Cantabridgian: No to Perot

When Cambridge resident Tom Gardner heard last week that Ross Perot had re-announced his candidacy for president, he decided he had heard just about enough.

Gardner, a self-described writer and political analyst, founded the "Say No to Perot" committee to alert American voters to what he perceives as the dangers of a Perot presidency.

"Basically I want people to realize that here's a billionaire who's asking the middle class to tighten their belts, suffer...to reduce the deficit," Gardner said. "He's in a good position to ask people to suffer."

Gardner said he and a few friends discussed starting an anti-Perot effort earlier in the week, when Perot began dropping serious hints that he would reenter the race. His group of friends worried that a disgruntled public might respond to Perot's fresh outlook on politics without thinking seriously about real issues in his campaign, Gardner said.

And when mainstream candidates George Bush and Bill Clinton merely "continued to wish [Perot] would go away," Gardner said he knew he had to spring into action.

The evening of Perot's announcement, Gardner issued an official "Say No to Perot" statement to the Associated Press, which reported the story for its wire service.

Gardner said he plans to target student groups across the nation with university mailings.

Students can get involved by writing pamphlets analyzing Perot's specific policy proposals and sending letters to their home town newspapers, he said.

Though Gardner personally supports Clinton for president, he said the "Say No to Perot" committee will not officially endorse either Clinton or Bush.

Instead, the group will welcome supporters of both the Republican and Democratic party tickets, Gardner said, adding that the established parties have offered the American public "two career public servants...both of whom can be presidential."

A Positive Response

Not all responses to Perot's reentry last week have been negative. Last Friday the "United We Stand, America" group formed in an effort to unite students across Massachusetts who support Perot's renewed bid for the presidency.

Massachusetts Student Coordinator Corey Keisler said yesterday the fledgling organization hopes to table at the College Fest, to be held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston this weekend.