Now that Donald Trump has pledged to the Republican Party and declared that he will not run as an independent, there has been a lull in comparisons between his campaign and Ross Perot’s 1992 effort. That’s a shame. There’s much to be mined by comparing the two billionaires.
Like Trump, Perot built his campaign on opposition to bad trade deals. He also harnessed public anger at the political ruling class and the special-interest money that fueled their campaigns. Like Trump, Perot boasted that he took no outside money and pointed to his pledge to self-finance as proof that he couldn’t be bought.
Perot was the first talk-show candidate, effectively announcing on Larry King Live in February 1992. He took advantage of the venue, where he could speak with less of a filter. He also bought infomercials to speak directly to voters. Trump, the first reality-show candidate, has taken advantage of a similar media environment that allows him to speak freely to voters.
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