I believe Ross Perot caused significant disruption back in the 90's and he is the cause of the election we are seeing today. Here are a few points I offer in support of this theory.
-Clinton would have never been elected if it was not for Ross Perot who took away the non Democrat votes needed for Bush to win. And if Bill Clinton was never elected, then Mrs. Rodham-Clinton would be lesser known today than is Kitty Dukakis.
-Early into 1993, the White House described to America that we had elected a "co-presidency." Effectively, this was an announcement that Hillary intended to run for president in the future. The idea was shouted down at the time within the ranks. She was going to have to get past Al and Tipper Gore before she was going to get her turn. Look it up, McLaughlin Group on PBS.
-Dick Cheney was on the board of directors for EDS, Ross Perot's company that made him rich. I am not convinced he voted for Bob Dole. I suspect he voted for Perot and told the Republican party powers that be he will be named the vice president or he will run as the Reform Party presidential candidate so Gore will win again.
-In 1997 or so, Donald Trump stated he would be the Reform Party presidential candidate if Oprah Winfrey would agree to be his running mate. She declined.
-Last election cycle Trump stated he would run as a third party to make sure the Republicans cannot possibly win if Romney did not get the nomination.
Both Donald and Hillary have been publicly announcing their intentions for years. It is easy to understand why Hillary had to wait this long. But why Trump? How come he didn't dare run against Gore, Kerry or Obama? It seems as if Trump was waiting all this time for Hillary's turn and he carefully prepared his Republican Party nomination to be exactly at exactly at the same time.
I see all this as a weird fractal chain of events that would have never happened if Ross Perot never tried to run. Soon, there will be no more Clintons, Bushs or Trumps on the ballots by the time my child is old enough to vote.
But with Ross Perot's effect unwinding, a new third party effort can be born again in the next election.