Pensacola Independent News

COVER STORY | Vol. 7, No. 48, December 6, 2007
(Outzen For President)
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Outzen For President

After months of searching for a state that would let him on its presidential primary ballot, Rick Outzen has finally and officially announced that he is a candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. He will file papers to be placed on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Arizona that is scheduled for Feb. 5.

Arizona has few requirements to qualify for its presidential primary. But candidates do have to meet the constitutional requirements of being at least 35 years old, born in the United States and they must have been a resident in the United States for at least 14 years.

A notarized nomination paper must be filed not less than 50 days nor more than 70 days before the presidential preference election with the Arizona Secretary of State.

"I am running for president of the United States," Outzen said during his weekly radio program "IN Your Head Radio" Wednesday afternoon, drawing applause, cheers and a few jeers from people who know him.

"I'm going to give this campaign all that I have to give, and I hope that you'll join me," Outzen wrote on his blog, ricksblog.biz. "Our country needs us to win next year, and I'm ready to lead that effort."

Outzen, at least 50, who has had a multifaceted career as a publisher, blogger, radio and television host, post hole digger and city councilman of Gulf Breeze is angling for a conservative base that has yet to coalesce around a favorite.

"People think Fred Thompson is lazy and talks slow," Outzen says on his radio show. "I will show the voters what lazy and slow really are.

"People think Ron Paul is crazy and unbalanced. Well, I invented crazy and unbalanced."

His decision to run was widely expected, after he formed an exploratory committee in early November at The Global Grill to help pay his bar tab.

But political pundits say Outzen may have little chance of rocking the apple cart by entering the race months after his GOP rivals.

The other candidates will have already been in primaries and caucuses in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida before Arizona's Feb. 5 primary comes along.

But Outzen dismisses suggestions that he took too long to make a decision.

"I don't think people are going to say, ‘You know, that guy would make a very good president, but he just didn't get in soon enough,'" Outzen tells his radio listeners. "If you can't get your message out in a couple months, you're probably not ever going to get it out."

Outzen touts his support for what he termed common-sense conservative principles, including low taxes, free markets, balanced budgets, kickbacks for your buddies and the right to say whatever you want regardless of the facts.

"These principles made our country great, and we should re-dedicate ourselves to them, not abandon them," he says.

On the Iraq war, Outzen challenged Democrats pushing for a withdrawal of U.S. forces and President Bush's view that the U.S. effort in Iraq is a central front in the war on terror.

"I guaranteed our troops will be home by Spring Break," he vows. "My first act in office will be to declare Iraq a U.S. territory so that all our forces stationed there will immediately be on U.S. soil."

Even before he became a candidate, Outzen showed well in recent national poll averages, trailing only the front-runner, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, in the category of candidate whose first names begin in "R."

His blog, which he reminds everyone has been named one of the most influential blogs in Florida, has buoyed his name recognition and prompted comparisons to another actor-turned-president beloved by conservatives, Ronald Reagan, whose name also begins with "R."

Outzen has no plans to visit Arizona before the Feb. 5 primary, but has pledged to watch the movie "Raising Arizona" daily until then. He claims to have a deep abiding affinity for all things linked to Arizona.

In 1964, Barry Goldwater, U.S. Senator from Arizona ran for president as a Republican, he points out.

"My father was Barry Goldwater's campaign manager in Washington County, Mississippi," Outzen recalls. "Goldwater got four votes in our hometown that year, which isn't bad considering only two of them knew how to read."

Outzen did commit to travel to Arizona if he wins the Arizona presidential primary and personally thank every voter. Rather than fly, he will make his trip on a red, white and blue bus festooned with his campaign slogan "This ain't rocket science."

So far, the political world is also roundly unimpressed with the Outzen's campaign announcement, despite the fact that he plans to raise no campaign funds to buy airtime on their networks. Despite his late start, Outzen asserts his belief that his campaign is still well-positioned to win the nomination.

In an interesting twist, Outzen has named Marty the Dog as his running mate. Marty is the longtime cartoon mascot of the Pensacola Mardi Gras and has been rumored to be considering putting his own name on the Arizona presidential primary ballot. Political analysts believe this is a bold move by Outzen to avoid two candidates from Pensacola on the Arizona ballot.

Outzen laughs off the suggestion.

"Marty and I have been buddies for years," Outzen says. "He brings a spark to the campaign that the others don't have. Look at what Spud McKenzie did for Budweiser and Joe Camel did for Camel cigarettes. Besides Cartman from ‘South Park' wanted too much."

