PEROT ARRIVES AT A CROSSROAD: TO KNOW, OR NOT

Ross Perot is at the crossroads. He is not facing the question of run or not run. Perot is well beyond that. The crossroads are know or not know. Does Perot pretend that he comprehends the problems the country faces and has some possible solutions? Or does he admit he doesn't know much about our problems and has no solutions? Up until now it has been the latter.

So far Perot has told us the following: He thinks the government spends too much; the Persian Gulf War was a stupid blunder; he's pro-choice; he's against the National Rifle Association. When asked about most anything else he says one of the following: "I am going to hold some electronic town hall meetings and let people tell me what they want done"; or "I am going to assemble the greatest experts in America and let them tell me what to do"; or "That question is impertinent and I'm not going to let the know-it-all press tell me what to do."

When he finishes up with his red-white-and-blue monologue, here is how a typical Perot press conference proceeds.

Question: How will you cut the budget, Mr. Perot?

Answer: I'll eliminate fraud, waste and abuse. That's what I'll do. That will take care of things.

Question: Mr. Perot, most budget experts say that in order to cut the budget, you have to clamp down on "entitlement" programs like Social Security and Medicare. Do you agree?

Answer: I'll have to talk to the experts on that.

Question: But Mr. Perot, you're running for president. Senator Paul Tsongas talked about Social Security in the Florida primary. Why can't you?

Answer: That's politics as usual. You're getting mean-spirited. I get angry as hell when people get mean-spirited.

Question: Mr. Perot, you're an expert on health care. You made your fortune at EDS out of federal contracts dealing with health care. Do you favor the British approach, the American system, the Canadian plan, the "pay or play" system or the Bush proposal? Or is there a Perot Plan?

Answer: I will call on my experts. I will talk to the American people and see what they want. Whatever the people want is what I want to do.

Question: Mr. Perot, the American people have already spoken on health care time and again in the opinion polls. The American people want total health care coverage at no cost to them and with reduced taxes.

Answer: I love the American people. They are my kind of people.

Question: Mr. Perot, you have followed the Caterpillar situation in Peoria. Editorial writers call the replacement worker issue the high-noon showdown between organized labor and management. There is legislation on this pending in Congress. Should management be able to replace striking workers?

Answer: I believe labor and management should talk things over. I believe in talking. I've talked to people all my life. There's no harm in talking. Talking is what makes this country great.

Question: Mr. Perot, agricultural subsidies on wheat, corn, peanuts, rice, tobacco and other crops cost the treasury billions of dollars. In order to save money and balance the budget would you phase these out?

Answer: The American farmers are the backbone of our nation. They are not welfare chiselers.

Question: Does that answer mean you would phase out the subsidies?

Answer: There you go again, talking like a know-it-all reporter. I'm willing to spend a hundred billion dollars of my own money to run for President, so I don't have to take this.