Campaign Reform

Every four years the “United” States of America engages in a verbal war. The mission is always the same—attack the President! The “M O” (modus operandi) is to make him out to be a fool. To “fight for position”, the candidate’s finest chance is a sitting President who is already considered a fool. To reach the Oval Office—the pinnacle of American success—the current-day candidate must prove to know how to fight, divide, and conquer with the demeanor of serenity and the charisma of diplomacy.

Initially, the arguing candidates are among those who are registered with the opposite side of the President’s party. With polished diplomacy, the best-case scenario is to deem the President a failure, because an admirable President is obviously a candidate’s worst nightmare. As for the candidates who are registered with the same party as the President, well, whether to endorse him as a real hero or tactically betray him as a real loser depends on the general consensus regarding how charismatic, popular, or cool. When that’s settled, the arguing candidates from each party will lock and load the mind with slanderous anger, diplomatically scan the sector, and ambiguously fire at will!

The weapons for this verbal war are “the issues”—the same issues—Election Year after Election Year. Given the obvious persistence, one can’t deny the morale with which the candidates fight, because each candidate has a “new and improved” idea for healthcare, taxes, security, education, economics, the environment, et cetera. Using the issues as missiles, the party’s audience determines which of its candidates can best insult the sitting President. This establishes staying-power for the General Election and thereby qualifies the decision on one who can tirelessly serve as the better President. As the General Election draws near, the President’s only chance for a second term is to prove himself a successful “patriot missile”!

The young voter is naïvely convinced that “the issues” are becoming clearer as popularity grows for any aspiring candidate coming down the pike with a good idea. But as the voter grows in age, the only thing that’s clear is the obvious confusion. The young naïve voter who has grown in age has hopefully grown also in understanding, as she tries to convey her thoughts to you in this book.  (Click on title to read more.)

Every human being has an occasional good idea; of course, that doesn’t exclude presidential candidates. Usually, the inevitable problem once they become President, however, is that they will receive more opposition than support from us, the citizens. Every American who is elected to the Oval Office will encounter a similar degree of resistance.

The ideas (compliant with the Constitution) are not necessarily the problem. The problem mainly lies in the severe opposition every elected presidential candidate will inevitably experience once in the Oval Office. Any idea or method the President may propose will merely become the argument’s subject among “the issues”.

Before the Primary Election, the “fight for position” among candidates within each political party is more like a series of battles. After the Primary Election, the republicans and democrats are basically at war. Oddly enough, most human beings get pleasure from a good fight, and for several months we are well-entertained by the candidates thrashing one another with “the issues” during intelligent debates.

Both representatives give the most profound responses possible so as to gain applause from those in their respective corners. These responses are the most articulate product of preparation from the best each party has to offer. There is no refuting the responses are intelligent because they can usually be justified with intellectual plausibility at some level.

However, the platform on which any of the candidates are campaigning does little to nothing to convince us that they themselves clearly understand the problem and have a solution. The candidates express their differences although their opinions are equally intelligent and, with very slight variance, prove irrelevant. Therefore, the process of elimination serves as the most advanced method to elect a president—ergo the popularity contest!

That’s how uninterested we have become in preserving, protecting, and defending our country! Even those, who appear to portray that which we have come to recognize as the image of success, seem to lack enough interest to understand that we’re allowing our Independence Day dwindle to the relegation of socialism and inevitably communism. (You don’t have to be a historian to find such demise all through history. In fact, any interested sophomore can confirm this with less than half-an-hour of research.)

The confusion amid political debates obviously continues to become increasingly less discernable, and improvement (foreign and domestic) logically becomes less manageable.

Therefore, such debates are followed by “expert” assessments on either side of the spectrum, which serve only to confirm their candidate’s intelligence. Either side’s statements can easily be justified, so the reporter will politely conclude the assessments’ results as mere differing opinion.

Elementary debate, although intelligent, pales in comparison to a productive conversation between two human beings in-touch with their mind with a desire to expand horizons because of intelligence from the past, transforming through knowledge toward wisdom. A conversation between human beings in-touch with their mind involves learning and improvement rather than a mere series of intelligent statements or catchy lines. The maturing human mind can assist toward many productive conversations regardless of the subject or party affiliation.

