The election of 1996 marked another three-way race for the White House. President Bill Clinton, buoyed by a booming economy and his centrist “New Democrat” approach, faced Republican challenger Bob Dole and returning independent-turned-Reform Party candidate Ross Perot. Unlike the unpredictable 1992 contest, the outcome of the election of 1996 seemed clear from the start — though it still carried major consequences for American politics.
Bill Clinton’s Presidency
After defeating George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot in the election of 1992, Clinton governed as a pragmatic centrist. His first term saw both successes and failures.
Legislatively, Clinton signed NAFTA, the Omnibus Crime Bill, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the controversial Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy for LGBTQ+ military service. These achievements were balanced against setbacks such as the collapse of his healthcare reform plan, led by First Lady Hillary Clinton, which fueled Republican gains in the 1994 midterms — the “Republican Revolution.”
Still, by the time of the election of 1996, the U.S. economy was surging. Unemployment fell below 5%, inflation was low, and the deficit was shrinking. Clinton and Vice President Al Gore touted this record as proof their policies were working. Clinton’s image as the first truly post–Cold War president — focused on prosperity at home rather than confrontation abroad — gave him a strong advantage heading into the campaign.
Bob Dole: The Experience Candidate
Republicans, fresh off their 1994 congressional takeover, believed they could reclaim the presidency. Their primary field included conservative firebrand Pat Buchanan, flat-tax advocate Steve Forbes, and longtime Kansas Senator Bob Dole.
Buchanan shocked the GOP by winning the New Hampshire primary with a populist, anti-trade message that foreshadowed themes that would later dominate American politics. Forbes used his fortune to push the flat tax, an idea that didn’t win him the nomination but influenced Republican policy debates for decades.
In the end, Dole emerged as the nominee. A decorated World War II veteran, three-time presidential contender, and Senate Majority Leader, Dole represented steadiness and experience. To balance the ticket, he chose Jack Kemp, a former congressman, Housing Secretary, and football star, known for championing supply-side economics.
But Dole’s campaign often felt sluggish. At 73, he was the oldest nominee in history at that point. While Clinton framed himself as “a bridge to the future,” Dole was mocked for offering “a bridge to the past.”
Perot Is Back!
Ross Perot, who had captured 19% of the popular vote in 1992, returned under the banner of his newly formed Reform Party. His 1996 platform was similar to before: fiscal discipline, opposition to NAFTA, and reducing government waste. His running mate was economist Pat Choate.
But this time, Perot’s impact was blunted. The Commission on Presidential Debates excluded him, setting a 15% polling threshold he narrowly missed. Voters overwhelmingly wanted him included, but without the debate stage, his campaign lost momentum.
Perot still secured federal matching funds and kept the Reform Party alive for future elections, but his 1996 campaign never regained the excitement of four years earlier.
The Campaigns
Clinton’s re-election strategy was built on “triangulation,” crafted by advisor Dick Morris — borrowing ideas from both parties to position Clinton above partisan squabbles. His slogan, “Building a Bridge to the 21st Century,” captured this message of optimism and stability.
Dole leaned on his long record and criticized Clinton’s character, raising issues like Whitewater and Travelgate. But these attacks failed to resonate with voters enjoying economic growth. Dole also sometimes reinforced the perception of being out of touch — referring to the Los Angeles Dodgers as the “Brooklyn Dodgers,” falling off a campaign stage, and joking about being too old with a failed quip about “I’m Too Sexy for My Shirt.”
Meanwhile, Clinton tied Dole closely to Newt Gingrich and the unpopular Republican-controlled Congress, which had been blamed for the 1995 government shutdown. This link proved devastating for Dole.
Perot, sidelined from the debates, ran television ads and campaign stops but couldn’t break into double digits by Election Day.
The Debates
With Perot excluded, the debates featured only Clinton and Dole. Clinton’s calm, confident demeanor contrasted with Dole’s sharper attacks. While Dole landed some blows, voters overwhelmingly judged Clinton as more presidential.
The lack of a third-party voice, compared to 1992, made the election of 1996 debates less dynamic but more decisive in confirming Clinton’s lead.
The Results
On November 5, 1996, Bill Clinton decisively won re-election, becoming the first Democrat since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second term. He carried 31 states and Washington, D.C., earning 379 electoral votes and 49.2% of the popular vote. At just 50 years old, he was also the youngest president ever re-elected.
Bob Dole won 19 states, taking 159 electoral votes and 40.7% of the popular vote. Though his defeat was clear, his showing was still stronger than Walter Mondale’s in 1984 or Michael Dukakis’s in 1988, keeping the GOP competitive for future elections. Dole retired from politics after the campaign, later becoming a respected elder statesman before his death in 2021.
Ross Perot finished third with 8.4% of the popular vote and no electoral votes — a sharp decline from 1992, but still millions of votes for his Reform Party. His exclusion from the debates remained a source of controversy, though his party briefly influenced politics into the 2000s.
Outro: Stability in a Time of Change
The election of 1996 reaffirmed Bill Clinton’s political strength. Just two years earlier, the Republican Revolution of 1994 had cast doubt on his presidency. Yet by embracing centrism, presiding over a booming economy, and benefiting from GOP missteps, Clinton secured a comfortable second term.
Unlike the chaotic election of 1992, the election of 1996 was calmer, with Clinton dominating the race, Dole struggling to energize voters, and Perot largely sidelined. But beneath the stability lay turbulence to come. Clinton’s second term would soon be consumed by scandal, impeachment, and partisan battles that shaped the politics of the late 1990s — setting the stage for the pivotal election of 2000.
