candidates on c-span, c-span radio and c-span.org. >> each week until the 2016 election, road to the white house rewind brings you archival coverage of presidential races. next, a look at the 1992 campaign of independent candidate ross perot. he finished third in the general election with 19% of the vote. democrat bill clinton won the presidency that year, defeating republican incumbent president george h w bush. with mr. perot and austin, texas in may of 1992. earlier in the year, he said he would run for president if supporters got his name on the ballot in all 50 states. announced he, he had exceeded the number of signatures needed to place his name on the ballot in his home state. this is about 10 minutes.

[chanting] >> thank you. you are so enthusiastic. it is wonderful. we had a memento here from the grassroots movement of texas that we would like to present to mr. perot on the half of all of you who have worked so hard. let me read the inscription to him and to those of you who have not had a chance to see this.

texas, joinle of the millions of fellow americans who buy our volunteer efforts have secured an overwhelming number of signatures area place the name ross perot on the presidential talent of the great state of texas. we congratulate you and wish you the best of luck in your bid for the presidency of the united dates. we will do our utmost to continue our effort to achieve that goal. thank you. [applause] [chanting] >> thank you, very much.

thank you very much. thank you, very much. let me get this squarely on the record. you are not ordinary people. you are very special people. the reason, i will tell you what makes you special. you are part owners of this great country. one thing that a special about our country is we all own an equal part. today, wealready said haven't been very good stewards of this great country. you are setting the example to rebuild a government that comes from the owners.

everybody understands politics will tell you this. what is happening today could not happen. they told me -- they called me at the larry king show and said, everybody is looking for a job of politics. [laughter] a common message. don't you understand that ordinary people can organize themselves? they can't get this done? you showed them. [applause] position -- i have had enough of that, myself. apparently, you have, too. and regulations on doing the job they said couldn't be done. the hard part starts after november. every time they say just forget it, remember this hot day in the

sun when you delivered. quit --re going to i will tell you when you can't quit if you love this country after november. you have to stay in the ring every step of the way. everything is possible. here is why they said you couldn't do it. the deadline was too short. the texas application process was designed to keep independents out. the fact that you can only solicit people who cannot vote in primaries, it makes it too difficult to get through. finally, 53,000 signatures, regular voters can't do that. in all fairness to them, you did over 200,000. [applause]

this is the most precious part. this is your project. it came from you. that is the most precious part. if we keep that focus, our country will have a great future. you have set the standard for all of the big states in this country by delivering texas. i guarantee, folks in california, new york, florida, they couldn't sleep in less they match to you. [laughter] all over this great state, they say ross, if they get in trouble in the other states, we will go help them. [applause] the purpose of having a government comes from the people . number one, to rebuild a stronger economy and a strong job base so that we once again

become a strong country. [applause] i don't think there is a person in the sun today who feels comfortable spending his or her children's money. that is all we have been doing. we have to fix that. if i could wish for one thing for my children and your children, it would be to leave the american dream intact so that they could greet -- dream great dreams and have those come true. we are working on that. [applause] we are a melting pot. that has always been a great strength. the other parties are now trying to split the melting pot in two different pieces, pandered to each of the pieces, and then wonder why they can't put it back together after the election. will not be a part of that. we're all in this together. all in this together. [applause]

let me put to death let me put it to you and lunch texas talk. if you hate other people, i don't want your vote. that is that simple. [applause] very special people like you, we can build a nation that the rest of the world looks up to, that will be a source of strength and kindness. not only here, but all over the world. thanks to people like you. this carries a high priority to me. base to dove the job what i talked about.

we will make the usa they were at standard of excellence. [applause] -- the world standard of excellence. i mean that about the guys on the third shift. you have more to do with that than everybody else. you can't do it by yourself. if we unite and work together as a team, can anybody beat us? it is about that simple. this isin insignificant. your role is paramount and will be particularly important after november. my job is to serve you as your servant. my secondary job is to make sure everybody else up there works as your servant. [applause]

anybody who is an expert and politics said it would take six month to organize the nation state by state. from the bottom-up, all of you across this country did in five weeks. not bad. [applause] i put our people, i put our people and our state coordinators against anybody anywhere, anytime in terms of quality and education. god bless you and thank you for your work. [applause] thank you for thinking of the next generation. if you get hot and tired about this, look at your children and grandchildren. think about what your folks did for us. let's redouble our efforts to do it for them. i want to thank everybody here today with my heart as a special soft place for one group. your heart has a soft place for

that group, too. these are the people who have fought in the wars and offered their lives for all of us. [applause] they are with us here today. their children are here today who lost their dad and her father on a battlefield. there are people here today who left parts of themselves on the battlefield for all of us. i have one friend in the crowd here today. i haven't seen him yet, but i know he is here. he was a pow. his name is robbie reiser.

he spent five years on a box as a pow. 140 degrees in the daytime. he stay there for a total of 18 years. eight years. i can't tell you what it means to me to have these people support this effort. [applause] i would never ask them to do anything for me because they have already done too much for all of us. that, you understand why it means so much to me that they are part of this process. if the framers of our constitution are looking down from heaven today at you, you and i know they are smiling.

[applause] if you have time when you go home tonight, reread what happened to the people who signed the declaration of independence. they suffered terribly. moresacrificed as much or than the people who have gone on the battlefield. they did it for us to give us a government of the people, by the people, for the people. as long as it is in your hands, it will not perish from the earth. god bless you all. thank you. [applause] >> now, more road to the white house rewind with ross perot reentering the 1992 presidential campaign over five weeks before the election. the texas businessman surprised many observers by dropping out

of the race in mid-july after supporters had put him on the after in 24 states reentering the race. he participated in all three presidential debates and received 19% of the vote in the 1992 general election. bill clinton defeated republican incumbent george h.w. bush to win the presidency 43-37%. this 45 minute news conference took place in dallas. >> good afternoon. the volunteers in all 50 state