore when the Reform party decided not to nominate him for a third time. Thus ended the Reform Party in American History.

Now, what made me think of Perot when reading the Hillary news? Astroturfed Campaign events. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026512668

Astroturfed Twitter and Facebook followings. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026507590

The Public demands that she run. Go for it Hillary. I want to be part of the crowd.

Zero Policy Statements. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026511354

Unless there is plenty of time to consult the polls to see what the people think. http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/hillary-on-marriage-equality-from-avoidance-to-opposition-to#.huXZJjm73

I believe in whatever most of you believe in. Just get me the poll information, and I'm there man. Now quick, vote for me!

Comedians make jokes about this kind of campaign. The Bob and Tom show ran "commercials" for a Congressional Candidate. Here's one of them.

I can't imagine why I'm reminded of Ross Perot. I just can't imagine why. Well, obviously policies and plans are so yesterday. Talk about Old School campaigns.

It's all about ^Me.

[Kelvin Mace]

1. Say what you will about Perot

and he was an egotistical ass, but he was DEAD right about NAFTA.

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

3. He was also good for Texas schools. My class size went from 28 to 22 students.

That saved me a couple of hours of paper grading and paperwork each week as well as creating a far better classroom with more time for each kid.

[Thinkingabout]

2. Are you advocating for a candidate who does not have an agenda or any idea of what

they would do once elected as president. If you find that candidate I surely would not support them.

[CTyankee]

4. "The American people need to turn up their Miracle Ear!"

Oh, did I love that line! I am saying it to my husband who is slightly hearing impaired...he's not too amused and in denial but won't go for a hearing test...

[Savannahmann]

5. Perot was a laugh riot to watch.

Scary as hell to imagine him in the Oval Office, but funny as hell to watch him talk.

[brooklynite]

6. So, it's a BAD thing to know what people are concerned about...

...one should develop policies based only on one's existing personal views or the expertise of their policy advisers.

Interesting advice.

[Savannahmann]

8. Why do you want to be President?

Some people campaign on an issue that is vitally important to them. They want to increase education opportunities for children. They identify a problem, they show the pictures of schools in disrepair. They talk about a solution to this problem. They want to increase the availability of opportunity. They show shuttered factories and they talk about people whose jobs have gone overseas. Those candidates propose ideals to invest in the failing infrastructure to increase the opportunities that should exist.

Others talk about medical needs of the people, and how to improve that situation. Or they talk about the need for a strong military and how we should invest heavily in that. Notice, I'm not just talking about the Left, but the Right as well. So their campaign has issues. Issues that people already know about. Issues reflected in polling as important to the people. Issues that people have said for a long time matter to them. Education, economy, defense.

If you don't announce one of those, or preferably multiple issues that you think need fixed, then you're running because, you want to win. Then your primary issue is.... Winning because you want the power.

For example. If I was to run for President. I'd announce that I am very concerned about the militarization of Police. If elected, it is my intention review the uses of this military technology, and remove anything that has been abused. I'd question the need for those tanks that half the cops have access to, and I'd point out that it's Boston, not Baghdad. It's Ferguson, not Fallujah. I'd announce that my intent is to bring the NSA/CIA/FBI/DHS into full compliance with the 4th Amendment, and I'd ban the use of those Cell Phone snoopers that the cops have and are using in secret here, there, and everywhere.

I'd announce that my intention is to name Anthony D. Romero, current Executive Director of the ACLU as my Deputy Attorney General for Civil Rights and further to give him wide latitude to investigate and prosecute violations of individual civil rights.

If you don't know what the problems are that face this nation, and it's people. Then you have no god damn business running for Congress much less the Oval Office. If the purpose of your campaign is to find out what issues are facing the people, then you are not only unprepared for this endeavor, but utterly unqualified.

HIllary claims to want to be a Champion for the People. Yet she is only bothering to figure out what the People care about after she announces. To me, that makes it look like she want's to be President, and we'll figure out what she stands for later. That isn't a leader, with core beliefs and ideals worth fighting for, much less voting for. That is the definition of entitlement. "I'm going to be CEO of the Company just like my Father, my Grandfather, and of course my Great Grandfather who founded this company."

The Presidency is not the place where familial Dynasties belong. It is the leader of the American People, and in order to lead them, you have to show them your ideals, your principles, and your core beliefs. If you have none of those things, then you're not a leader.

[brooklynite]

12. Hillary touched on broad points of her campaign yesterday...

-build the economy of tomorrow not yesterday

- strengthen families and communities

- fix our dysfunctional political system and get unaccountable money out of politics once and for all, even if that requires a constitutional amendment

- protect our country from the threats that we see and from ones that are on the horizon

...but every broad point is going to require refined details, and talking to real people about their issues is a way to inform that choice.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. I've been thinking about Perot a lot lately, as NAFTA is currently discussed as something Hillary

did one weekend by herself, a terrible thing wildly opposed by Warren and everyone with a heart. Fact is, Perot was the only anti-NAFTA candidate, NAFTA having been negotiated and signed by George HW Bush, who failed to get Fast Track, lost the election to Bill who also favored NAFTA with some modifications.
So people who backed Bush favored NAFTA unmodified with Bush. That would be Liz Warren at that time. Bill Clinton kept the piece of shit.
The only people who really have a leg to stand on when being critical of NAFTA on a partisan basis are those who supported Perot, not Bush voters, not Clinton voters.

So he was a character, he was also correct about NAFTA, any current critic of Trade Agreements who mocks him is a bit on the hypocritical side.

[Savannahmann]

10. I wasn't taking issue with his position on NAFTA.

But on his claim that he was running for President because the Volunteers wanted him to. As if he didn't really want to in the first place. Then he dropped out, and then back in claiming the CIA threatened him, and scared him into dropping out of the race.

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/26/us/1992-campaign-overview-perot-says-he-quit-july-thwart-gop-dirty-tricks.html

I could agree with him on AIDS treatment. http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/United_We_Stand_Health_Care.htm

We’ve been talking about health-care reform since Truman was President. The need to act has been given a new and terrible urgency by the deadly AIDS epidemic that has already taken such a tragic toll. This plague must be attacked at every level: education, prevention, and accelerated research.

Nobody was saying that on a national stage in 1992. Thanks to the lunatic, we got the conversation going nationally.

I could agree with him on most of his tax suggestions. http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/United_We_Stand_Tax_Reform.htm

We should raise the marginal tax rate on the wealthy from 31% to 33%. In 1993, this change would affect individuals who make over $55,550 and joint filers who make over a total of $89,250. Therefore, less than 4% of the taxpayers in America will be affected, but we will raise $33 billion in five years. If other reductions I propose do not provide sufficient revenue, we should be prepared to raise the marginal rate to 35%.

But the idea that all of these policies came from talking to the Volunteers is ludicrous. Then his lunacy of dropping out and then back in like he did destroyed any chance that his ideals, or his candidacy would be taken seriously. To the point that we ignored most of those issues for the most part for years afterwards. AIDS treatments stagnated, research continued on with bare minimum funding.

[kacekwl]

9. Right as rain

Mr. Perot was. I was one of the many who voted for him.

[Savannahmann]

11. I voted for Bill Clinton.

Then again, I voted for Dukakis in 1988, and Al Gore in 2000. I've always voted for the Democrat.

[snooper2]

13. 7 Ingenious Waffle Iron Snacks!