Vowing to remain an active advocate for campaign finance reform, former Louisiana Gov. Charles "Buddy Roemer on Thursday pulled the plug on his underdog bid for the presidency.
Making campaign finance reform one of the centerpieces of his campaign, the Republican candidate had focused on making a breakthrough in New Hampshire, the first primary state. But having been left out of the debates, Roemer took less than 1 percent in the Granite State. He then set his sights on winning the nominations of Americans Elect and the Reform Party.
While Roemer amassed more supporters than any other candidate for the Americans Elect nomination, he did not have as many backers as needed to win it. With Americans Elect deciding not to nominate a candidate in 2012, Roemer was essentially left without ballot access -- something he touched on as he bowed out of the race on Thursday.
Today, I am no longer a candidate for president of the United States, Roemer announced. After 17 months of a wonderful campaign, the lack of ballot access in all 50 states makes the quest impossible for now.
Taking a page from Jerry Browns bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992, Roemer would not accept contributions of more than $100 and said on Thursday that he was proud that his presidential campaign was free from debt.
Roemer insisted that he would remain active in political life and that he would launch a new organization to focus on campaign finance reform.
As I am no longer a candidate for president, I am free to pledge a good portion of the rest of my life to enacting campaign reform in the halls of Congress and the corridors of the White House. Instead of using my right to the floor of Congress to lobby for corporate clients, I will lobby for the American people who want reform, Roemer pledged. It might require a new organization to get this done, but regardless, we will highlight corruption and its effects on policy and public perception, suggest solutions, build coalitions, and support the advocates of our ideas or those who have better ones.
This struggle will not be easy, Roemer continued. The enemies of reform are powerful and entrenched, but this is a struggle that America must win. The key is to realize that I cannot beat them alone. This will take a team effort. We must work together, setting aside inevitable differences on other issues in order to build a reform team. We must dare to look at a total reform package including contribution reform, reapportionment reform, and term-limit reform. I cannot do this alone. True and thorough reform will not occur solely as a me effort. This must be a we effort.
Roemer was elected to the U.S. House in 1980 as a Democrat before running for governor in 1987. During his term in Baton Rouge,Roemer jumped over to the Republicans but lost out in his bid for a second term in 1991. Roemer backed Democrat Edwin Edwards over the Republican who bested him in the primary -- former state Rep. David Duke, who had been affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan. After an unsuccessful comeback attempt in 1995 for another term as governor, Roemer went on to serve as both president and CEO of Business First Bank in Baton Rouge.
As he bowed out of the race, Roemer sounded as good as his word, as if he had no intention of staying on the sidelines for long.
Join with us, he said. Be unafraid. Well put a new organization together and will use the power of the people and new media unlike any organization has ever done with a political goal. We will ask other organizations and associations to join with us in building this team of reformers. We will re-energize our republic.
"Again, thank you for standing with me. Dont give up. Dont lose hope. Together, we will continue to reform our country and make America great once again. We are just getting started.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
