The first endorsement ...

Mr. Jeff Culbreath has graciously endorsed my candidacy for president in '012. In fact, he has offered his services as speech writer and given us a sample covering life, marriage, war, immigration, trade, and education. (I may need a director for the West Coast, so we'll see.)

The question, of course, is whether Mr. Culbreath's proposed speech mirrors the views of my campaign....Let's just say for now, that I could vote for him!

I don't want to make a joke of it, but you know, I, and a lot of others are fed up with 2-parties which have have less and less difference between them as time goes on. Both parties are, to varying degrees, utilitarian, that is, they view the individual as a tool. Depending on the party, the tool may be for the economy, for social experimentation, for votes, etc. Both parties are for big centralized governmental control-the difference is just in matters of degree and special interest.

If you read the Anti-Federalist papers, you can see some of their warnings have come to pass. They predicted that a strong central government (arguably needed in 1789) would give more and more power to itself. (For instance, the stronger the central government, the more likely a standing army, the more likely wars.) Of course, a strict return to the Constitution itself would solve most of our political problems.

I feel compelled to layout what I think are general principles for true self-government. Some of these principles are not necessarily applicable only to the representative republic which our Constitution provided for. Thus, I probably won't be too specific. I am not an economist or an expert on international affairs, etc. I doubt anything I say will be new, just saying it again. I will look to experts in their fields to flesh out the proposals to make them work in the framework the Constitution provides.

A warning: I am probably a bit of a radical in some areas.

The platform will probably evolve as people offer their ideas that may be better than mine. I know forums for this type of discussion have been formed in the past-much better forums than this. I hope there is more to come.

(I am also hoping that it may be safe to open up my comment boxes again, which I shall do this week.)

Oremus pro invicem!