Jay Cost of National Review Online explains why he plans to run for president.
I hereby announce my candidacy for president* on the following platform:
I pledge never to presume that I could speak for 325 million people.
I pledge to act according to the belief that Congress is the supreme branch of government and the sole institution that truly speaks on behalf of the public.
I pledge not to seize legislative power from Congress by executive fiat.
I pledge to enforce the law impartially, without injecting my own personal biases into its execution. In cases of legislative ambiguity, I will instruct executive officials to make their best guesses about congressional intent, and I will also encourage Congress to clarify such matters.
I pledge to nominate officers for the executive and judicial branches who similarly see Congress — and by extension the people — as the supreme authority in government.
I pledge to encourage Congress to reform itself in ways so that it represents the public will more completely.
I pledge to help make Congress an institution that no longer outrages and embarrasses the people.
I pledge to veto legislation that needlessly adds to the debt. The Preamble to the Constitution establishes the blessings of liberty for ourselves “and our posterity.” For too long, we have burdened future generations with debt so that we may live more comfortably today. Under my administration, debts contracted by the United States government will either be repaid within the next 20 years, or they will constitute a clear investment that future generations can enjoy.
Alas, the asterisk above leads to Cost’s admission that he’s not really running. Despite excellent campaign priorities, he says he has neither the experience nor the disposition for the job.
