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The U.S. presidential election of 1992 featured a three-way battle between Republican George Bush , the incumbent President ; Democrat Bill Clinton , the Governor of Arkansas ; and independent candidate Ross Perot , a Texas businessman. Bush had alienated much of his conservative base by breaking his 1988 Campaign pledge against raising Taxes , the Economy had sunk into Recession , and his perceived best strength, Foreign Policy , was regarded as much less important following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the relatively peaceful climate in the Middle East following the defeat of Iraq in the Gulf War . Clinton successfully capitalized on these weaknesses by running as a centrist New Democrat and won the presidency. (Perot's campaign was actually labeled by some as being more liberal than conservative—including plans to significantly raise the Gasoline Tax and to oppose the NAFTA free-trade agreement.) BACKGROUND As the 1992 presidential election approached, Americans found themselves in a world transformed in ways almost unimaginable four years earlier. The familiar landmarks of the Cold War —from the Berlin Wall to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and Bomber s on constant high alert—were gone. Eastern Europe was independent of Communist influence, the Soviet Union had dissolved, Germany was united, Arab s and Israel is were engaged in direct Negotiation s, and the threat of Nuclear War was diminished. It appeared that many of the great threats that had faced the United States for years were gone. At home, however, Americans were less sanguine—and faced some deep and familiar problems. By 1991 , the United States found itself in its Deepest Recession Since The Early 1980s . Many of the job losses were occurring among White Collar workers in middle management positions, not solely among Blue Collar workers in the Manufacturing sector who had been hit hardest in earlier years. Even when the Economy began recovering in 1992 , its growth was virtually imperceptible until late in the year, and many regions of the country remained mired in stagnation. Moreover, the federal Deficit continued to mount, propelled most strikingly by rising Expenditures for Health Care . Many Americans exhibited profound pessimism about their future, believing that their country was headed in the wrong direction. NOMINATIONS Republican Party nomination Despite an early challenge by conservative journalist Pat Buchanan , President George H. W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle easily won renomination by the Republican Party . However, the success of the conservative opposition forced Bush to move further to the right than in 1988 , and to incorporate many socially conservative planks in the party platform. Bush allowed Buchanan to give the keynote address at the Republican National Convention , and his Culture War Speech alienated many moderates. David Duke also entered the Republican primary, but performed poorly at the polls. Democratic Party nomination In 1991, Bush had high popularity ratings in the wake of the Gulf War . Many well-known Democrats, including House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Governor Mario Cuomo of New York , considered the race unwinnable and did not run for the nomination. Those that did run included several less-well-known candidates:
Clinton, a Southerner with experience governing a more conservative state, was able to finish the primaries positioned as a centrist New Democrat . As his vice presidential nominee, he selected Senator Albert Gore of Tennessee , who was not only acknowledged as one of the Congress's most passionate advocates of environmental protection legislation, but also a young Southern Democrat who reinforced Clinton's image. More: 1992 Democratic Presidential Primary . Other nominations But the country's deep unease over the direction of the economy also sparked the emergence of a remarkable independent candidate -- wealthy Texas entrepreneur Ross Perot . Perot, who earned a fortune in computers and data processing, tapped into a deep wellspring of frustration over the inability of Washington to deal effectively with economic issues, principally the federal deficit, and his volunteers succeeded in collecting enough signatures to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states. Although Perot squandered even a remote chance of winning the election by dropping out of the presidential contest in July and remaining out of the race for several weeks before re-entering, his presence ensured that economic issues remained at the center of the national debate. The 1992 campaign also marked the unofficial entry of Ralph Nader into presidential politics. Despite the advice of several liberal and environmental groups, Nader did not formally run. Rather, he tried to make an impact in the New Hampshire primaries, urging members of both parties to write-in NONE OF THE ABOVE. As a result, several thousand Democrats and Republicans wrote-in Nader's own name. Though thought to be a left-wing politician, Nader curiously received more votes from Republicans than Democrats. GENERAL ELECTION Campaign Every U.S. presidential election campaign is an amalgam of issues, images and personality; and despite the intense focus on the country's economic future, the 1992 contest was no exception. The Bush reelection effort was built around a set of ideas traditionally used by incumbents: experience and trust. It was in some ways a battle of generations. George H. W. Bush, 68, probably the last president to have served in World War II , faced a young challenger in Bill Clinton who, at age 46, had never served in the military and had participated in protests against the Vietnam War . In emphasizing his experience as president and commander-in-chief, Bush also drew attention to what he characterized as Clinton's lack of judgment and character. For his part, Bill Clinton organized his campaign around another of the oldest and most powerful themes in electoral politics: change. As a youth, Clinton had once met President John F. Kennedy , and in his own campaign 30 years later, much of his rhetoric challenging Americans to accept change consciously echoed that of Kennedy in his 1960 campaign. As governor of Arkansas for 12 years, Clinton could point to his experience in wrestling with the very issues of economic growth, education and health care that were, according to public opinion polls, among President Bush's chief vulnerabilities. Where Bush offered an economic program based on lower taxes and cuts in government spending, Clinton proposed higher taxes on the wealthy and increased spending on investments in education, transportation and communications that, he believed, would boost the nation's productivity and growth and thereby lower the deficit. Similarly, Clinton's health care proposals to control costs called for much heavier involvement by the federal