I am writing to share with you my decision to run as a Republican candidate for President of the United States. I am compelled to enter the Presidential Primary for several reasons – the most important of which is to further and foster a national debate on our nation's debt, deficits and spending.
I’m worried. We have a storm coming that we are neither talking about nor preparing for given that we, as a country, are more financially vulnerable than we have ever been since our nation’s start and the Civil War. We are on a collision course with financial reality. The numbers tell the story on why we need to act now.
To this point, it took us 200 years to accumulate $5 trillion in national debt, but its growth has now become exponential. Our public debt has nearly tripled over the last ten years. This has occurred as we come to an end of a forty year downward drift in interest rates, the longest economic expansion in American history and never before seen asset values and household net worth based on these two factors. If under these circumstances, we can’t get our national finances in order, when can we?
Yet as I have watched the Democrat debates I hear no discussion, or even recognition, of what is occurring. Instead I hear a laundry list of new unpaid for political promises. On the Republican side, spending is up well above what President Obama had requested in his last year in office, and President Trump has ruled out action on the very things that drive spending and accumulated debt. Debate is even being cancelled on the Republican side, though I believe we need a conversation and action more than ever given our present course.
Essentially no one “leading” in Washington is leading, or even speaking of, our financial predicament. We are living in a government spending and financial la-la land, and this movie will not end well for any of us. Which brings me to the larger question of what I, or any of us, can do about it?
Presidential races focus our attention to politics and have historically been the stage on which we debate where we go next as a country. If we don’t do it this year, we put that national debate off until the next presidential election cycle. I don’t believe we have five more years before inaction guarantees a day of financial reckoning,
I have a unique vantage point and set of experiences – as a governor, as a Member of Congress and as a taxpayer outside of politics – to suggest and solicit debate on where we go next as Americans and as Republicans. I do believe we must have this conversation now and humbly step forward. I respect the view of many Republican friends who have suggested that I not run, but I simply counter that competition makes us stronger. We are in football season now where teams fiercely compete for division and national titles. I believe competition of ideas is good, not bad, for the Republican Party and for our country.
I ask for your wisdom, prayers, suggestions and time along the road ahead. Please join us – get involved - and know how much I would appreciate hearing from you.
Many thanks,
|
|
|
|
