Demanding a seat at the table...
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For those of you who came to know me either through business or blogging, and are still curious why an entrepreneur and evangelist is running for elected office (U.S. Senate, FL), this message is for you. The short answer is that I believe professionals in the private sector can still introduce greater process optimization into government, and that people of faith have one more important role to play in America's conservative renewal.
But the event that really made-up my mind occurred in the summer of 2005. At that time, as a GOP Team Leader and volunteer on the Bush-Cheney campaign, many of us were feeling pretty self-satisfied having helped turn-out over 60-million values voters, who elected the president to a second-term and added to conservative majorities in both houses of Congress. But illusions that we could now fill the appellate and high courts with conservatives were soon dashed when McCain's mutinous "Gang of fourteen" refused to override the minority's use of the Senate filibuster to block the president's judicial appointments. Scripture says "hope deferred makes the heart sick." Well that described me when issues like abortion, stem-cell research, euthanasia, gay marriage, eminent domain and the use of international precedent were all pending in the courts.
So after this shameful capitulation was joined by seven Republican moderates it was clear, that regardless of how much time, talent, and treasure we generated, people of faith could no longer depend upon "career" politicians, but instead must now demand a seat at the table by answering the call to public service ourselves. In his defining work "Democracy in America," Tocqueville recognized that America's greatness was inextricably tied to its goodness, and that this goodness was found in none other than America's churches. So what direct impact could private-sector people of faith have in a political arena that already discourages America's best and brightest from running for public office, based on a number of significant barriers to entry? Well, strangely enough, McCain's antics answered that for me too.
Before I go further though, allow me to address some standard concerns related to:
Faith in the public square - Several have cautioned that issues related to faith should be muted based on the establishment clause. Really? Didn't Puritan pilgrims arrive on America's shores fleeing the tyranny of a king in pursuit of religious freedom? They proposed a tolerance which resisted state religion, as love for God is a choice that cannot be compelled by force of law. My point is that secularists have nothing to fear from public servants who acknowledge that their faith and practice are animated by Judeo-Christian ethics. Conversely, the notion that beliefs do not affect policy decisions -- is troubling, because that renders one's faith useless. And as a driver-analytical type, I've rarely encountered a conflict between empirical data and my moral compass. In short, Jiminy Cricket was right -- policy should never violate your conscience.
Splitting the conservative vote - Trust me on this one, no one wants to check the excesses of liberalism more than I. But when the Republican front-runner is 30-points behind the liberal incumbent, maybe we should bet on another horse. What's more, to validate my claim that I'll bring principled servant-leadership to the U.S. Senate, I will accept no special interest funding and pledge to serve only a single term. Because these actions will block influence peddling and return objectivity to politics, I'd be more than willing to concede to any conservative front-runner who is willing to take a similar pledge. Again, this candidacy is more about a new process than it is another politician, as it leverages objective collaboration with policy experts. And as McCain proved, only a few independent actors are be required to hold our two-party system accountable.
Plight of Independents - Actualizing political ambition in America today relies upon: money, machine, and message. And without an abundance of the first two ingredients, the independent's message, regardless of how compelling, is often overlooked by the media. As a result, name recognition suffers and the status quo prevails, as America only selects from amongst the best politicians that money can buy. This contemporary practice though, is far removed from what the founders originally intentioned, when they commended an "aristocracy of intellect," versus a ruling class or delegates compromised by factional interests. So why bother? Well, I also happen to believe that election results are ordained in advance by the Lord, in judgment or blessing upon the electorate. Said differently, in free elections, we get the government we deserve.
Why Roy Tanner? - Good question. Let me begin to answer this by taking a page from ancient history that inspires me. Back in 740 B. C., in the year King Uzziah died, the prophet Isaiah was commissioned for service after experiencing a vision of the Lord enthroned in heaven. After atonement for Isaiah's imperfection was made, the Lord asked "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" To which the prophet relied, "Here am I. Send me!" Now before you call the guys in white jackets, I'm not claiming an epiphany of any sort, but I am challenging people of faith to consider their own commissioning into public service. So this campaign is not just about me, it's about us.
On our watch, Western culture in general and Judeo-Christian ethics in particular have been marginalized in the public sector. And the America we'll soon hand to our children bears little resemblance to what our parents entrusted to us. So to address the flagging heritage of the "boomer" generation, my campaign hopes to:
1) Inspire private-sector professionals to consider answering the call to public service.
2) Investigate a process that doesn't require years of campaigning and millions in funding.
3) Institute a practice that places greater reliance on think-tank participation in policy formulation.
Some of these objectives are also addressed in the third plank of the advocacy interest group that I launched, which hopes to mobilize volunteer support for conservative organizations that are already making a difference, in terms of affecting social policy year-round. But let me be clear, I'm in the U.S. Senate race to personally unseat Bill Nelson, and I invite you to join me. For more information about me and my campaign, please visit one or more of the following links:
USSC "About Tanner" page - http://www.tannerforsenate.com/about.htm
Advocacy group site - http://americancitizenalliance.com/
Corporate site: http://www.resourcelinktech.com/flash.html
Blog sites - http://www.blogger.com/profile/3048178
CV - http://creditsofroyjtanner.blogspot.com/
There's a seat at the table with our name on it...
Go for the applause of heaven,
Roy Tanner
for U.S. Senate
218 Velveteen Place
Oviedo, FL 32766-6002
phone: 407-620-7589
fax: 407-386-3028