(Let me interject here to be clear!  I’m not suggesting that the candidates are not in-touch with their mind; I’m simply stating that the system in which we elect our President is a system that promotes inadequate dialogue. And, expecting to find leadership rather than mere entertainment from such a forum is quite naïve.)

National conventions separate this beautiful country. These “pep rallies” serve only to gain enthusiasm based on how different each group is from the opponent; the larger the degree of difference determines the level of each convention’s success. During such conventions, there’s a sense of intense division. If our Statue of Liberty could express passions she would cry.

The very reason for this book stems from the fact that I know we can improve upon the role of our hearts and minds so we can better function with compassion and wisdom.

This book is my answer to campaign reform! This book is campaign reform! If you have read this far, you clearly understand that this book is extremely basic but has a strong and advanced message in contrast to the typical debate. I’m trying to reach everybody who values freedom to recognize how easy it could be to purposely work within our interests without fear of war—if only we had some unity, and if only the quest for leadership were a template not so deficient in commonsense.

I’m not interested in questions and answers on the same old tired issues. The debates make me sad. I no longer watch them nor would I wish to participate. I’m not interested in gaining applause in every state for eloquently saying a whole lot of nothing within sixty-second increments during presidential debates. If I could get your vote after I wasted that much of your money, one of us is a burrito short of a picnic...you for trusting my spending habits or me for trusting yours.

Democracy is just a great system we’ve destroyed and currently serves to “address” issues with what “we want to hear” below the standard of commonsense, which somehow is being replaced with relativism at the opinion-level. We don’t need a new system; we must only realign the one we have with respect, commonsense, unity, and humility.

If you so elect, as President I will focus on human beings from every state of the union. I will encourage the discouraged. I want to applaud them, you, us—the United States!

Rather than responding to the same old tired issues in a debate, once I notice that these pages are refreshing to America, I’ll be convinced that citizens herein would like to include leadership as a key role for the position of President of the United States of America. I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted. I will not impose. I will step-up only if it’s America’s collective wish and if you want a sensible alternative to the monotonous dialogue of questions and answers on the same old tired issues!

Whether or not the candidates understand the stalemate and how far from the Constitution we’ve drifted is overlooked; and as presidents, they are perplexed in their inability to implement their platform. However, if they weren’t so preoccupied with the four-year acting-role in the most sophisticated “reality-show” that the presidency has become, a couple of years should suffice to learn the system. Thereafter, rather than blaming the former President, the House, the Senate, or our laziness, it becomes a question of leadership.

A leader values and establishes relationships. A leader can inspire the uninspired. A leader thrives on diversity as opposed to being threatened by it. A leader can work through meetings with others. Usually, presidents fail to lead and work as a team with the House and the Senate. Therefore, when there’s dialogue, they are not on the “same page”.

The responsibility to improve this country does not fall solely on the hands of the President; the responsibility belongs to every one of us Americans.

What I ask of each US citizen is this: Get five people who have never voted or who no longer vote to read this book.

Don’t tell them who to vote for; simply get them interested in their country and inspire them for its progress. Hopefully, they will be encouraged to really understand this country by voting for candidates who are well acquainted with the pillars of our republic and sincerely wish to help preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. Don’t insult, bore, and confuse them with big words, erroneous logic, and fancy ambiguity.

I know it's far from easy to simplify the confusion. Obviously, when talking about anything having to do with political confusion, the greatest challenge is to simplify it in an interesting way while limiting oneself from sounding angry or resentful because of the state of the union to which we have regressed. I’m trying my best!  Keeping it simple is easy.  Making it interesting and fun is a bit more challenging.  But, refraining from sounding impatient, sad, and perhaps even condescending is extremely challenging—especially since our Founding Fathers would simply have considered this book nothing more than an obvious understanding of the Constitution that they wrote. 

