The Free View-- weblog of a presidential candidate

"Why don't you grow up and get serious?"

[Lance note: This piece was written in response to the body of general naysayers who think my campaign has no chance, and that I should "grow up and get serious" with my life.]

Most people have resigned themselves to the idea that their life has little meaning, and that they are unable to affect any substantial changes. The idea of "The American Dream," or indeed of achieving any ideals, is questioned more than it is believed.

I have essentially set my sights on the highest ideal- "to save the world." I do not necessarily think that I can pull it off, but I think that we need someone to try that has a chance. I am a uniquely talented, creative, and intelligent individual, with a prevalent ability to lead, and to communicate well. I have considerable energy and relentless determination; what's more, I want to do it, and am perfectly willing to devote my life to my plan.

My cynical side tells me that we truly are running out of time in many ways, and that no serious action is being taken to address the situation. While almost everybody wants things to get better, and many are achieving that here and there, it is going to take really big changes, and the coming together of a number of factors, to stop the Downbound Train. And the forces currently in power aren't going to get us there.

The changes needed to restore an honest reason for hope in this country must come from an outsider, with a broad body of support, and a solid, unflappable campaign with the proper financial and political momentum. The likelihood of that happening is shamefully slim. But many people will try. They will inevitably fail (myself included) -- unless they get everything right.

Quite honestly, I think I could be that "outsider." And I have padded in an extra 14 years to make sure I've got everything right. And if I don't win in '08, I plan to come back in '16, and again in '24 (leaving enough time between runs to avoid becoming a Bob Dole or Lyndon LaRouche). In 2024, I will have spent over 30 years actively working on achieving my lofty ideals (And I'll only be 52!) I will inevitably have a body of supporters. And I will have inevitably influenced thousands (I should hope millions) of people's thoughts about liberty, and the Two-Evils system of government.

And while I can only muse about whether or not I will ever be President (or save the world), I have absolutely not a single shred of a doubt in my mind that I will have done something productive with my life.

Taking a Political Leap of Faith

Bill Clinton is very good at assembling minds in order to assemble policies, but he lacks the quality of discernment. He is a slave to the polls, and thus a slave to a very confused, concerned, malleable, misinformed and frightened population. He has no political theme other than to keep his approval rating above 50%. Republicans and Democrats alike put together their platform based on "the numbers" and try to design a plan that will attract the majority of voters. They then exploit those chosen demographic groups to sway them to embrace their particular potluck of planks.

I, on the other hand, am playing the "game" a bit more riskily. My platform will be molded around principles, and I will gamble that I and those like me will be able to make those principles popular enough to get my platform supported with the least amount of voter manipulation possible. We will surely conduct polls, but not to find out which group of people we need to customize a platform plank for. Polls will be used to find out who we have not convinced yet.

The principles I embrace are freedom and individual liberty, and I wish to design a platform that provides for the absolute maximum amount of individual liberty possible in a free, safe, prosperous society.

This will not change based on any polls or feedback, period. My methodology may change, my approach may change, my image may change. But I will advance a platform in 2008 based on what I appraise to be the strictest possible adherence to the principles of freedom and individual liberty possible in America.

If I build it, and they don't come...oh well. But I'm hedging my bets that a guy who has defended liberty and eschewed heavy-handed government for his entire adult life will be able to find a place in politics in 2008-24.