Gorbachev's candidacy was beset by the obstacles of both minimal media coverage and a high level of disdain towards him amongst the Russian populace.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, Boris Yeltsin (whose rise to power Gorbachev had tried to prevent) became the Russian head-of-state.
Apart from being the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the 1990 Russian legislative election, Gorbachev lacked previous involvement in electoral campaigns.
[3][5] On 1 March 1996, Gorbachev published an open letter outlining the need for an alternative to the candidacies of Yeltsin and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) leader Gennady Zyuganov.
[3] Gorbachev regarded the CPRF and Yeltsin as being the two forces that thrust him out of power, and encouraged his supporters to abstain from voting in a second round if it were to be between those two candidates.
[3] Gorbachev believed that with a majority of Russians being dissatisfied with both front-runners, there was a viability for a third candidate, and viewed himself to be a suitable individual to fill that role.
[7] Upon announcing his campaign, Gorbachev proclaimed that, despite polls showing him having immense unpopularity, he would be able to win as the leader of a democratic coalition.
[2] He called for all democratic forces to unite and form a wide coalition, indicating his readiness to lead such a grouping.
He argued that there would be immense consequences for an election that merely presented the "false choice" between Yeltsin and the CPRF, and declared: "What they are offering is not a democratic future for Russia.
[5] On the stump, Gorbachev defended his record, arguing that he had tried to save the Soviet Union but that he had been betrayed by both Communist hardliners and an ambitious Yeltsin.
[5] At the end of April 1996 while in Moscow, Gorbachev delivered a speech in which he strongly criticized Yeltsin, accusing him of using illegal means to retain power.
Gorbachev argued that Yeltsin had broken the law by creating an election committee consisting of serving government officials.
He also stated having the involvement of the chief of Independent Television in the president's reelection committee posed a threat to freedom of the press, that he had held talks with those seeking to form a third force coalition, and that he would be willing to step aside for a stronger candidate.
[3] The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), at the time led by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, proposed legislation to grant the man amnesty.
[7][5] They condemned Gorbachev for his role in the collapse of the Soviet Union, and held signs which read "No Place for Traitors on the Holy Ground of Stalingrad".
[5] Since leaving office, Gorbachev had become a celebrated figure in the West, receiving much credit for his role in peacefully ending the Cold War.
[3][8][13] Upon declaring his intent to run, Gorbachev polled at a mere 1 percent, and ultimately failed to subsequently build a greater level support.
[3] Gorbachev argued that his low approval rating was a fabrication of a government plot against him and insisted that he enjoyed a much greater level of support than was reflected in opinion polling.
[9] Weeks before the election, Gorbachev's wife reportedly had begun selling gowns that she had worn as the first lady of the Soviet Union, declaring that she did not believe she would be needing them again.
Izvestia failed to report on his initial declaration of candidacy, while evening news broadcasts gave it only a passing mention.
[7] As leader of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev had desired to implement more gradual reforms in an effort to preserve the country's socialism while providing a democratization of its society.
While he acknowledged that he had lost by a significant margin, Gorbachev suspected that his actual vote count still exceeded what was reported in the official tally.