# Ross Perot a fraud? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 8, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357 "2012-11-08T15:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/1 "2012-11-08T15:11:34Z")
See the last line in this [column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/858/riddle-the-3-guys-the-bellhop-and-the-missing-buck). Why was he considered a fraud in 1991? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/2 "2012-11-08T15:21:44Z")
Seems like a poor comparison to me. I don’t recall Perot misusing arithmetic to make political points. He didn’t seem to be any more of a fraud than other politicans. Maybe Cecil was thinking of Lyndon LaRouche or that sort. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/3 "2012-11-08T16:56:43Z")
Didn’t Ross use lots of charts and graphs to try to make his point? I think Cecil was mentioning him along the lines of a strong third party candidate will draw support away from one or both of the other parties. If the candidate leans one side or the other, then he will draw support unequally from the two parties. Thus by running he has the effect of weakening the major party closest to his stated goals, with the effect of ensuring fewer people with that inclination get elected, and more of the ones who lean the other side are elected. See Ross Perot, Ralph Nader. What the Tea Partiers have done differently is embed themselves in the Republican Party, and try to take it over from within. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/4 "2012-11-08T17:55:16Z")
I’m very confused by this. I wonder if the date on the column is wrong? Perot declared for the presidency in 1992. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/5 "2012-11-08T17:55:36Z")
As I mentioned in another thread, I find it interesting that all the third-party votes seem to have come out of Romney’s share. Not sure what that means. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/6 "2012-11-08T18:17:09Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > As I mentioned in another thread, I find it interesting that all the third-party votes seem to have come out of Romney’s share. Not sure what that means. Yeah, I remember when I told my conservative father I was probably going to vote for Perot, he said “That’s just a vote for Clinton!” My reply: “So, if I vote for Clinton, that’s two votes for Clinton?” He wasn’t happy with that either. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/7 "2012-11-08T18:48:23Z")
By the way, my great uncle came to visit us once and when I said I was studying math, he pulled out the “missing dollar” story. “So where’s the missing dollar?” “There isn’t one; it doesn’t make sense to say 27+2=29 when you mean 27-2=25.” “…But where’s the missing dollar? I stumped you, didn’t I?” ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/8 "2012-11-08T18:54:16Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > Yeah, I remember when I told my conservative father I was probably going to vote for Perot, he said “That’s just a vote for Clinton!” > > My reply: “So, if I vote for Clinton, that’s two votes for Clinton?” > > He wasn’t happy with that either. Well, it is! If you’re someone who generally votes Republican and vote for Perot instead, then that’s a net difference (from the expected norm) of one vote for Bush. If you instead vote for Clinton, then that’s a net difference of two votes for Bush. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/9 "2012-11-08T18:58:37Z")
Ross Perot was a national figure before he ever declared for his run for president. I’m guessing Cecil’s line is a reference to something besides his run for president. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/10 "2012-11-08T19:14:04Z")
I take it as working on helping Ross Perot see through fraud. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/11 "2012-11-08T23:12:10Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > By the way, my great uncle came to visit us once and when I said I was studying math, he pulled out the “missing dollar” story. > > “So where’s the missing dollar?” > “There isn’t one; it doesn’t make sense to say 27+2=29 when you mean 27-2=25.” > “…But where’s the missing dollar? I stumped you, didn’t I?” Try this one on him: “Hey, unc, two times two is four and two plus two is four, right?” “Sure.” “But two times three is six and two plus three is only five. Where’s the missing one?” ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/12 "2012-11-09T01:24:29Z")
I thought the dig at Perot was just the garden variety pot-shot at a politician. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/13 "2012-11-09T13:28:40Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Ross Perot was a national figure before he ever declared for his run for president. I’m guessing Cecil’s line is a **reference to something besides his run for president.** I think so. But what is it? Anyone knows? ---
**Author:** ![President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_Johnny_Gentle)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/14 "2012-11-09T13:51:29Z")
> [@Indian](#): > > I think so. But what is it? Anyone knows? My guess is that this refers to Perot’s involvement in the POW-MIA movement and his support of those who were bringing “proof” of the existence of live POWs still in Vietnam. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/15 "2012-11-09T13:54:55Z")
Sometimes when a column is put online, there are a few small edits (usually in places like the one-liner at the end of the column) made from the original version, but the date listed is still the original date. So you can get anachronisms like this. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/16 "2012-11-09T14:22:17Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Sometimes when a column is put online, there are a few small edits (usually in places like the one-liner at the end of the column) made from the original version, but the date listed is still the original date. So you can get anachronisms like this. 😕 Are you suggesting this column was edited again in the late 90s to add a Perot reference? Were old columns even put on the AOL site? A much simpler explanation is that Ross Perot was already a national figure in the summer of '91, criticizing Bush I’s handling of the economy and the First Gulf War. Surely there’s a way to verify the wording of the original 1991 column. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/17 "2012-11-09T14:26:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Try this one on him: > > “Hey, unc, two times two is four and two plus two is four, right?” > “Sure.” > “But two times three is six and two plus three is only five. Where’s the missing one?” (a) He must be either dead or very decrepit at this point. (b) I’m sure he’d just reply: “…but where’s the missing dollar?” ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ross-perot-a-fraud/640357/18 "2012-11-09T15:24:45Z")
Ed or Dex or any old timer here.