What made me decide to run was the dire state of the economy and the non-leadership of President Obama. At that point in time, my campaign put a mustache on Obama as part of the national campaign drive.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I was considering running for political office.
I thought I could make a difference, so I ran for office.
When I finished my term, I thought about running for governor then but decided not to because, frankly, I didn't think I was ready. I wasn't comfortable that I was prepared to do the job.
I ran for president in 1996.
The beginning of my political career was not promising. I ran for junior class president at Shortridge High school and was runner up. I ran again in the senior year with the same result. But opportunity came ironically, or fortunately, when I returned to Indianapolis after serving in the Navy.
I think you gotta go forward with the things you campaigned on.
I ran because somebody had to do it first. In this country, everybody is supposed to be able to run for president, but that has never really been true.
I thought Obama ran the best campaign I have ever known - disciplined, well organised, very, very good. I was very impressed.
The reason I ran in 2006 was to make my district one of the fifteen that at the time it would have taken to switch the control of the House and stop the Bush agenda. The second priority I had was to provide health care for everybody. And the third was to do public financing of campaigns.
I loved campaigning for Obama.