Note: The following article was first published in the Harvey County Independent on August 8, 2019.
This is the third article in the series. If you haven’t read the previous articles and want to start with the first, click here.
I want to start by expressing my gratitude for the support I’ve received since I announced my candidacy for the U.S Senate. The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and I’ve received many verbal commitments of votes.
I’d like to share a piece of my most recent interview. It communicates some critical information.
Again, since this hasn’t been broadcast publicly yet, I’ll leave the name of the interviewer out. Trust me, everyone reading this would recognize it.
Interviewer: Since you announced your candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat in Kansas that is being vacated next year by Senator Pat Roberts, three Democrats and six Republicans have joined the race. Any thoughts?
Me: Nothing surprising has happened yet. Both Republicans and Democrats will settle on their final candidate a year from now in the primaries. The Libertarian Party, I’m sure, will also have a candidate on the ballot. Unless another Independent joins in it will be a four-person race.
Interviewer: How to you plan to overcome your lack of name recognition?
Me: First of all I don’t accept your premise. I have the same name as three recent presidents—George W. Bush, George H. Bush, and Bill Clinton. I’ve lived in six different cities in Kansas and my mom had seven siblings and most of her extended family lives in the state.
Both of my names are common and well recognized in Kansas. In addition, my middle name—Dennis—I share with the cartoon character Dennis the Menace. Easily recognizable.
Face recognition will be my biggest challenge. But I think once people hear my uniquely specific plan they’ll look me up on the internet to see who I am, so the face recognition will take care of itself.
Interviewer: I’m glad you mentioned your platform because it is very unusual. And short. You only have three items you hope to accomplish in the Senate. Let me see if I have these correct. You want to enforce Daylight savings time, ban cold weather, and introduce term limits?
Me: Almost. Daylight savings time will become law country-wide and year round. My ban on winter’s cold weather won’t take place until Jan. 1 each year and I allow an exemption for ski resorts. My term limit bill will include an aggregate lifetime provision so people don’t jump from one office to the other once they’re term limited.
You will notice that all of my proposals are topics that we can all get behind irregardless of our political affiliations. That’s once of the reasons I’m running as an Independent.
In that same spirit, I’ve done a lot of thinking since my last interview. I think it’s important that I add a fourth plank to my platform.
Both the major political parties are playing us for fools. They say they want a balanced budget but the nation’s debt continues to rise by over a trillion dollars a year.
Democrats want to raise taxes to cover the deficit and the Republicans want to lower taxes and grow the economy. The fact is that neither of those actions can erase the shortfall.
And they’ve both proven they’re not willing to cut expenses in order to stop the economic bleeding. Nothing will happen until the people speak out, come together, and force the government to live within its means.
That’s why the fourth bill I will propose as a U.S. Senator will be to balance the budget.
Interviewer: That’s big news! Do you think you can secure the votes?
Me: Just like I explained with my other planks, I will only agree to vote for other items if I get a commitment for a vote on one my proposals.
Interviewer: How can you be sure others will honor the word and vote for your bills?
Me: That is an excellent question. For each agreement I will require a written commitment between myself and the other Senators. This will provide accountability on both sides and will let me know when I have the required number of votes needed to pass my bills.
It will also make my time as a Senator the most open and transparent in political history. Every time I vote yes on the Senate floor I can show, in writing, the vote commitment I received in return. That will make my votes 100% transparent. Everyone will know exactly why I voted yes or no.
Interviewer: You’re saying that even if you agree or disagree with a topic, you’re going to vote according to whether or not you get a traded vote?
Me: That’s exactly what I’m saying. Look, there are other political topics I care about. In fact, there are a handful of topics more important to me personally than the ones I’m running on politically. I am willing to forego those in exchange for accomplishment.
My candidacy is about coming together in a time of division. The country is split and unless someone does something radical we’re going to find ourselves permanently fractured, or worse, in the midst of a civil war.
I’ve deliberately chosen topics that are true to my heart, yes, but also are non-political in nature. They offer the opportunity for our nation to come together and heal, but also provide a better life for each American citizen.
I’d like to add that I’m not running against my opponents and I will not attack them personally. I’m running on my plan and either the voters will love and accept it or they won’t.
Only I offer a plan that is specific, concise, doable, and provides complete transparency. My team will put together a website that will display every agreement I make while in the Senate. This will allow my constituency in Kansas to see exactly where I stand in my efforts on any given day.
I can’t promise I’ll deliver anything. I can only promise that I will stick to the plan I have laid out and I will not waiver. I invite those who believe it is a winning formula for enacting desperately needed nonpartisan changes and effecting true unity to support my efforts and vote me for me for Kansas Senator.
Read part four of this series: Mother nature supports senate run
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