Choate Says Reform Party, Perot Offer a ‘Clean’ Choice

Pat Choate, the running mate of independent presidential candidate Ross Perot, said here Tuesday that the Reform Party offers the nation a “historic moment” to energize its lost voters and clean up the American political system.

Bemoaning the sharp decline in voter turnout, Choate told a group of 50 supporters that “more than 50% of the country’s voters have given up on government.”

“The message we have to tell them is that they have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create a third party, a clean party,” he said “We are not owned [by special interests] and we cannot be bought.”

Choate said the Reform Party has purchased two hours of prime-time television for the night before the election--one hour on ABC before “Monday Night Football” and half an hour each on CBS and NBC.

“We are going to be in a position to make a final appeal to that 50% of the electorate to vote for reform,” said Choate, 55, a University of Texas-trained economist and onetime TRW Inc. vice president.

His message seemed to strike a chord with the faithful band of supporters gathered at local party headquarters.

“We need a whole new change of government, after Waco and after Oklahoma City,” said Bonnie Bath, 59, of Tustin, a lifelong Republican who has jumped to the Reform Party. “This country is just crying out for change.”

The ticket’s vice presidential candidate said the corruption of the American political system has caused voters to become apathetic. Citing recent media reports of large foreign campaign donations to both major parties, he called the current campaign “by any measure, the most corrupt in American history.”

“Both of the two parties have essentially broken their covenant with the people,” Choate said. “The only way we can stop that is to have a new force and a new party. We are that new force.”

He compared the creation of his party with the then-new Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln in the mid-1800s.

Supporter Bob Harrison of Garden Grove said the Reform Party’s message is “already having an effect” on the presidential campaign and will only increase.

“If people want truth and honesty, there’s a lot more of that coming from the Reform Party,” said Harrison, 50.

Perot would end “onerous provisions” of the North American Free Trade Agreement, pull the country out of the World Trade Organization and stop illegal immigration, among other reforms, Choate said.

The Reform Party has about 120,000 registered voters in California and about 12,000 in Orange County, party officials said. But there are thousands more who support the party effort, said Judy Duffy of Westminster.

“We notice there are no buttons and signs and bumper stickers for the other candidates,” said Duffy, a party official. “People see my signs and they honk or wave all the time.”