I have been very seriously thinking about my bid to be written in as President of the United States. While I have made it very clear that the main thrust of my campaign is to let the Career Politicians in Washington know that We the People are sick and tired of the games they play, in word and deed, the reality is that campaigning for a political office is about one thing, and one thing only: How Much Money Can I Raise?

Being elected is more a case of being able to raise funds. What fund raising has to do with leading a country, I don’t think I will ever really grasp, but there you have it. Fund raising bothers me on several levels. First, is the begging involved. Or, actually, the salesmanship. And, by salesmanship, I mean “baldfaced lying to people with lots of dollars and no sense.” Second is the disposal of the left over funds.

Of course, to run a national, touring campaign, you need money. If you have an election staff, they all expect to be paid. Very well. Except the volunteers, who are convinced that they are needed and they need to work for free. Can you imagine a multi-million dollar corporation asking it’s workers to donate their time and own money to make the owners successful? Yes, I have asked for volunteers, but everyone, including myself, would be volunteering. No one is paid, since there is no fund raising.

Whether successful or not, any left over campaign money is the candidate’s to dispose of as they wish. Yes, that means that a successful fund-raiser who is not elected and does not spend all the funds raised, could pocket all the left over money.

This means that, if not nominated, the second place candidate in a party could wind up with millions of dollars to line his or her pocket.

Maybe I’m approaching the campaign from the wrong angle. Instead of wanting to serve my country, with leadership that does not owe it’s existence to any special interest group, I should instead be running a fund-raising campaign with the knowledge that I cannot be elected, and retire on the proceeds from my donors.

I could be rich! I could do all the things I want to, without having to work another day in my life! And to think, all that money would be tax free!

And, of course, I would then lose all the respect that I believe I have built up in the on-line community, in my family, and in my circle of friends. Worst of all, I wouldn’t be able to shave ever again, because I would not be able to look at the guy in the mirror.

Where would be the motivation to serve as President simply to serve the country? Heck, running for President has served some families very well. I can think of a certain Senator from Massachusetts that has ridden on the coat tails of his dead brothers for many many years now. Do you realize that by the time January 2009 rolls around, we will have had 24 years of Bush and Clinton? That means that people under the age of 26 have no cognitive memory of any other President. Can you imagine another eight years of Clinton? Yeah, there’s a military/financial package this country can’t survive.

I started writing this fully intending to announce that I was not going to run anymore. I have just finished convincing myself that I do, indeed, need to continue to run, unless a truly independent candidate, who is not a Career Politician, can make a run. Help me spread the word, will you?

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, support Warriors for Innocence, and write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008!

Tag: Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008