c. George H.W. Bush
The Republicans cast their lot with George H. W. Bush, even though conservatives criticized his decision to raise taxes and to sign civil rights legislation into law. Many Republicans were drawn to newcomer H. Ross Perot, a Texas tech billionaire who had made a fortune in the 1960s managing databases for federal health insurance programs. Perot entered the race as an independent, tapping into voters' exasperation with the mess in Washington, D.C. the federal deficit; and sluggish job growth.