Posted on 12/04/2003 11:16:45 AM PST by LurkedLongEnough
Greenwich man says he’ll beat Bush in Iowa
Wig- wearing Republican Daniel Vovak, 31, of Greenwich is running against President Bush in the Jan. 19 Iowa caucus.
He’s a Connecticut resident. He’s a presidential candidate. He vows he’ll beat President Bush. He’s the wig-wearing Daniel Vovak.
Who?
Vovak, whose campaign slogan is "Small Ideas for America,” is confident of victory over the president in 2004 — at least in the Jan. 19 Iowa caucus.
The strategy is fairly simple for the 31-year-old Greenwich Republican, who cast his first Connecticut vote from Danbury.
The Democratic contest in Iowa is fiercely competitive. But with Bush presumed the inevitable Republican nominee, Vovak estimates only about 40,000 out of 2 million registered voters will even participate in the Republican caucus.
Most of those, he thinks, will be voters he has met.
"I’ve been to 89 of the 99 counties in Iowa,” said Vovak, who owns a public relations firm in Greenwich. "I’ve been to 40 fairs. I’ve traveled 9,000 miles and been there for 60 days.”
Though the U.S. Constitution requires a candidate to be 35 to run for president, Vovak is quick to point to current and former members of Congress who didn’t meet the age requirements when elected.
"After I win the Iowa caucus, it will be a national media event, and I will have hundreds of millions of dollars in publicity,” Vovak said. "I’ll force a national Republican primary.”
He’s made his rounds through Iowa wearing a George Washington wig and driving a Ford F-250, which he calls "Air Ford One.”
And he has drawn attention. He has appeared on MSNBC, CNN and local Iowa TV stations and in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the Weekly Standard, the Hartford Courant and Newsday.
The wig has a purpose.
"The wig attracts attention and reminds people the government is run by the Constitution and not by politicians,” Vovak said.
Though Vovak’s campaign is filled with humor, he is pushing some serious issues as well. For example, he thinks the Patriot Act ignores the Constitution, he wants more secure borders and he wants to curb excessive lawsuits.
He also wants to cancel the White House subscription to the New York Times and read only small-town newspapers.
"My campaign is about small ideas, small towns, small newspapers and small people,” he said. "I hope it will always be small.”
Born in Sheffield, Ohio, Vovak graduated in 1993 at the age of 20 from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. He wrote two books, "Will You Run for President?” and "Shakergate — 2019.”
His firm, Greenwich Public Relations, specializes in writing personal biographies and corporate histories. Before that, he was editor of the Greenwich Post and Movers & Shakers and hosted a radio show. He was a press secretary for the 2000 Republican National Convention.
Vovak came to Connecticut in 2000, when he lived at a hotel in Danbury. He registered to vote, using a Mail Boxes Etc. address. In the 2000 Republican primary, he voted for Bush at Danbury City Hall.
His confidence that he can now beat Bush in Iowa doesn’t worry that state’s Republican party.
"I don’t believe he’s a serious candidate,” said Iowa GOP spokeswoman Kristin Scuderi. "I don’t think the people of Iowa have heard of him before. He should read the Constitution before he runs for president. Or run in 2008 when he’s old enough.”
But Vovak points out that former Kentucky Sen. Henry Clay was 29 when he was first elected in the 1800s to the U.S. Senate, though the Constitution requires a senator to be 30. Current Delaware Sen. Joe Biden was also 29 when first elected to the U.S. Senate.
The one thing Vovak might have on fellow Connecticut candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman is Lieberman isn’t competing in the Iowa caucus, opting instead to focus attention elsewhere.
"I’m Connecticut’s favorite son in Iowa,” he said. "Joe Lieberman can’t win because America isn’t ready to elect an ugly president.”
Vovak said he is certain he will be on the Connecticut primary ballot on March 2.
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz will announce later this month which candidates will be on the ballot.
Bernard Liu, legal staff attorney for the Secretary of the State’s office, said the office can’t discount any candidate and looks only at legal criteria.
"Our standard says to be placed on the ballot, you generally have to be seriously advocated or recognized in the media,” Liu said. "He does have an extensive file clipping.”
Vovak was inspired to run, he said, because he believes Bush allowed the Iraq war to distract him from capturing the Sept. 11 terrorists.
"He should hunt down (Osama) bin Laden; instead, he’s hunted Saddam,” he said. "I think he’s a good president. But that’s a major blunder. That’s all it takes.”
Check the Constitution you have to be a minimum of 35 to be President.
Bingo! My first thought too. Who is this bonehead?
Oh boy. For some reason I don't think that's what people are thinking when they see him in that wig.
True?
Phew. No Hillary, either, then.
Yes, but that's not the point. He has no plan or expectation to ever take office. He just wants the publicity of running. And for that, his answer is fine.
Though the U.S. Constitution requires a candidate to be 35 to run for president, Vovak is quick to point to current and former members of Congress who didn’t meet the age requirements when elected.
CNN: "Vovak openly admits he is willing to snub Constitutional law to become President. Not a surprise for a right-wing extremist Republican candidate."
Honest Joe didn't wear a wig in Iowa when he ran for president, though. He was proud to be a Delaware transplant.
Bernard Liu, legal staff attorney for the Secretary of the State’s office, said the office can’t discount any candidate and looks only at legal criteria.
I believe the Iowa Secretary of State is a democrat.
"Our standard says to be placed on the ballot, you generally have to be seriously advocated or recognized in the media,” Liu said. "He does have an extensive file clipping.”
Of course he has an extensive file clipping, what with the leftists in the media looking for any sign of Republicans who oppose Bush!
Vovak was inspired to run, he said, because he believes Bush allowed the Iraq war to distract him from capturing the Sept. 11 terrorists.
This is straight out of the DNC talking points. All of the posturing about smaller government is bogus.
"He should hunt down (Osama) bin Laden; instead, he’s hunted Saddam,” he said. "I think he’s a good president. But that’s a major blunder. That’s all it takes.”
Again, the DNC talking points.
I see that he has penned a book entitled Will You Run for President?. He is shilling his book as well.
Not unless she pulls a Hannibal Lector with her husband's face!!
LOL
Heh, heh. Heck, it's CNN. Why stop there?
"And now to our political analyst Jeaneane Garafallo for comment .... Well some of us warned about the danger to our Constitution when the Supreme Court selected Bush over the candidate who received the most votes in the last election..."
FMCDH
Are you kidding? This guy isn't even the next Shemp.
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