Perot Supporters Urged To Abandon Third Party

House Speaker Newt Gingrich urged Ross Perot’s supporters Sunday to abandon any idea of forming a third party for the 1996 elections, saying such a move could hand victory to President Clinton.

It’s a bad idea, the Georgia Republican said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “The only person helped by a third party is President Clinton and the liberal Democrats.”

If voters who want to cut federal spending and the size of government stick together, the GOP will win a “smashing” victory in 1996, Gingrich predicted.

But, he said, “if we split into two factions, then you could imagine a circumstance where President Clinton could get re-elected and the Democrats might do even fairly well in the congressional races.”

“I urge all of the Perot folks to stick together, and in ‘96 I think we can move this country a long way down the road.”

Hard-core followers of Perot are holding community meetings across the country to explore the possibility of forming a third party for next year’s elections.

Perot, billionaire businessman from Texas, won almost 20 percent of the vote when he ran as an independent in the 1992 presidential election.

Gingrich also said he hopes former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin Powell will offer himself as a vice presidential candidate in 1996.

“He may well decide to run for president. He would certainly be very formidable in either slot,” Gingrich said.

The popular former general has made no public statements about his political future - or even which party he supports - but has left open the possibility he could be a candidate next year. He has been actively courted by Republican presidential hopefuls such as Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., who says he is interested in Powell as a running mate.