government than Bush's. During the campaign, Clinton hardened a soft public image when he controversially traveled back to Arkansas to oversee the execution of functionally retarded inmate Ricky Ray Rector . The slogan “ It's The Economy, Stupid ” (coined by Democratic strategist James Carville ) was used internally in the Clinton campaign to remind staffers to keep their focus on Bush's economic performance and not get distracted by other issues. Clinton successfully hammered home the theme of change throughout the campaign, as well as in a round of three televised debates with President Bush and Ross Perot in October. Results On November 3 , Bill Clinton won election as the 42nd President of the United States by a wide margin in the U.S. Electoral College , despite receiving only 43 percent of the popular vote. It was the first time since 1968 that a candidate won the White House with under 50 percent of the popular vote. The state of Arkansas was the only state in the entire country that gave the majority of its vote to a single candidate; the rest were won by pluralities of the vote. Independent candidate Ross Perot received 19,741,065 popular votes for President. The billionaire used his own money to advertise extensively, and is the only 3rd party candidate ever allowed in to the nationally televised Presidential Debates with both major party candidates. (Independent John Bayard Anderson debated Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980, but without Democrat Jimmy Carter who had refused to appear in a three-man debate.) Perot was ahead in the polls for a period of almost 2 months which was unheard of by an independent candidate in almost 100 years. Perot lost much of his support when he temporarily withdrew from the election, only to soon after again declare himself a candidate. Perot's almost 19% of the popular vote made him the most successful third-party presidential candidate in terms of popular vote since , Perot received 30.44% of the vote to Bush's 30.39% (Clinton won Maine with 38.77%); In Utah , Perot received 27.34% of the vote to Clinton's 24.65% (Bush won Utah with 43.36%). Clinton's first foray into national politics occurred when he was enlisted to speak at the , August 15 , 2000 Toward the end of the speech, conventioneers began chanting “Get off!” The speech drew cheers only when Clinton uttered the words, “in conclusion.” Clinton later poked fun at himself on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show by saying that the speech "had not been my finest hour, not even my finest hour and a half." Four years later, Clinton prepared for a run in 1992 against incumbent President George H. W. Bush . In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War , Bush seemed unbeatable, and several potential Democratic candidates — notably New York Governor Mario Cuomo — passed on what seemed to be a lost cause. Clinton won the Democratic Party's nomination. Clinton chose U.S. Senator Albert A. Gore Jr. ( D - Tennessee ) to be his running mate on July 9 1992 . Initially this decision sparked criticism from strategists due to the fact that Gore was from Clinton's neighboring state of Tennessee which would go against the popular strategy of balancing a Southern candidate with a Northern partner. In retrospect, many now view Gore as a helpful factor in the 1992 campaign. Character issues Many character issues were raised during the campaign, including allegations that Clinton had dodged the draft during the , accessed February 25 , 2006 Billionaire populist H. Ross Perot ran as an independent winning 18.9% of the vote. He ran largely on domestic issues; a large part of his success was due to George H.W. Bush's steep decline in public approval Analysis Three factors made the results possible. First, the campaign came in the midst of the Recession Of 1992 . While in historical terms the recession was mild and actually ended before the election, the resulting job loss (especially among middle managers not yet accustomed to white collar downsizing) fueled strong discontent with Bush, who was successfully portrayed as aloof, out of touch, and overly focused on foreign affairs. Highly telegenic, Clinton was perceived as sympathetic, concerned, and more in touch with ordinary families. Second was the decision by Bush to accept a tax increase. Pressured by rising budget deficits, increased demand for entitlement spending and reduced tax revenues (each a consequence of the recession) Bush agreed to a budget compromise with Congress (where rival Democrats held the majority). Not having been in Congress at the time, Clinton was able to effectively condemn the tax increase on both its own merits and as a reflection of Bush's honesty. Effective Democratic TV ads were aired showing a clip of Bush's infamous 1988 campaign speech in which he promised "" Ironically, President Bush did not add new taxes, only increasing existing taxes. It was received by the American public that he had broken his promise. Finally, Bush's coalition was in disarray. Ross Perot's independent campaign played to moderates' concerns about the budget deficit, siphoning crucial swing votes from Bush. Meanwhile, conservative voters — especially social conservatives — lacked confidence in Bush, an avowed moderate. Previously, conservatives had been united by anti-communism; with the end of the Cold War, old rivalries re-emerged. Meanwhile, despite a fractious and ideologically diverse party, Clinton was able to successfully court all wings of the Democratic party, even where they conflicted. To garner the support of moderates and conservative Democrats, he attacked Sister Souljah , a rap musician whose lyrics Clinton condemned. Clinton could also point to his moderate, New Democrat record as Governor of Arkansas. More liberal Democrats were impressed by Clinton's academic credentials, 60's-era protest record, and support for social causes such as a woman's right to abortion. Supporters remained energized and confident, even in times of scandal or missteps. Clinton's election ended an era in which the Republican party had controlled the White House for 12 consecutive years, and for 20 of the previous 24 years. That election also brought the Democrats full control of the political branches of the federal government, including both houses of U.S. Congress as well as the presidency, for the first time since the administration of the last Democratic president, Jimmy Carter . Source (Popular Vote): Source (Electoral Vote): Close states #Georgia, 0.59% #North Carolina, 0.79% #New Hampshire, 1.22% #Ohio, 1.83% #Florida, 1.89% #Arizona, 1.95% #New Jersey, 2.37% #Montana, 2.51% #Nevada, 2.63% #Kentucky, 3.21% #Texas, 3.48% #South Dakota, 3.52% #Colorado, 4.26% #Wisconsin, 4.35% #Virginia, 4.38% #Louisiana, 4.61% #Tennessee, 4.65% Voter demographics Source: Voter News Service exit poll, reported in '' The New York Times '', November 10 , 1996 , 28. SEE ALSO
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