Know Your Candidate: Michael Charles Smith

This is the first in an extended series to get to know your Republican candidates.

Dave and I have decided to give nice and slightly cynical background checks on all the candidates for the Presidency in 2008.

I've decided to work my way from the bottom up because if I wait on a candidate like Michael Charles Smith, he might drop out.

To Smith's credit, the Oregon native is hopeful that he'll just pick up enough electorates to be a delegate at the Republican National Convention a.k.a Caucasian Freaknik '08.

Smith also has other positives including a pretty solid website URL -- http://www.smithforpresident.com -- this is the type of website that he could sell for big bucks in case there's a "Smith" that ever runs with a realistic chance to earn the presidency.

A quick check on Smith's MySpace page shows that this Republican is deeper than his wide collection of t-shirts and apparel.

Smith lists great presidents such as Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower as his heroes and guys who stood up for traditional Republican values like individual liberty and opportunity for all, not just those already successful, but the poor and minorities. He isn't anti-tax as he believes that there is good value in a government that provides good education, clean streets, etc. etc.

Basically today's Republicans would describe Smith as a "pussy" and would probably discredit him by claiming he's fathered a hispanic child or something.

Smith is undeterred by these potential pitfalls and goes even farther by attacking the neo cons at their core, questioning their true intentions and saying they have fueled paranoia and catered to big business.

Before you think Smith is getting all soft and a little too left-leaning, he also has disagreements with the Democratic Party, saying they look to government too much to solve problems and states his belief as the government who governs best, governs least.

At the end of the day one could classify Smith as a moderate....The type of candidate that everyone wants but no one ever votes for. I don't understand why people like Smith even bother running for a party that hates every pro-liberty, anti-big business bone in his body. He has zero chance of winning and less chance of actually getting into a party debate without a ticket and proper identification.

And that's not a good thing.