1992: Perot Runs as a Democrat

[Robespierre's Jaw]

We know that Ross Perot toyed around with the idea of running in either the Republican or Democratic primary in 1992. However this wasn't the case in RL and he ran as an Independent. Suppose Perot runs as a Democrat and surprisingly manages to secure the nomination. Defeating opponents like Paul Tsongas, Bill Clinton and Jerry Brown.

The question would be who Ross Perot would have selected to be his running mate? Would he have gone with a fellow Southerner in Bill Clinton or Al Gore? Or would he have opted for a Northerner such as Mario Coumo or Bill Bradley?

Whilst on the Republican side, everything stays the same as it occured in RL. Pat Buchanan still challenges President Bush for the nomination and President Bush decides to keep incumbent Vice President J. Danforth Quayle.

Discuss with maps. And who you think Perot would have selected to be his running mate.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I think Ross Perot would of won as the Democrat and he would of picked Bill Bradley as his running mate, he wouldn't have picked Al Gore who was very much a free trader as Bill Clinton on it. Dan Quayle made the Republican ticket weaker than otherwise it would of been had it been for another VP nominee.

[CPT MikeyMike]

Been done before.

I recall slamming Winfield on this post!

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=41655.msg923038#msg923038

[gorkay]

Perot would probably have won, providing he didn't pick Stockdale as his running mate. But IRL he would have had to have picked a lifelong Democrat, I'm sure. There's a big however here: the same political inexperience and penchant for ill-considered comments that hurt him in the real '92 election might have cost him dearly in this scenario, too.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Just like in 2000 when an outsider like John McCain had a chance to win the election because the anti-incumbancy mood in 1992 it was the economy, in 2000 it was moral issues, I think people was willing to listen to independent minded politicans. Just like in 2000, Bush got the benefit of John McCain, 1992 was no different with Bill Clinton.   Independent politicans don't always get elected but they can certainly help the opposition party with its anti-incumbancy feeling get elected.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Ross Perot/Mario Cuomo: 52% PV, 298 EV
George Bush/Dan Quale: 48% PV, 240 EV

[Erc]

Didn't Perot actually win the North Dakota caucus (or something similarly crazy) in real life?

[Lincoln Republican]

For his Vice President, Perot requires an experienced, capable, knowledgeable, and respected individual, one with a credible record of elective service, one with solid and long serving Democratic credentials, and one with plenty of Washington DC experience, someone who knows how to navigate through the Washington bureaucracy and through the Congress, and one who knows and understands the workings of the House and Senate, and  one who knows how to get things done with the Congress.

As Perot does not have a long standing history with the Democratic Party, he requires a running mate in the election with the solid Democratic credentials that will help him appeal to  the great majority of Democratic voters and that will help him with his appeal to independents.   

Perot finds such an individual in the person of Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois 1975-1985, and U.S. Senator from Illinois since 1985, a solid political performer and a brilliant scholar, a man with an impressive record as a champion of civil rights, denouncing racism, supporting women's rights, supporting equality for racial and ethnic minorities, all important issues to most Democrats.  Simon was as well a fiscal conservative, which was of the utmost importance to Perot.