Buddy Roemer to End GOP Bid, Seek Reform Party Nomination


Former Louisiana governor Buddy Roemer today announced that after several months of being excluded from debates and otherwise being unable to participate in the mainstream efforts to join the fray, he will no longer seek the GOP nomination in the 2012 election.

Roemer has broken ranks significantly with many Republicans in his efforts to reform campaign finance, and has garnered some attention for his tendency to put his money- or lack of- where his mouth is. While the one-time House rep has been given airtime on prominent politically-slanted shows like The Colbert Report (where he did a mock-PSA with host Stephen Colbert in the latter’s ongoing effort to draw attention to the scary influence of Super PACs) and Real Time With Bill Maher on HBO, Roemer has been notably not present in debates and other fora for Republican candidates to interact with their potential constituency.

Part of the reason, as alluded above, is that Roemer refuses all donations above $100 due to his stance on special interests and politics. But Roemer will continue his dark horse race for the White House, he confirmed in a statement. Roemer said last night:

“Tomorrow, I will formally end my bid for the GOP nomination for President of the United States. As the GOP and the networks host debate number twenty-something this evening, they have once again turned their backs on the democratic process by choosing to exclude a former Governor and Congressman. I have decided to take my campaign directly to the American people by declaring my candidacy for Americans Elect.”

He continues:

“Also, after many discussions with The Reform Party, I am excited to announce my intentions of seeking their nomination. It is time to heal our nation and build a coalition of Americans who are fed up with the status quo and the partisan gridlock that infects Washington. Together, we will take on the special-interests that control our leaders and end the corruptive influence of money in politics so we can focus on America’s top priority – jobs.”

Do you think the American political landscape needs more men like Buddy Roemer?

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