TURN TO PLAN B: LOCAL PEROT FANS VOW TO FIGHT ON
THEY WANT HIS ECONOMIC PLAN TO SHAPE THE RACE.

Published: Tuesday, July 21, 1992
Section: FRONT , page A1
Source: By Bruce Taylor Seeman and Rob Eure, Staff writer

© 1992 Landmark Communications Inc.

Still fueled by Ross Perot's call for economic reform, his local volunteers vowed Monday to make the Texas billionaire's ideas part of the presidential campaign even though he's no longer in the running.

About 100 supporters, while acknowledging Perot would probably not re-enter the race, said they hoped ongoing work by thousands of Perot volunteers would influence President Bush and Democratic opponent Bill Clinton.

``We have an absolute consensus that all of us want to remain active,'' said local Perot spokesman Michael Rau. ``We don't want to be considered a lobby, but in practical terms, that's probably what it is.''

The group, a small slice of Perot's failed national campaign, gathered in offices in a strip shopping center to discuss possible tactics.

Most of the meetings were closed to reporters. But before and after, Perot advocates said they were unwilling to abandon the undeclared candidate's ideals.

``I think last Thursday, most of us were devastated,'' said Robert Low, chairman of the Perot campaign in the 2nd Congressional District.

``We sat around. Some of us were real upset. We decided to meet tonight, and close things down. But as it turns out, it's a revitalizaton. A lot of people want to move ahead.''

Local Perot supporters were among a number of Perot's state troops who say they want to continue working for the issues that galvanized the erstwhile campaign.

Nancy Rodrigues, statewide press secretary for the Perot effort, said the campaign's Virginia board of directors will meet Thursday to formally dissolve. But Perot supporters from around the state are scheduled to meet Saturday to discuss how to push his ideas.

Perot's full economic platform has not been released. Rau said he expects it will most closely parallel strategies recommended by former Democratic candidate Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts.

Rau said supporters are also likely to call for limits on political action committees and on lobbyists who formerly worked for the government.

Perot volunteers in the 2nd District, which covers Virginia Beach and most of Norfolk, had remarkable success in their petition drive to get the computer-industry icon on Virginia's presidential ballot.

The group gathered 10,000 signatures. The effort appears wasted, however. Reportedly worn down by campaign rigors and disheartened that Congress might have to pick the winner in a three-man race, Perot quit on Thursday.

State officials said they will ask Perot in writing if he wants his name to remain on the Virginia ballot.

Meanwhile, supporters in South Hampton Roads were joined by others around the state who refused to let go of Perot's campaign.

Rocky Wilkinson, the Roanoke area coordinator of Virginians for Perot, was answering ``Plan B headquarters,'' when the phone rang on Monday. Pat Fridley, the Hampton-area media director for Perot's defunct effort, said she has no intention of giving up.

``We are like an amoeba,'' Fridley said. ``We're all over the country.'' She said Hampton Roads' Perot organizers will meet later this week ``to decide where we go from here.''

``As long as we stay unified, we have a voice,'' Wilkinson said.

Description of illustration(s):
Color photo
Ross Perot may have quit the race, but his Virginia followers are sticking together.


Staff photo by BILL TIERNAN
Robert Low, 2nd Congressional District chairman of the Perot election campaign, discusses the next course of action for supporters of the Texas billionaire in Virginia Beach on Monday. He said that although many were devastated when Perot decided not to run, they have decided to move ahead.