Ross Perot Has Died • Hacker News Board

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#41

Post by chaoticmass » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:40 PM UTC

LyndsySimon wrote: post #24

sequoia wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This debate footage is so remarkable to watch in 2019, for several reasons. 1: They allowed a third party candidate in a general debate 2: The candidate is able to take breaths & even pause without someone cutting jumping in, allowing him to make an complete point 3: No one is talking over him while he talks. Sure the candidates are tougher to manage in 2019 (especially after Trump changed the game in '16), but the d…

> They allowed a third party candidate in a general debate I was only eight years old at the time, but I remember watching that debate specifically because it was a big deal that he was on the stage. To eight-year-old me, that was history in the making. Thinking back, I was a pretty weird kid. I also vividly remember pretending I was asleep until my grandparents went to bed, then sneaking back to the living room and…

When I was 7 at the time I had a killer Ross Perot impression that my family thought was hilarious. But yeah, I remember those times well and I remember my grand parents actually really liked him as a candidate.

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#42

Post by madengr » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:41 PM UTC

defen wrote: post #36

protomyth wrote: post #20

You can call him "goofy", but he was anything but. I got to watch him give a speech in Fargo during the 92 campaign and it was amazing. At the time, I got into the habit of reading each candidates "book" they put out during the election. His was short, to the point, and very specific on what needed fixing. He was a serious man that ran into the establishment and got hammered.

Didn't he also "disappear" (from the public eye) during a crucial point in the campaign? My memory of this is hazy as I was only 12 at the time, but I recall my father being interested in his candidacy, but then around July or August he withdrew from the campaign. Then re-entered in September or October, so he came across as "flaky".

He talked about a conspiracy by the Republicans to ruin his daughters wedding. I thought he was crazy at the time, but now I believe him.

I remember his hour long presentations with the flip charts of how things were screwed up.

Too bad he didn’t win. Instead we got the scumbag Clintons.

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#43

Post by ChrisArchitect » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:44 PM UTC

The NeXT thing is neat. Also of course he made it into the Simpsons.

"Go ahead, throw your vote away!"

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#44

Post by protomyth » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

davidw wrote: post #38

protomyth wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the United States has an Electoral College for very specific reasons that are just as true today and they were when the Constitution was written. It is a shame that political parties formed in the first place, but George Washington couldn't have his way all the time. It has nothing to do with the voting. It had a lot to do with the who controlled information. I get the feeling with the internet of today he would…

The EC and ranked choice voting are two different, and compatible things. You could have RCV within each state, for instance.

Ranked choice might work for parliaments, but it would just create unwelcome surprises in the US. I cannot help but think what happened in a sport (NASCAR) with its switch from winner take all to a series of rankings would mean if it were something as important as voting. You might find sports is not a serious argument, but this is the US and the reaction shows some tendencies towards other aspects of life.

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#45

Post by diafygi » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:48 PM UTC

If you're ever in Dallas, TX, the Perot museum is one of the best children's science museums in the world. Highly recommended for both kids and adults.

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#46

Post by protomyth » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:49 PM UTC

madengr wrote: post #42

defen wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Didn't he also "disappear" (from the public eye) during a crucial point in the campaign? My memory of this is hazy as I was only 12 at the time, but I recall my father being interested in his candidacy, but then around July or August he withdrew from the campaign. Then re-entered in September or October, so he came across as "flaky".

He talked about a conspiracy by the Republicans to ruin his daughters wedding. I thought he was crazy at the time, but now I believe him. I remember his hour long presentations with the flip charts of how things were screwed up. Too bad he didn’t win. Instead we got the scumbag Clintons.

At the time, I thought it was all conspiracies and a really weird publicity stunt. I had no intention of voting for Bush or Clinton, so I went ahead and voted for Perot.

Looking back, and seeing some of the stuff that has come out about the other candidates, I too now believe it was all true.

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#47

Post by FpUser » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:52 PM UTC

I might be naive but I do admire what he did to save his employees held hostage in Iran.

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#48

Post by efa » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:52 PM UTC

diafygi wrote: post #45

If you're ever in Dallas, TX, the Perot museum is one of the best children's science museums in the world. Highly recommended for both kids and adults.

Was about to post that. Our family always visits the museum when we are in Dallas. Amazing place.

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#49

Post by js2 » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:52 PM UTC

sequoia wrote: post #8

mberning wrote: post #5

Ross Perot was way ahead of his time. We are finally getting an idea of how terrible some of these deals have been. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/perot-in-1992-...

This debate footage is so remarkable to watch in 2019, for several reasons. 1: They allowed a third party candidate in a general debate 2: The candidate is able to take breaths & even pause without someone cutting jumping in, allowing him to make an complete point 3: No one is talking over him while he talks. Sure the candidates are tougher to manage in 2019 (especially after Trump changed the game in '16), but the d…

Watch the first televised debate, Kennedy/Nixon. It’s an hour of substantive policy discussion.

Re: Ross Perot Has Died

#50

Post by jandrese » Tue, Jul 09, 2019, 4:53 PM UTC

twoodfin wrote: post #21

uses wrote: post #18

What a quaint time when the oddball outsider candidate was a mentally stable human being calmly explaining ideas in a way anybody could understand.

"Mentally stable" does not really capture the American electorate's impression of Perot's candidacy in 1992. He was significantly damaged by his choice to drop out for a few weeks in the middle of the summer—while leading in the polls!—blaming shadowy Republican operatives for threatening his daughter's wedding.

IIRC the news outlets at the time weren't painting an especially flattering picture of him either. I have a vague memory of stories where the implication was that he was a nutjob with no chance of winning. My local newspaper was pretty conservative leaning though.