HISTORY MUST PAY ATTENTION TO ROSS PEROT This column originally appeared on Wicked Local The passing of Ross Perot brings back memories of his spirited run at the presidency in 1992, and also brings to mind that our party system (not originally favored by our Founding Fathers) has become mired in a political rut largely offering the same two party directions for well over a century. When George Washington took office in 1789, his tendencies were historically Federalist although the humble and astute Washington would have bristled at being given any label. Thomas Jefferson changed the nature of political leadership in 1801 taking office as a Democratic-Republican (a political party affiliation that would be sure to confuse our current president). Andrew Jackson was the first true Democrat in 1828 and Abraham Lincoln the first real Republican in 1860, both at their respective times entering the White House as political outsiders not much unlike a third party candidate mig...