Although it might be nice to take credit myself for this text you are reading, most of it comes from the founders of this country.  I'm by no means claiming equally visionary to that of our Founding Fathers.  The fact is that I simply understand and nostalgically respect the Constitution from which this country has unfortunately drifted so far away!  I do not claim to be the teacher; I do, however, claim to be a very good student! I didn’t write the Constitution of the United States; I simply understand it. If I can’t convey this country’s founding principles in simple enough terms for the interested sophomore, it only means that I’m not able to communicate sound leadership within a potentially awesome team.

The next part and the most important aspect of what I ask of you is the most responsible request—support the President America elects. However poor or great their performance, certainly, they do their best! For example, if our elections vote-in a third-grader, it would clearly be silly for us to insult the nine-year-old. Opposition only causes gridlock, which is stagnant. Leave division and opposition for those who just don’t get-it.

This book is my campaign. If you’d like my leadership, you must do your part—whatever that entails. I have written this simple book; but I cannot do it all alone. Let’s REVIVE this gorgeous country! Help me to help you so we can help our grandchildren! I’m just an ordinary citizen just like you.

Currently, campaigns serve only to further divide America. Candidates are never elected by one hundred percent of the popular vote; they’re elected by less than fifty percent from the few who actually vote, aside from the Electoral College. Therefore, once elected, the President will at best be supported by fifty percent of the country’s relatively few voters.

Campaigns continue to use race, religion, ethnicity, sex, intelligence, ethics, mistakes, flaws, and imperfections as a method to divide. Candidates don’t do this directly; they shift the focus onto their opponent. They illustrate that their opponent has a lesser degree of intellect, feeling, emotion, or will. It’s no one human being’s fault; it’s just an unwritten protocol wherein everybody who steps-up learns it, adapts, and eventually finds the pace and begins to quite comfortably fit right into the divisive austerity. It’s like they’re fighting their brothers and sisters who actually love them; they just don’t know it because they’ve learned to hate them! When you’re “outside looking in” it is actually quite obvious as well as quite sad.

I’m not interested in engaging in that elementary method that has served only to confuse, divide, and weaken this gorgeous home of the free, united, and brave! That method consequently minimizes support and respect for the President obviously!

There are three ways candidates respond to tired issues that inevitably are asked by citizens seeking attention or simply don’t understand the divisive consequence.

Let’s take abortion for example.  Someone along the campaign trail will ask, “What’s your position on abortion?”  There are three options: “I’m pro life”, “I’m pro choice”, and some ambiguous combination therein. Every response will serve to somehow ostracize the candidate. “I’m pro life” will gain opposition from those who are pro choice. “I’m pro choice” will gain opposition from those who are pro life. The ambiguous response will gain opposition from those searching for a backbone.

Race is another “biggie”.  Segregating by race is incredibly shortsighted. Many people are curious of one another’s race. However, they usually go back only so many generations. If they were to trace it back to the very beginning, race would become a moot point.

Regarding nationality, one who is born in America is one hundred percent American—period. Citizenship is a critical qualification for candidacy regarding political elections. Otherwise, we are all part of one race—the human race!  I, for one, am not in the least bit interested in voting for you simply because you’re white or black, but more importantly whether you understand the Constitution and can lead this country with some wise commonsense to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States of America!

For the record, I’m prejudice.  I have to be completely honest with you. I’m prejudice toward anybody who is a bigot. Race is still an issue? Wow, how slow is our understanding? How dull it would be for everybody to have the same color of skin! Whether you are black, white, or any shade in between, if you are a racist it’s very hard for me to respect you. I don’t hate you.  In fact I love you nonetheless; but it is very hard for me to respect you, because I pity you! As a matter of fact, such intolerance doesn’t merely disrespect any given race but ignorantly shows disrespect to the divine artist. I know that everyone has weaknesses.  I too have my share of weaknesses; but thank God I don’t have that one!

Religion is yet another “biggie”.  We put into words that religion is not a factor but implicitly we seem to segregate therein as well; and we seek to applaud or destroy a candidate’s character based on how cool the endorsing gossip or whether the candidate sins. Uh, I think we all have.  Or, is it behavior prevalent only of presidential candidates who are of this religion or of that?

This elementary stuff serves only to segregate the country!

