The rumor was that Perot hated George H.W. Bush and he ran for president just to make sure Bush didn't win. At least that was the rumor I heard back in the 1990s. If it is true, it make Perot the bad guy. Bush was a tool, but 1996 not only gave us Bill Clinton, but it foisted Hillary on us too. If Clinton lost, like he should have, his career, and hers, might have been over right then and there.
And while we are on that subject, remember Bush had something like a 91% approval rating after desert storm, then the media started harping on the economy, claiming we are in a recession. At the same time Clinton started his "It's the economy, stupid" campaign slogan. The truth is the "recession" was one of the most shallow recessions in history, if one really existed. It was the media colluding with Clinton to convince the American people they were worse off than they were. That's when the media learned they could alter elections, which they have been attempting every election since.