Tuesday, November 20, 2007

John Cox is Out of the Race. Or not.

On October 27, 2007, Cox all but conceded defeat during the annual Reagan Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, sponsored by the Republican Party of Iowa, saying he would return to Chicago to start a PAC to promote "non-career politicians".

The Baltimore Sun blog said:
"Meanwhile, Chicago businessman John Cox, a little-regarded long-shot candidate who has run but failed in bids for local office, used his time before the audience to concede defeat in the contest. Blaming the national media for giving him scant attention, Cox said, "I've been doubting my own existence in the last few months" and he assessed his chances as being "about as strong as the Cubs chances of winning the World Series." He said he would soon return home and start a political action committee to promote non-career politicians."

The Huffington Post reported it about the same way:
"One of the most talked about moments of the evening came during an address by Chicago businessman John Cox, who all but conceded defeat in the caucuses. Cox has been unable to gain any significant support in the state, and joked with the crowd that he has about as much of a chance to win the presidency next year as the Chicago Cubs have of winning the World Series. He blamed the national media for ignoring his campaign and said that he plans to return to Chicago and start a political action committee."

But Cox says it was all a joke. Sort of.

The next day, Cox told the Rocky Mountain News that he was "not out of the race," giving his usual bitter rant against the national media, and again, conceding defeat.

"No, I'm not out of the race. I'm not technically out of the race. I've got a few opportunities to get a message across. But it's a realization that I'm not going to win."

(Huh?)

"I've put and invested a million and a half dollars and 18 months in this effort, and to be cast aside by the national media as not worthy of their publicity machine, that's sad for democracy."

The problem, of course, is that Cox got plenty of media attention. He just squandered it all by using almost every media opportunity to rant against the media rather than present a positive, Reaganesque vision to America. Frankly, no one believes he has such a positive vision in him. And for someone who sued the South Carolina GOP and threatened the job of the New Hampshire state GOP Chairman if he didn't get Cox into debates in these two stats (and remember he wanted a Federal judge to shut down the SC debate if he wasn't included) speaking about "democracy" is quite odd.

On Nov. 12, the Des Moines Register published yet another bitter, nasty and vengeful anti-media letter to the editor.

He has paid ballot fees and will appear on ballots in New Hampshire, South Carolina, California, and several other states, and he can also be included in non-fee caucus states such as Iowa and Nevada.

A Washington Secretary of State spokeswoman said ambiguously that Cox had "withdrawn" from that state's primary after he had sought inclusion on the state ballot; he has failed to make the ballot in a large number of primary states, such as West Virginia.

Whether he’s out or in has become a topic of discussion on his Wikipedia page, but it’s not at all clear that it matters at this point in the scheme of things. Though it does matter to those poor suckers who see his name or hear him ranting and end up throwing away their vote on him.

To waste a vote on Cox during this very important primary election season is a shame, and that’s why this blog exists - to get the word out that John H. Cox is a fraudulent, fringe candidate, not worth your attention.