Thursday, August 5, 2010

Experience Counts...Or, At Least It Should

When an entrepreneur applies for a loan to start a business, generally the banks take their time to decide whether or not to give the loan and the criteria to qualify for a loan can be quite daunting.  Lenders want to know whether or not the applicant has the ability to pay back that loan, what risks are involved and most importantly, whether or not the applicant's business plan can be accomplished.

In other words, lenders want to know if the applicant has the ability to back up his plan with action.

When we survey the problems facing America, we need leadership with experience to meet those problems head-on with decisiveness, a plan of action and the ability to put those efforts into motion and see them through to fruition.  This November, we have to decide which of the candidates for Congress have the record to match their rhetoric.

*Economy:  We need to create jobs, we need to build our economic infrastructure to pay off debt.  When you look at the candidates for public office, I am the only candidate with a degree in economics - and I received my degree from the United States Naval Academy.  Not only did I receive my degree in economics, I have put my education to good use.  I own not one, but two businesses.  I know how to get job creators to Oklahoma because I am a successful entrepreneur and have been for over 17 years.  No other candidate can say that.

*National Debt.  Our national debt is ridiculous and is one of the greatest threats to national security we face every single day.  There are many ways to tackle our debt and the first thing to do is to cut spending and scrutinize earmarks more closely.  The "good old boy" network in Washington creates an environment where everyone is in it for themselves, ensuring they have mechanisms for re-election rather than cutting spending where necessary and getting the best return on our investments elsewhere.  I am the only candidate who is debt-free in my personal life and in my political life.  None of the other candidates can say that of themselves and politically, they are all receiving special interest money and I am not.  They will be beholden to those interests whereas I will not and can get to work raising the awareness of a "zero tolerance" for wasteful spending.

*Illegal Immigration.  I grew up in California and have seen how bad it can be when illegal immigration runs rampant.  Unlike my opponents, my position on illegal immigration is very clear and has been very consistent.  I believe we must secure our borders immediately and require e-verify for all employers to verify the status of their employees.  Businesses who knowingly hire illegals should be punished.  Period.  This has always been my position and there is no waffling for me.  As a business owner, I understand the importance of playing by the rules - I have signed both sides of a paycheck...my experience shows that I can, and will, make illegal immigration a priority.

*Military.  We are still at war and for some reason, many have forgotten this fact.  Our troops have been in Iraq and Afghanistan for 10 years now and I support their efforts, but Congress and the United Nations have worked in tandem to tie the hands of our troops.  As a Navy SEAL, I am a decorated Desert Storm veteran.  We had a clear mission, clear targets and we knew our objectives.  I have worked with the Pentagon and I know that the time has come to set some clear and concise objectives for our troops and when the mission is complete, we bring them home safely.  None of my opponents can say that they have been a part of the world's most elite military force - the Navy SEALs.  I didn't become a Navy SEAL to build my resume' and someday run for public office.  It was a call of duty for me and so is my running for Congress.  I consider serving in Congress another call of duty, a deployment, if you will.  It's not a career path for me, but is rather a call to fix the problems career politicians, lawyers and wanna-be career politicians have created.

You see, experience does matter - and I'm talking about "real world" experience.  Not "career politician" experience.  Real experience where the decisions made on a daily basis could cost someone their lives or their livelihood.  I understand unlike any candidate in this race for Congress how important it is to choose carefully, to make decisions when under the most extreme of circumstances and those decisions are based on experience, education and a commitment to serve ALL of the people of Oklahoma's 5th District...not just special interests.

This November, you have to decide whether or not you're going to elect someone from the two parties that are responsible for the mess we're in, or if you're going to send someone to Congress who has real experience, who is not beholden to special interests, who is a business owner (not a "business man"), who is not a lawyer, and is a person who has no "stars" in his eyes when it comes to Washington.  This November, you have a real choice to make.  You can vote for the status quo - people who have surrounded themselves with people who are part of the problem and not the solution - or you can vote for experienced leadership that is conservative.

I hope you make the decision to become a part of the Dave White Revolution.

Check it out for yourself.

Dave