American citizens seem to look for a presidential candidate who is “perfect”. Candidates, therefore, attempt to cover-up all their mistakes, flaws, and imperfections prior to announcing their candidacy for President of the United States. Since there’s such a strong demand for a flawless president, candidates will be forced to lie because there is nobody without imperfections!

Moreover, the past will inevitably catch up to them in the form of a question from the audience. Have you ever witnessed such a question being asked by someone who lacked the courage to simply state his name on national television? Audaciously enough, such citizens expect the candidate to be courageous enough to make a confession on national television.

One is not born with the qualities of great leadership. To the contrary, great leadership is primarily the result of wisdom because of one’s mistakes through humility. But, if we use his mistakes to insult the candidate, he will be forced to hide his mistakes, and thus suppress the wisdom derived from them.

During debates, candidates must answer questions within a given amount of time while interrupted by mediators, commercials, and traveling time between debates.

Individuals within the audience are obviously interviewed and handpicked based on how close to the candidate’s views they are. This is likely done for the sake of the television audiences. It’s quite clever, actually, within a poor forum.

For example, if the message of the day is social security, the typical audience is comprised of great grandparents. This includes only those who best support the candidate and might have appropriate questions or expressions for the sake of accentuating the candidates’ concern and the audience’ endorsement—101 psych!

The applause that a candidate receives while on the campaign trail serves only to send a message to the viewers as to how many people the candidate has “endorsing” his plan…and therefore shouldn’t you endorse his plan as well?

Try to get into an audience during a campaign. Note whether you are evaluated prior to getting your chance to ask a question. These forums are similar to auditions in which it’s a must to know one’s part. Lights! Camera! Action!

(Frankly my dear, I’m surprised Adam Chandler hasn’t “won the part”!)

This is precisely the reason that our government’s leadership has converted into a popularity contest. This confuses minimally interested voters who only tune-in to the responsibility regarding their country on Election Year.

I believe there is more potential in talking with human beings whom I can inspire by giving them as potential team members some relevant material to study, and from which we can subsequently collaborate while working toward progress on the common good. I don’t want applause because of pandering to an audience; I want to inspire and ultimately applaud the cohesive team!

All last year (2003) as I searched for ways to help the leadership of this country, I struggled with how I could have a meeting with the President and his entire Cabinet. My chances to do so with merely an elaborate letter were weak because I realize the White House must receive an enormity of mail. Additionally and quite obviously, they don’t have time to meet with some unknown citizen like me. I finally thought I’d write a document that would be mailed only to the White House.

As I was writing, I recognized that it could be a platform for any of the many candidates who have shown interest in contributing their effort to our beautiful home structured for unity, peace, and freedom. Initially during the passing weeks, I grappled with ways to best help all the candidates. It became increasingly clear that the contents would likely be of interest to all of them. I therefore decided to get it published as a book so that it could serve to help people who were in the campaign audiences as well.

Repeatedly, I would wake up at 3:00 in the morning with great thoughts that I couldn’t risk forgetting, so I would get-up, turn-on my laptop, and start typing away.

Incidentally, one night I woke-up imagining that all the candidates were listening to me. In my dream, I suggested that they take my book and have a conference in the White House with the President. As a group interested in what they can do for their country, they would have a civil, friendly, open-minded debate on national television; and the voters would nominate and elect based on qualifiers rather than bravado, leaders rather than fighters, within unity rather than division.

As I’d go to the gym, grocery store, et cetera, I would find a connection with everything that would somehow relate to helping our candidates and the President.

I couldn’t rest from it and wow how I wanted some help. I would work endlessly. My performance in the gym suffered and, due to neglecting my rest and diet, my health was suffering with colds and weight loss.

As I continued to think of the best approach, I recognized that I was addressing lots of material for which America was thirsting. I felt as though my favorite patriotic motto—“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”—kept knocking on my head as if saying, “Hello…!”

Finally, as I was drying my hair one morning, it struck me as well as frightened me! I raised my face to look into the mirror and whispered these words, “You gotta do it.” Then, I turned-off the hair dryer in disbelief and said aloud, “Not you…but I…I gotta do it!”