Outzen's political background goes back to 1992, when he sought political office for the first time. He ran for a two-year term on the Gulf Breeze City Council and ended up staying on for 14 years.

His profile went countywide in 1997, when he challenged the Escambia County Utility Authority over its quality of water that it sells to Gulf Breeze. Outzen repeatedly pushed for legal action against the utility giant insisting the water that was brown as stale cola shouldn't be sold to his neighbors. Eventually, ECUA settled a lawsuit with the city and agreed to reimburse Gulf Breeze for the filter system the city had to install on its main water line.

In 2006, Outzen decided not to seek re-election and left the Gulf Breeze City Council. He continued to work as a publisher and weekly columnist for the Independent News. This past September, he took on the role of radio host on NewsRadio 1620 AM from 1 to 2 p.m. weekdays.

Outzen has no plans to give up his newspaper or radio jobs while he runs for president, which has upset members of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. In 2005 and 2006, the AAN membership committee expressed concerns over Outzen's political position for which he was paid a whopping $1 annually.

However, the Republican hopeful says he would drop the radio show and put his newspaper in a blind trust if he should win the presidency.

RUNNING MATE: MARTY
This loveable mutt has been the official mascot of Pensacola Mardi Gras for over a decade. His images have been plastered on T-shirts, posters and parade floats. While he has agreed to be Rick Outzen's running mate in 2008, Marty is known to have presidential aspirations of his own. Many wonder if he will be on the Outzen ticket on Feb. 2 when the Pensacola Mardi Gras Parade hits downtown Pensacola.

Susan Watson, Northwest Florida ACLU director: "I say go for it. We all need to participate in our Democracy. Unfortunately, I'm not registered in Arizona, so I won't be able to vote for him."

Cat Outzen, daughter: "Tricia, Claney and I do not support this campaign. People hate us here just because of our last name. We really don't need Arizonans hating us, too."

Quint Studer, Studer Group founder and Pensacola Pelicans owner: "People would know were he stands, sits and squats."

Collier Merrill, developer: "I think out West is where Rick belongs. He should play well in Arizona, because he can show them how he'll tame the West, just like he tamed Gulf Breeze."

Outzen Platform
"It ain't rocket science."

IRAQ WAR
"I pledge to get our troops home the day after I am sworn in as president of the United States. I will immediately declare that Iraq is a U.S. territory so that all the soldiers will technically be home. Mission accomplished."

GUN CONTROL
"I believe in the Second Amendment that gives each citizen the right to keep and bear arms. In fact, I will insist that everyone carry a gun at all times. However, I do believe in bullet control. After all, guns don't kill people, bullets do."

BORDER SECURITY
"We will secure our borders by annexing Mexico and Canada. We will draw our new borders on the map with extra thick markers so that people will know we mean business."

GAY MARRIAGE
"Let me make this perfectly clear. I am against all Homo Sapien weddings. There is no place for Homo Sapiens in the Republican Party."

REDUCEGOVERNMENT SPENDING
"Congress, the Cabinet and all agency and department heads will get paid 20 percent of every dollar they cut from their budgets. Additional bonuses will be handed out, if taxes are also cut."

HEALTHCARE
"Go to the doctor when you are sick. Send the bill to federal government. It's that simple. We will pay for it with taxes on oil company profits and credit card finance charges."

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
"I will mandate White House staff be green. They will only be allowed to accept cash bribes."

SOCIAL SECURITY
"Investing tax dollars in the elderly is a waste. We should give the benefits to infants and children, charge them interest and take it out of their paychecks for the next 50 years. Once the benefits and interest given out are paid back, then individuals can invest the funds in an IRA."

Arizona Election Law (ARS 16-242)
See, we ain't kiddin'!

Qualifications for ballot; nomination paper

A. A person seeking nomination as a candidate for the office of president of the United States shall sign and cause to be filed with the secretary of state a nomination paper that contains the following information:
1. The name, residence address and mailing address of the candidate.
2. The name of the recognized political party from which the person seeks nomination.
3. The name and address of the chairman of the candidate's state committee.
4. The exact manner for printing the candidate's name on the presidential preference ballot pursuant to section 16-311.
B. The nomination paper shall be filed not less than fifty days nor more than seventy days before the presidential preference election and not later than 5:00 p.m. on the last day for filing.
C. Section 16-351 does not apply to a nomination paper filed pursuant to this section.
D. Within seventy-two hours after the close of filing the secretary of state shall certify to the officer in charge of elections the names of the candidates who are qualified for the presidential preference election ballot.

InWeekly

Outzen For President