With the 2008 presidential primary more than a year away, nearly unknown John Cox of Illinois is quietly moving through the political circles of New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina in an attempt to drum up possible support in his long-running campaign for the White House. Accompanying his efforts is his book, Politic$, Inc.: Principle, Not Profit: Why We Need Statesman, Not Career Politicians, which outlines his thoughts on the career politicians who haunt the halls of Congress, as well as outlines his personal philosophy of conservatism. .
John Cox http://www.cox2008.com is a 50-year-old Chicagoland businessman, tax attorney, accountant, school board president, and former Democrat who believes the time is right for a true political “outsider” to take control of the Executive branch, two decades after the much-admired President Reagan said goodbye to Washington. Mr Cox, who failed in his bid for office in Congress in 2000 and Senate in 2002, believes his time has come.
In Politic$, Inc., Cox argues that the current political model is broken, as professional politicians are more concerned with personal advancement and financial gain than the national interest. Throughout the book, the Chicago businessman describes his daily experiences dealing with onerous tax codes, bureaucrats who forget who they work for, and legislators who turn their offices into personal fiefdoms.
His 224-page paperback offers the solution in a straightforward style that will touch the hearts of conservatives frustrated by the spending of the Republican-controlled Congress and White House. Its message should also grip readers who are equally shocked by the reflexive stance recently taken by House Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert in defense of Democratic Representative William Jefferson of Louisiana, and the political hypocrisy of people like Republican Senators Arlen Spectre and John McCain.
Author Cox asserts in Politic$, Inc. that free market principles — not reliance on government — should be used to combat the problems of America’s deteriorating Social Security, health care, and education systems. Government, Cox continued, is a hindrance to progress, moreover made by professional politicians who choose to ignore difficult and sometimes unpleasant solutions in lieu of political compromise, thus wasting an opportunity to solve our country’s most important problems.
Politic$, Inc. will have appeal to voters hungry for true conservative leadership. Cox concluded in his formal letter that term limits were necessary because legislators had repeatedly shown themselves to be politically incapable of restraint. The advantage of incumbency is strengthened by examples of compromise from those who are already in office. He pointed to the example of senators such as John McCain and Alan Specter.
John Cox, whose father left a baby boy and mother, unconditionally opposes abortion on demand and opposes amnesties for illegal aliens. The author advocates for missile defense systems to stay one step ahead of rogue nations that may pursue nuclear weapons. He is also committed to implementing a free market blueprint for healthcare, education, and environmental costs, that is fair and responsible — meaning minimal government interference.
Politic$, Inc. is not a reading of the perfect solution to the ills of the nation. Most of Mr.’s proposals and solutions. Cox depends not only on a more responsible type of civil servant, but also on a more responsible electorate. Dumping career politicians like Senator Specter, for example, would require political courage — the courage to support true conservatives, at the risk, he argued, of temporarily putting Democrats in office. (Ironically, it could be argued that Specter’s re-election did put a Democrat in office).
Despite his lack of real political exposure, Cox had the advantage of having spent his entire professional life in business, grappling with government regulations and bureaucratic regulations and bureaucracy. Not holding office, nor was he attached to any group. He had made his own fortune, a self-made man. If his book resonates with readers as bright as his ambition, Politic$, Inc.: Principle, Not Profit: Why We Need Statesmen, Not Career Politicians, might be his ticket to political office.