Well, I immediately thought of hundreds of excuses why I shouldn’t have such ridiculous thoughts. I have done too many things that are “un-presidential” such as getting a suspension on my license after the points added-up for speeding, I’ve committed many sexual sins, I’ve made countless mistakes…I’m no saint! Consequently, I felt relief that I was far from perfect or flawless. Whew! I proceeded to comfortably write and would entitle this book “Realigning America”.

As the weeks went by, I realized I was doing something uncharacteristic of me—shirking from responsibility. However, my excuses persisted.

Many friends in whom I confide don’t understand why I continue to take such a big piece of life and consider it my responsibility. Also, there seems to be a few human beings who really want more than anything to be President of the United States. I found comfort in anything that offered excuses as I tried to somehow minimize or erase this sense of responsibility.

In part one, I mentioned that I have been afraid twice in my life; well, this would add another incident. The eight words that repeatedly filled my thoughts—this is not my desire it’s my responsibility—terrified me! Afraid to help my country, wow!

You might understand this sense of fear. It was as if little kids were drowning, but my apprehension to swim out to their rescue would stem from the fact that I’d be misconstrued by their parents completely unaware that they were drowning because their interest was focused on the entertaining “dirt” on the tabloids about some unknown person if heaven forbid from the other party. Moreover, the price I’d have to pay would be to lose my sense of privacy. My dignity would be attacked for all the mistakes I’ve made and all the sins I’ve committed. My poor credit would be used to label me a derelict rather than one who can relate with most American citizens to thus help those in a similar predicament. All the stupid decisions I’ve ever made would be used to define me, merely because bad news seems to be more marketable than what noble intentions one might have.

One would have to be terribly naïve in presuming to be well accepted by such a tough crowd prone to severe scrutiny to anyone who musters-up the courage to step-up.

After lots of contemplation and prayer, I came to this conclusion: I have been deployed to war, prepared to die for the principles of this country; so, although I will subject myself to the inevitable disparaging scrutiny that candidates seem to face, I must step-up because I respect the dignity of every human being alive more than I fear the insults I’ll likely have to endure.

I pulled some strength from within and eventually began realizing I must name this book, “Shall I run for President of the United States?”

It’s no longer merely a responsibility that frightens me; I accept the responsibility. If America wants my leadership, America deserves my all! America has provided so much for me throughout my life. In America, I have been nurtured with freedom, which has allowed me to confidently travel the world with no fear—a basic reason I have had such vast opportunity from which to learn and experience. I will gladly give my all, and will do my best to love every minute of it. Initially, my thoughts were—“This is not my desire it’s my responsibility”; but that cowardly attitude has improved to instead welcome such an honorable responsibility with desire. Should it be my responsibility, it’s certainly my desire—if and only if it’s America’s wish!

My fellow American citizens, as you are well aware, the President of the United States of America is a position about leadership. Because you want what’s best for America, I trust you will recognize the caliber of leadership expressed within the pages of this book as precisely what America must have.

With your support I’m ready, willing, and able. Together all Americans will “raise the roof” by breaking through the ceiling of tired issues that have kept the bar so low for so long.

My method of seeking American’s interest in my leadership by declaring my intention in the form of a book has several values…

(The title has yet to be determined, but the document has become a manuscript and my platform for President. Election Years have come and gone. A dear friend gave me a book called Writer’s Market that I’ve studied and have learned the difficulty of the ole query-letter as well. Time will tell whether I’ll see it in the bookstores and in the hope of citizens to revive our country.)

This book conveys my views on relevant issues. Campaign Reform is addressed by seeking your hope based on your understanding of my intention as President and the unity it requests. This book clearly conveys my position and discourages confusion, as opposed to that which ambiguous campaigns usually serve. Within this book there are mistakes I’m sure; what you look for is what you’ll find. If you are interested in the mistakes, you’ll find them. If you are interested in preserving, protecting, and defending our country—especially for the benefit of our grandchildren—you’ll embrace it.

Forgetting to set the VCR, so as to hear the disparaging remarks in a presidential debate between candidates, will no longer pose a problem. Hopefully, such debate will graduate beyond the mere source of bravado from which to “inform” your vote as such a ridiculous source of intellectual entertainment. Subsequently, you will not have to base your vote for President on the strongest opposition to the incumbent who surprisingly had the courage to remain patriotic to such a tough crowd of fellow united citizens.

