The Perot Legacy: A New Political Path

“In the 1990s, my campaigns as an independent presidential candidate gave a voice to millions of Americans who had been left out of the partisan political process. These people wanted—and still want—to contribute to their country and make America better for their children and grandchildren. This is their story.”
—Ross Perot, 1992/1996 presidential candidate, businessman, and philanthropist

In 1992, America began a historic and unique political movement when Ross Perot, a down-to-earth, charismatic billionaire, threw his hat into the ring of presidential contenders. A member of the Reform Party, Perot was the voice for the average American, and he inspired millions of ordinary citizens to actively participate in their government.

In The Perot Legacy, political activist and Perot campaigner Pat Benjamin takes you inside Perot’s campaign and tells the story of an action movement that turned everyday folks into street fighters as they delved into the depths of dirty politics. Benjamin lays out the campaign’s successful infiltration of “politics as usual” and exposes the backroom deals, intimidation, stalkers, and death threats that dogged the campaign’s every step.

But The Perot Legacy provides more than a history of the Perot presidential bid. With sharp political sensibility, Benjamin addresses how to harness the growing frustration and disgust many Americans feel over politics today, and she explains how to learn from past mistakes to effectively put regular, real people back in control of the American government.

Benjamin combines personal anecdotes, insider opinions, and sound political discourse to create a true testament to America’s unique democratic system. It’s time to put the power back in the people’s hands!

Founder of the New Jersey Reform Party and past vice-chair of the National Reform Party, Pat Benjamin is an independent political activist, author, and speaker.  A political activist in the 1960s and 1970s, she became active again in politics when Independent candidate Ross Perot ran for United States president in 1992.  Following 9/11, Benjamin started a national citizen-based crisis network and produced an emergency preparedness handbook, and she hosted the radio show The Independent Voice from 2008 to 2011.