Ross Perot in the Southern Quote

He was born in Texas, June 27th, 1930, the son of a cotton broker. By the age of seven he was displaying his famous work ethic, delivering newspapers and buying and selling Christmas cards, magazines, garden seeds, bridles, saddles—even horses and calves. In characteristic fashion he joined the Boy Scouts of America and became an Eagle Scout in fifteen months.

After high school he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with honors and served on a four year naval tour. As a civilian he briefly pursued a career in sales at IBM before taking a thousand dollar loan from his wife and launching his own electronic services firm. By the age of thirty-eight he was a self made billionaire.

In the early 1990’s Mr. Ross Perot burst onto the political scene as a quirky little fellow with a squeaky voice and a penchant for using folksy sayings and pie charts. His disdain for Washington politics tapped into Americans’ dissatisfaction with their gridlocked government but his 1992 bid for the Presidency succeeded only in lending President Bill Clinton a helping hand to the White House. Analysts on all sides called him a spoiler, although they were divided as to whether he was in cahoots with the Clintons, or if he was pursuing a personal feud with President George Herbert Bush. His second run for the White House was less successful than his first and spelled the end for his political aspirations.

Ross Perot’s critics always said he was crazy. His supporters have often concurred, only they like to say he’s crazy like a fox! Regardless, almost all agreed that during his time on the national stage his country wit was a refreshing anecdote to the hot air of career politicians. In today’s southern quote we hear the straight talk of two-time Presidential hopeful Ross Perot, who once said,

“If you see a snake, just kill it. Don’t appoint a committee on snakes.”– Ross Perot