Ross Perot Charts: How I Learned to be a Housing Blogger from Ross Perot.

Try for a second to flash back to 1992. What were you doing back then? Like many during this time, you may have been feeling some of the pinch from the 1990-91 recession. Even though recessions may have exact dates, their impact is powerful years before and after the official dates. Look at our current situation. Technically we are not in a recession according to government data but many would disagree with this assessment. You also may recall the first gulf war which lasted from August of 1990 through February of 1991. The similarities between the early 1990s and today are striking. You may also recall that a unique Texas oil Electronic Data Systems founder and  billionaire named Ross Perot entered into the presidential race of 1992. Not only did this character enter the race but he ran on a platform talking about the national debt and deficits of all things. At one point in June, late in race if you put that into 2008 context, Perot was up in the polls against Bush and Clinton. You may also recall his zany charts and old school presentations: *Pre-PowerPoint era Sadly at this time my interest in economics and business was not present. I recall thinking, “man, this guy is nuts but he does make sense! What is up with all these charts?” Now, 16 years later as I look at my own writing and efforts to “spread the truth” I realize that I have taken techniques that Ross Perot once employed. That is, using charts, graphs, and hard numbers to drive the point home. Incredibly, that is one of the reasons many housing and finance blogs online have done so well and have siphoned off a good amount of traffic and readership from mainstream media outlets. Many of the points that Perot argued about during the campaign really didn’t come home to roost until this decade. He wasn’t wrong. Just early in his predictions. Yet his arguments during this time did ensure that the key factor determining the election was the economy. As we look at the current candidates, I am a bit unsatisfied at the discussion over the economy. The majority of polls tell us that the economy is the number one pressing issue on the minds of voters. Yet here we are arguing about the candidates wives or trying to figure out why someone didn’t wear a lapel pin. It is absurd. Well fear not my friends! Ross Perot is back on the scene. He isn’t running for President but he is bringing those charts back in his Perot Charts website launched this week: *Click on picture to go to website When I first heard of the site I must admit that I found it hilarious. My first reaction was that he was going to try to jump back into the fray of things. The site essentially is an argument of why if we continue down our current path, the United States is going to face a harsh economic winter. He does am amazing job with his charts highlighting the deficit, government spending, and explaining what would otherwise be very complicated themes in an easy format. I tip my hat to him for putting this up. If you have about an hour to peruse the charts and read some of the information, you will have a better grasp of the economy. He reaches a fact based conclusion at the end that some hard choices will be made in order to combat this economic tipping point. Either taxes will need to be raised, spending cuts made, or a combination of both. Politically it seems like we will see a mixture of both. Some of the charts are downright scary like the ballooning mandatory expenses of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid given our massive booming in retirees. From his Monday press release we are told: “The economic crisis facing America today is far greater than anything since the Great Depression,” said Perot. “Our federal government continues to spend us deeper into debt. The American people must get directly involved and demand an end to deficit spending. This website will provide information for citizens to do just that.” Like the economic charts Perot employed in his 1992 and 1996 presidential campaigns, which served as snapshots of complex economic issues presented in simple terms, PerotCharts.com features the latest official government figures about the real conditions of our economy for everyone to see and consider. The site is designed to be a reservoir of information about the economy, and provides an accurate look at where the money comes from and where it goes.” Oh no! I’ve become Ross Perot. Bwahahaha! In all seriousness, the site is a very useful tool to look at important charts that will impact our country’s future. He makes a point in the site that some of the information simply doesn’t go well in our nano-second media culture. He is absolutely right. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes or so to read through some of the charts and for you to arrive at your own conclusions. Can you imagine McCain or Obama using charts in their campaigns? I just don’t see it happening. Hopefully with third party candidates getting some exposure and highlighting major issues such as the Federal Reserve, budget deficits, and other major economic themes the two primary candidates will take heed of this in the upcoming months. The public is demanding something be done about the economy. This is the time to enact a solid foundation to protect our future. Whatever your thoughts may be about Ross Perot, the issues in 1992 are here and nothing has been done in 16 long years. We’ve gone through a technology bubble and a housing bubble. Now we are confronted with major government debt and mandatory expenses that will only balloon in the next few years. This time, we can’t push it off until tomorrow. Did You Enjoy The Post? Subscribe to Dr. Housing Bubble’s Blog to get updated housing commentary, analysis, and information Share This Related Posts: ■ New Century Financial Now Has A Market Cap of $92 Million and Owes $8 Billion. Now That is Leverage Baby! ■ I Am Facing Foreclosure: Response to Casey ■ Two Faces of Housing Panic: Schadenfreude and the Lender of Last Resort. ■ Housing Bloggers Unite: The Housing Blogger Network (HBN) has Started. ■ About