Cox would look past 'identity politics' for future of America

This article originally appeared in the Times-Republican

By KEN BLACK

Chicago businessman John Cox knows his candidacy for the nation's highest office is a long shot, but that only motivates him to make sure he gets his message out to the grassroots of the political machine.

"I got too tired of George Bush, Congress and the politicians in Washington running up debt and not taking care of things people want," Cox said during a visit to Marshalltown Tuesday.

He noted that Congress is famous for attaching earmarked projects to spending bills -- something that he criticized the senators in the race for supporting.

"More money isn't the answer," he said. "It's using money wisely."

Cox said his position in the polls is understandable, given the lack of media attention to his campaign. He is banking on voters looking past a candidate's measure of celebrity and analyzing the message each candidate brings.

"It's the celebrity [that drives the polls]," he said. "That's how we end up with George Bush. That's how we end up with Hillary Clinton. All we have elected lately is celebrities."

On the issues, Cox talks strongly about the need of government not to interfere in the lives of people and business.

One man told the Republican presidential hopeful that his job was slated to be eliminated at the Lennox manufacturing plant in Marshalltown and asked how the United States could stop jobs from going overseas or crossing the southern border to Mexico.

Many business are struggling because of high taxes and overburdensome regulations, according to Cox. The candidate also said the problem is exacerbated in Iowa, which has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the country.

"It's absolutely horrendous we have politicians who have forced businesses to move," he said.

Regarding Iraq, Cox said he would like to see troops leave as quickly as possible and said President Bush made a huge mistake when he focused on building a government before he built an economy.

The problem in Iraq can only be corrected with a stronger economy and an effort to win the hearts of the Iraqi people, he continued.

"You've got to kill to the bad guys," Cox said. "But you can't just kill the bad guys, you've got to replace their ideology with something else."

Cox also made a prediction concerning the Democratic primary, saying the nomination of Clinton was inevitable. He also believes Sen. Barack Obama will be her running mate.

"They'll talk about being the first woman president and the first African-American vice president. It'll be identity politics," he said. "But if I'm the [Republican] nominee, I'll talk about looking past identity and looking to the future together."

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Contact Ken Black at 641-753-6611 or kblack@ timesrepublican.com