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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 was one of the first 18-year-olds in the United States elected to public office right after 18-year-olds got the right to vote back in the early '70s. I ran for the Board of Education.

I was considering running for political office.

I thought I could make a difference, so I ran for office.

I ran for president in 1996.

I run for president because I believe that we can't just save the American dream; we can expand it to reach more people and change more lives than ever before.

I don't think most people understand that when I wasn't running for president, I was working. Because I have to earn income. I have three kids in college. And three in school. And I have a little girl that has a lot of special needs. So I've got to work for a living. I was working already.

I always wanted to become president! When I was a kid, I was obsessed with politics.

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 had my freedom, and I had my comfortable life, but I couldn't accept the fact that the politicians were making it increasingly difficult for my kids and millions of others to achieve their dreams as I had achieved mine. So, in 2012, I ran for president.