two-time presidential candidate died this morning after a five-month battle with leukemia. he was 89 years old. perot ran as a third-party candidate against bill clinton and incumbent george h.w. bush earning 19% of the popular vote. the texas independent ran again in 1996 against clinton and bob dole as the nominee of the reform party and was less successful that time around. still got 8% of the vote. perot ran on fiscal responsibility and protectionism capturing many americans distrust of the system in washington. also the first independent candidate to ever share the presidential debate stage with both major party candidates. as i ve said before, the party s over and it s time for the clean-up crew. and we do have to have change and people who never take responsibility for anything when it happens on their watch and people who are in charge.
as you know, perot ran as an independent against 41. bush s dad earning him 19% of the popular vote. making himself the most popular third-party candidate since teddy roosevelt. you re a family friend of his son. president bush said it right, patriot. he started with nothing. the son of a cotton broker in the great depression. he became an eagle scout. he went to the naval academy. to the end of his life, the navy personified the creed and values and system of honor that he saw in annapolis. so important to his life. he gets out of work and goes to work for ibm. starts two of the biggest computing companies in america and perot systems and eds.
north vietnam. perot made headlines again in 1979 when two eds employees were taken hostage during the revolution in iran, he organized and paid for a successful private mission to rescue the men and bring them home. perot ran for president again in 1996, but this time he was barred from the debates, so he bought network air time and broad cast a series of informercials to explain his personal vision for america. perot won only 8% of the vote in 96. wolf blitzer, cnn washington. wolf, thank you so much for that. joining me right now by phone is cnn presidential historian douglas brinkley. thanks so much for joining me. wolf laid it out, laid out ross perot s life so well. we all know him most probably from the 1992 run for president. what is ross perot s political legacy, do you think, as we look back on it now?
started a second data processing company, perot systems corporation. it sold to dell in 2009 for almost $4 billion. in 1969, president richard nixon asked perot to seek better treatment for u.s. prisoners of war in north vietnam. he traveled where he mess with ambassadors from russia and north vietnam. perot made headlines again in 1979 when two eds employees were taken hostage during the revolution in iran, he organized and paid for a successful private mission to rescue the men and bring them home. perot ran for president again in 1996, but this time he was barred from the debates, so he bought network air time and broadcast a series to express his vision for america. perot won only 8% of the vote in 1996. wolf blitzer, cnn washington. jamie joins us now on the phone. and of course our thoughts with
media or political world defi defined. right. take a look at perot in 92. he was the spoiler and caused bush his second term. there was an element vote in 92 that you would identify with happy candidates. perot was against you can see it again in 2020. the deficit, the national debt, perot ran on that. it was a democratic 92. he lost in the primaries. that was his signature. perot is bringing in a lot of suburban nights. when you get an independent candidacy that gets traction, it can draw as perot did as from different pockets. everybody on your screen had