I strongly disagree with the current austerity of seeking the presidency. Insulting a fellow American who equally wishes to contribute to our nation’s improvement is boring, painful, ineffective, damaging, divisive, terribly discouraging, and so tired. (Divided we stand to fall; united we will stand so tall!)

This book serves as Campaign Reform. Its impact on the market will reveal the level of interest in our collective desire to improve our home in America. The generated income will be used to build a company to expedite your entrepreneurial ideas to promote your talents, enhance our teamwork, and improve our economy (recall “the economy-issue in part three). I will generate no funds for my campaign; this book is my campaign. Understanding the concept of a team effort, you will agree that I cannot do it all by myself, nor will I even try! If you want what I’ve got to give, I’m willing to give you my all. I will gladly be your tireless slave but begging for the position is the one thing I will not do!

Obviously, this isn’t the traditional “Road to the White House”. But if you recognize it as an improved method to pave a better road, it will certainly be possible…but you must help me by doing your part. I’ve condensed this book down to half its original size. I’ve tried to make it as interesting as possible. Having read it at least a thousand times over, I well-understand that it gets boring at times. I certainly could write a much more interesting book filled with adventure, romance, and excitement which would be much more fun to read; but entertaining the reader is not the intention. I’m merely stating the obvious but obviously the obvious must be stated! It’s not about me; it’s about us; it’s about our country! It’s about future Americans and their neighbors! Help me to improve America so we can together enthusiastically invite the world to noble prosperity and peace.

Currently, it doesn’t really matter who is in Office because the obstacles preventing progress are much too effective. I agree with a Senator’s profound phrase, “It takes a village”. I will add that it takes a nation or a team of collectively concerned human beings with the home we will leave behind to baby Americans who can live in hope, freedom, peace, and up to their dreams amid liberty and justice for all.

If power hasn’t gone to my head, and if my integrity has awakened the objectivity of my supporters, I will responsibly encourage someone with such an interest to take the baton from me after four years from either party. If someone can do the job, by all means you must step-up! Don’t ever stop improving the unity that makes this gorgeous country a prosperous home. We all have the potential to open our hearts, objectively develop our minds, and give rather than take. This will only improve our freedom. I’m not trying to build my legacy; I’m trying to preserve, protect, and defend AMERICA’S legacy!

The intention of America’s Founding Fathers was to set a forum for elected human beings to lead toward constant improvement. Their objective was undeniably based on improvement—hence Independence Day!

In the last several decades, incumbents too have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for their campaigns. Why? Don’t we already know about their leadership strength to realize a platform? Actually, such nonsense further proves that we are confusing our desire for leadership with our desire to be appeased or entertained.

What will it take to bring this country to unite and support leadership? This is extremely important! Let’s get in-touch with our hearts and minds and truly unite this amazing land of opportunity—an opportunity to do what we ought rather than the fleeting instant gratifications from doing merely what we want.

I have a pretty good premonition that one day soon national conventions will unite and harmonize in awesome songs such as “America the Beautiful”, “God Bless the USA”, and “We are the world we are the children!” Perhaps our prudence can inspire a lyricist to write a song while collaborating with international linguists so as to include every language within a song entitled GOD BLESS HUMANITY within the circumference of Earth with a cumulative genuine compassionate desire and wise effort for PEACE!

Are you still looking for a candidate who is flawlessly perfect? Are you still looking for a candidate who can afford to purchase a four-year lease of Oval Office real estate? If so, keep searching because I’m far from perfect and, quite honestly, $150 million is a little over my price range.

Do you want to experience enthusiasm as we improve our lives while the entire human race does the same in a more united world? If so, put me in the White House and all Americans can lead the world by example!

I don’t have 150 million dollars; I don’t even have one million. I only have this book, my mind, my love, my work ethic, and hopefully your thoughtful ideas and teamwork, which is my answer to Campaign Reform!

Are you ready for leadership? I feel a great song coming on “♪…Put me in coach; I’m ready to play…♪”