Page "Ross Perot" Paragraph 24

By the summer Perot commanded a lead in the presidential race with thirty-nine percent of the vote.

By mid-July, the Washington Post reported that Perot's campaign managers were becoming increasingly disillusioned by his unwillingness to follow their advice to be more specific on issues, and his need to be in full control of operations with such tactics as forcing volunteers to sign loyalty oaths.

Perot's poll numbers began to slip to 25 %, and his advisers warned that if he continued to ignore them, he would fall into single digits.

Co-manager Hamilton Jordan threatened to quit, and on July 15, Ed Rollins resigned after Perot fired advertisement specialist Hal Riney, who worked with Rollins on the Reagan campaign.

Rollins would later claim that a member of the campaign accused him of being a Bush plant with ties to the CIA.

Amidst the chaos, Perot's support fell to 20 %.

The next day, Perot announced on Larry King Live that he would not seek the presidency.

He explained that he did not want the House of Representatives to decide the election if the result caused the electoral college to be split.

Perot eventually stated the reason was that he received threats that digitally altered photographs would be released by the Bush campaign to sabotage his daughter's wedding.

Regardless of the reasons for withdrawing, his reputation was badly damaged.

Many of his supporters felt betrayed and public opinion polls would subsequently show a large negative view of Perot that was absent prior to his decision to end the campaign.