Thaddeus McCotter 2012 presidential campaign

Congressman Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan unsuccessfully sought the Republican Party’s 2012 nomination for President of the United States. He announced his intention to run when he filed papers with the Federal Election Commission on July 1, 2011, and officially declared his candidacy the next day at a rock festival near Detroit. After a last-place finish in the Ames Straw Poll and the lack of any invitation to presidential debates, he dropped his candidacy on September 22, 2011 and endorsed Mitt Romney.

About Thaddeus McCotter 2012 presidential campaign in brief

Summary Thaddeus McCotter 2012 presidential campaignCongressman Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan unsuccessfully sought the Republican Party’s 2012 nomination for President of the United States. He announced his intention to run when he filed papers with the Federal Election Commission on July 1, 2011, and officially declared his candidacy the next day at a rock festival near Detroit. After a last-place finish in the Ames Straw Poll and the lack of any invitation to presidential debates, he dropped his candidacy on September 22, 2011 and endorsed Mitt Romney. He reportedly wrote a television pilot, which was released to the media prior to his resignation from Congress in July 2012 amid a fraud investigation surrounding his congressional re-election campaign. During the campaign, he focused on government reform and Wall Street. His lack of name recognition hindered his chances for nomination. When included in Republican presidential preference polls, he regularly received less than one percent support. President George W. Bush referred to him as “that rock and roll dude’s”. He was also known as an “oddball” in Congress, displaying a wry sense of humor. He played lead guitar in the Second Amendments. He has served in Congress since 2003 and was the chairmanship of the House Republican Policy Committee. In 2006, he gained a reputation as a leading opponent of pork barrel spending. He voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2010, but supported the bailout of the automobile industry in 2009.

He also supported an increase in the minimum wage and advocated fair trade with China. In May 2011, speculation increased as McCotters attacked Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney as Romney visited Detroit. He said he felt most Republicans lacked enthusiasm for the current crop of candidates. In June 2011, Politico reported that McCottering was ready to begin a presidential campaign. On June 30, Politico reported that he would reveal his campaign plans prior to the straw poll in Iowa. He paid 18,000 USD for a prime spot at the 13,000-person Straw Poll. He received two, last place votes among those cast and the event was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. In August 2011, he said he was considering a presidential run, though he remained undecided about a run, according to his aides. On August 1, he opened a campaign website, which warned that the American Dream is endangered, which is why he is running for president. In September 2011, the website warned that “your American Dream’ is endangered.’’ On August 30, he told reporters that he was “ready to begin’ a campaign statement and opened a website. In October 2011, McCotner told reporters he would announce his presidential campaign plans before the straw Poll in Iowa, the first state to vote in the 2012 Republican presidential primaries. He told reporters in Iowa that he felt “the American Dream is endangered” and “I’m running for President.” On August 31, he announced he would not run for president before the Iowa straw poll.