T.J. O'Hara: A Candid, New Candidate for President

Democrats and Republicans beware: Independent turnaround expert, T.J. O'Hara has entered the Presidential race to challenge the political status quo. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) December 01, 2011 - RANCHO SANTA FE, CA: Tired of politics as usual? America may finally have a real choice. T.J. O'Hara has announced his candidacy for the Office of President of the United States. O'Hara is a former CEO and turnaround expert who has spent the last several years studying, writing and speaking about politics.

O'Hara promises to wage an unconventional campaign. In his announcement, he stated, "Party candidates talk about 'opponents' and 'winning the Presidency' as if it were a game. Well, it's not a game to me. If the Parties continue to treat it as one, they'd better brace themselves because the rules are about to change.

THE BROKEN POLITICAL PROCESS

According to O'Hara, the current political paradigm focuses on power and money and is destroying our country. The major Parties' polarized views are threatening to create what he calls, "the Divided States of America."

"In their quest for power at any cost, the Democrats and Republicans are more focused on fixing the blame than they are fixing our problems," O'Hara said. "They're expected to collectively spend about $1.5 billion dollars on their Presidential campaigns. To put that into perspective, that's enough money to support about 33,000 average American households, 98,000 individuals receiving unemployment, or 133,000 individuals who are living at the poverty level for a full year … all to elect one person."

"Then, the 'winning' Party will repay its campaign 'bundlers' with political appointments and favors," O'Hara continued. "For example: about 80% of the senior White House appointments and just under 50% of the Ambassadorships were awarded to 'bundlers' who raised $500,000 or more for the President's 2008 campaign, and companies like Solyndra received over $500 million in taxpayer funds."

O'HARA's PARADIGM SHIFT

As an independent candidate, O'Hara intends to create a new political paradigm - one that is devoid of partisan politics and the influence of money.

O'Hara believes that "well-informed citizens make well-informed decisions" and that they don't need a Party to tell them what to do or how to vote. He also believes that most Americans are frustrated with the current 'take-it-or-leave-it" attitude of Party politics and desperately want a more rational approach.

"Once people are aware that they have a legitimate choice, I think that they'll exercise their Freedom of Speech by using Twitter, Facebook, and every other form of social networking to share the information virally," O'Hara said.

He also hopes that the news media will "demonstrate the responsibility that is intertwined with its Freedom of the Press" by giving his solutions reasonably equal time and weight "so people can reach their own conclusions."

ELIMINATING THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY

The current Party paradigm, which requires money to buy power, "has severely damaged the integrity of our political system," according to O'Hara. To insulate his own campaign from that type of monetary influence, he has voluntarily capped contributions at $100 and will only accept donations from citizens who are eligible to vote.

O'Hara stated, "Only citizens can vote. So, only eligible voters should be able to contribute. I don't need a law to tell me that corporations, unions and other organizations shouldn't be permitted to manipulate our political process through PAC funding."

"The Presidency shouldn't be for sale," O'Hara said. "It shouldn't go to the highest bidder."

"There will be no $35,800-a-plate fund-raisers associated with my campaign," he continued. "There isn't any justification for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on negative ads or virtually destroying a forest to print billboards, yard signs and bumper stickers that do little more than despoil the landscape. They're marketing gimmicks that lack substance and essentially are an insult to the American people's intelligence. Whenever you see them, it should reinforce the difference between traditional Party politics and the new paradigm that I am trying to establish."

O'Hara says that he'll run an extremely lean, viral, and fiscally responsible campaign and donate any residual balance of campaign contributions to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The Dreyfuss Initiative, and the Wounded Warriors Project; charities that he says "have the ability to make an important difference in our lives."

SERVING THE PEOPLE RATHER THAN A PARTY

In another departure from the norm, O'Hara says he'll be the Nation's first full-time President.

"Presidents have a propensity to spend nearly as much time fund-raising for their Parties, campaigning for other Party candidates, and running for re-election as they do tending to our Nation's business," O'Hara noted. "I'll offer an approach that is in stark contrast. The country will receive my undivided attention for my entire term and have the opportunity to discover what a full-time President can accomplish."

O'Hara explained, "I won't spend any time or taxpayer money traveling unless it's absolutely necessary. Instead, I'll use the most advanced web and telecommunication technologies available to maximize my productivity. Most of the time, you'll either find me in the Oval Office or 16 blocks away working with members of the House and Senate to resolve our Nation's issues."

"Correspondingly, I will not spend any time or money running for re-election," he continued. "An incumbent's record should speak for itself. If I am elected to a four-year term, I will serve every minute of it on the Nation's behalf."

O'Hara concluded by saying, "We live in an age when politicians have become celebrities and celebrities have become politicians. The Presidency shouldn't be treated as if it were a personal or political trophy. Instead, it should be recognized for what it is: the ultimate position of civil service. I appreciate that distinction and will bring the commitment, respect, and depth of leadership experience it deserves."

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