This is a jewel.
Running for president:
Michael Charles Smith (R-Oregon)
From a Corvallis G-T article:
The 44-year-old Corvallis resident has a wife and two kids, a house and a mortgage, and a job at Hewlett-Packard.
He plays the tuba in the community band.
Oh, and there’s one more thing:
He’s running for president. As in president of the United States.
Some talking points:
Fiscal Conservative – Limited Federal Government within a Balanced Budget
I support a balanced budget with changes to current tax structures.
* Only those federal functions specifically mandated by the US Constitution should be funded.
* Federal taxes and spending should be reduced in favor of local control of taxes and services.
* Income taxes should be abolished and replaced with Consumption (Sales) taxes.
Social Libertarian – Individual Responsibility with Minimal Governmental Intrusion
The government should stay out of the private lives of consenting adults.
* Abortion hinges on individual belief regarding the inception of life. The government shouldn’t make policy on matters of belief.
* Drug use should be de-felonized.
* Creationism and “intelligent design” are beliefs, not science.
* Gay marriage is no threat to the social fabric.
Parent – Education, Healthcare, and Economic Opportunity Now and for Our Children
My children are doing well in the Oregon school system, but too many resources are spent on administration and compliance issues.
* We must find appropriate ways to ensure educational opportunity for all our children.
* Health Care is a crippling burden for many Americans and inhibits the economy. We need to reduce health care costs.
Pro States’/Local Rights – The Government that Governs Best Governs Locally
The federal government has encroached into many issues not specified by the constitution.
* Assisted Suicide is a matter of states’ rights.
* The federal government coerced states to raise the drinking age by threatening to withhold highway funds. An 18 year old can vote, join the military, have an abortion, and ought to be able to drink a beer.
Veteran – Honor Our Military by Raising the Threshold for Foreign Intervention
OSU Grad! Gotta love it. Go Beaves! Here come baseball season, right around the corner.
Smith is unknown outside of Oregon, and has no previous experience in political office. This makes his candidacy an extreme long-shot in the highly anticipated run-up to the primaries, with such Republican heavyweights as John McCain and Rudy Giuliani speculated to run. Smith acknowledges the difficulty his campaign faces, saying, “I’m not delusional enough to have my bags packed and be planning on changing my address to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”[1] Smith’s goal is to win enough votes in the 2008 Oregon primary to become a delegate to the Republican National Convention, so he can deliver his message of traditional Republicanism to the party leadership
Okay.
He plays the tuba? Well, he’s got my vote.