Perot Encounters More Skepticism On The Stump

AUSTIN, Texas (AllPolitics, April 11) -- It's simple: no questions. Feisty Texas businessman Ross Perot, known for his staccato, populist diatribes against Washington politics, is having a rougher time this year on the campaign trail than in 1992.

That's evidenced by his continuing refusal to take questions from audience members. "He likes to tell us rather than listen to us," University of Texas graduate student Sharon Jarvis told the Associated Press, after listening to a question-free address yesterday.

Perot claims to be the people's agent. "The arrogance of public officials must be controlled," he told 1,000 students and faculty, quoting from Cicero. Some are wondering, however, if Perot himself is out of touch.

"He told us to vote rationally, but gave an emotional speech," Jarvis said. Another student told AP, "I came because I really like his style. It's entertaining. I think he capitalizes on conventional American values, but I don't think there's much substance."

Explaining why no questions were taken, a Reform Party official told AP, "We were not set up with microphones and then there's the depth of the room." But a university employee who requested anonymity revealed, "there are normally always microphones for stuff like this."

Having criss-crossed the country and conducted dozens of interviews and speeches, Perot still maintains he's not running for president but instead building support for his Reform Party. The Party will decide who candidate will be at a convention over Labor Day.

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Perot Encounters More Skepticism On The Stump

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