The Astroturf Movement

Perot claims that grass-roots supporters are pushing him to run, but in fact he has carefully nurtured -- and bankrolled -- his volunteer network

When Ross Perot first floated the idea of running for the White House, he put his fate in the hands of anonymous "volunteers." Their success at getting him on all 50 state ballots, he said, would be the deciding factor. Now that he is moving to return to the race, the Texas billionaire is again posing as a selfless Cincinnatus, standing ready to do the people's bidding. His decision to become a candidate again, he said last week, would come "from the bottom up." He added, "This is not three or four guys in a smoke-filled room deciding what we ought...

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