The Specter of Ross Perot

David Brooks in The New York Times:

“There is a specter haunting America: the specter of a saner, updated version of Ross Perot. He is lurking out there, ready to ride the free-floating anger and distrust of Washington. He is out there now in one of his homes or private jets, getting madder by the day. He is large of ego, full of money and cranky in mien.
When he enters the arena, he’ll say that Washingtonians, all of them, are a bunch of failures. Over the past five years, Washington has tried to reform Social Security, immigration, health care and energy policy. All of these efforts have either failed or are close to failure — thousands of people working millions of hours and in all likelihood producing nothing.
When he comes, he’ll present himself warts and all. Yes, I’m an obnoxious S.O.B., he’ll say. But you need me right now. Yes, I am a blank slate, but people are so desperate that they’re voting for blank slates.”

Brooks’ point is to use this to suggest that Obama be that neo-Perot, but I think he’s hinting at something more interesting here. The problems he’s describing (deeply entrenched partisan politics, Congressional sluggishness, and a ballooning deficit) have a significance that goes beyond Obama; they’re profound structural problems in American government and politics.The difficulty in enacting new and different (although hardly radical) in government is truly frustrating, and in less-than-ideal times people are willing to turn to more extreme options – like another Ross Perot.

If this seems highly implausible, don’t forget how well Perot did in the 1992 Presidential election – he took 19% of the vote and was even more popular at earlier points in his campaign. When people perceive a breakdown in the social and political structures they rely on, they’re willing to look to people like Ross Perot, whose very eccentricity and radicalism seems fresh and appealing. Given concerns about the American economy, worries about an expanding budget (under any administration), and the draining effects of maintaining multiple wars in the Middle East, the specter of Ross Perot could rise again.

Brooks is a little equivocal about whether he likes the idea of a neo-Perot – in Obama form, he seems to see it as a positive thing, but anyone else appears to make him uncomfortable. I don’t think Obama could be a neo-Perot, though, and any other such President would, in my opinion, be a risky bet. Electing a Perot-like candidate would most likely be an emotional, knee-jerk reaction to the state of politics, not a well thought-out decision, and it could invite extreme people with potentially dangerous ideas into the powerful seat of the Presidency. For all of ours sakes, let’s hope Washington’s gears get oiled and start turning out policy changes that somebody likes.

–Aaron Bekemeyer