While prospective Republican presidential candidates participate in nationally televised debates, few Louisianians may realize a former Pelican State governor is in the competition.
Buddy Roemer, former Louisiana governor and U.S. Congressman, flew to New Hampshire on Wednesday to promote his bid for presidency despite his exclusion from recent debates.
Roemer recently told Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show” that he was excluded from the debates because he didn’t meet the requirement of registering at 4 percent or higher on a national poll.
In a conversation with The Daily Reveille, Roemer suggested numerous other reasons for his omission from the limelight. His positions, he said, are not particularly welcomed by some candidates or the news media.
“I don’t take [political action committee] money,” Roemer said.
PACs often donate to presidential campaigns to support special interests.
“I think a president ought to be responsible to the people, not to the PACs,” he said.
Because of this stance, Roemer limited all donations to his campaign to a maximum of $100.
The current political system “is a political structure that works against the young, against small business and against people with big ideas but not big checks,” Roemer said.
And politicians on both sides of the partisan divide fall under Roemer’s derisive criticisms.
Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have all been more of the same, he said — more government interference, unfair trade, unreasonable tax codes and big money involvement.
Americans are selling their country to politicians, Roemer said.
Along with fiscal responsibility, Roemer’s platform also emphasizes foreign trade and the elimination of foreign tax credits, especially with countries like China and Iran.
The nation’s economy could turn for the better, he said, if America stops doing business with countries that do not practice fair trade.
Roemer said he would sharply curtail trade with China because of the child labor, prison labor and forced labor that occurs there.
“We shouldn’t accept it,” he said.
But the fault doesn’t only lie with the politicians.
“To hell with big business,” Roemer insisted. “They got lobbyists, they got lawyers and they moved their jobs nuisance.”
Roemer pointed out that the TOPS program started under his governorship.
“If you don’t invest in your young people, you’ll never balance the budget,” he said.
As for investments on the federal level, Roemer disagreed with President Obama’s recently announced American Jobs Act.
If Obama really wanted small-business growth, Roemer asked, “Why doesn’t he remove regulations from small businesses?”
Roemer does not expect the American Jobs Act to pass.
Coinciding with his demand to bring business back home, Roemer said if elected president, he would announce that the U.S. will be energy independent within a decade.
Roemer said with no new taxes or regulations, the country could begin to drill safely in order to “have energy available for manufacturers” in America. Roemer highlighted the importance of safety when it comes to drilling.
“I’m an environmentalist, for heaven’s sake,” he said.
His energy policy is also fueled by contempt for unfair trade from nations with questionable policies.
“No product using Iranian oil would be allowed into the U.S.,” he promised.
Despite his exclusion from the televised debates, Roemer says his poll numbers are promising in comparison to other, more high-profile candidates. According to a Fox News poll released last week, Roemer said his national rating hangs anywhere between 1 and 3 percent. He said the same poll put Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich, both of whom participate in the debates, at 1 and 3 percent, respectively.
Roemer also pointed out that while these men are known by approximately 20 percent of the nation, he is only known by about 4 percent.
“We’re just starting,” Roemer said.
He said the campaign is based on jobs and freedom.
“If you don’t have a job you aren’t free,” Roemer said. “You are a slave to a government