Buddy Roemer: Difference between revisions

|name = Buddy Roemer

|image = Buddy Roemer by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg

|order = 52nd [[List of Governors of Louisiana|Governor of Louisiana]]

|lieutenant = [[Paul Hardy]]

|term_start = March 14, 1988

|term_end = January 13, 1992

|predecessor = [[Edwin Edwards]]

|successor = [[Edwin Edwards]]

|state1 = [[Louisiana]]

|district1 = {{ushr|Louisiana|4|4th}}

|term_start1 = January 3, 1981

|term_end1 = March 14, 1988

|predecessor1 = [[Buddy Leach]]

|successor1 = [[Jim McCrery]]

|birthname = Charles Elson Roemer III

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|10|4}}

|birth_place = [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]], [[United States|U.S.]]

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] {{small|(Before 1991)}}<br>[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] {{small|(1991–2012)}}<br>[[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform]] {{small|(2012–present)}}

Roemer was a candidate for the presidential nominations of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]<ref name="Tilove">{{cite news|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/02/buddy_roemer_gives_up_gop_bid.html|title=Buddy Roemer gives up GOP bid to seek two third-party nods | last=Tilove|first=Jonathan|date=February 22, 2012|work=[[The Times-Picayune]]|accessdate=February 23, 2012}}</ref> and the [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]]<ref name="quits">Burns, Alexander (May 31, 2012) [http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/05/buddy-roemer-quits-race-124899.html "Buddy Roemer quits 2012 race"], ''[[Politico (newspaper)|Politico]]''. Retrieved May 31, 2012</ref> in 2012. He withdrew from those contests and sought the 2012 [[Americans Elect]] presidential nomination until that group announced it would not field a candidate in 2012 because no candidate reached the required minimum threshold of support to be listed on its ballot.<ref name=elect>{{cite news | url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/17/third-party-effort-packs-it-in-for-2012/ | title=Third party effort packs it in for 2012 | publisher=CNN | date=May 17, 2012 | accessdate=May 17, 2012 | author=Liptak, Kevin}}</ref> Buddy Roemer endorsed [[Gary Johnson]], a [[governor of New Mexico]], for U.S. President in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reason.com/blog/2012/08/02/former-gop-presidential-candidate-buddy |title=Former GOP Presidential Candidate Buddy Roemer Calls For Gary Johnson to Be Included in Romney and Obama's Presidential Debates |accessdate=August 2, 2012}}</ref>

Buddy Roemer was born on October 4, 1943, in [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]]<ref name="Mullaney 1994 149">{{cite book |title=Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1988–1994 |last=Mullaney |first=Marie Marmo |year=1994 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-28312-3 |page=149 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=gN_LGy81_iIC&pg=PA149&dq=roemer+adeline#v=onepage&q&f=false |accessdate=February 4, 2011}}</ref> to [[Charles E. Roemer, II|Charles Elson "Budgie" Roemer, II]] (December 11, 1923 - July 2012)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://obits.nola.com/obituaries/nola/obituary.aspx?n=charles-elson-roemer-budgiecharlie&pid=158421339|title=Charles E. "Budgie" Roemer obituary|publisher=''[[New Orleans Times-Picayune]]'', July 7, 2012|accessdate=July 7, 2012}}</ref><ref name=ballad>{{cite news |title=The Ballad of Buddy Roemer |first=John Ed |last=Bradley |url=http://www.hamiltonmixon.com/Ballad.pdf | url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/73577821.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+20%2C+1988&author=John+Ed+Bradley&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=w.33&desc=The+Ballad+of+Buddy+Roemer |newspaper=Washington Post |date=March 20, 1988 |accessdate=December 12, 2010}}http://www.hamiltonmixon.com/Ballad.pdf</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Current biography yearbook, Volume 51 |first=H.W. Wilson Company |year=1990 |publisher=University of Michigan

|page=531 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=B5MYAAAAIAAJ&q=frances+demler&dq=frances+demler |accessdate=December 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=La. Gov Quits Race |first=Kevin T. |last=McGee |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/55757366.html?dids=55757366:55757366&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+26%2C+1987&author=Kevin+T.+McGee&pub=USA+TODAY+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=La.+gov+quits+race&pqatl=google |newspaper=USA Today |date=October 26, 1987 |page=2A |accessdate=February 2, 2011}}</ref> and the former Adeline McDade.<ref name="Mullaney 1994 149"/> Roemer's maternal grandfather, Ross McDade, married a sister of the maternal grandmother of [[James C. Gardner]], a former [[List of mayors of Shreveport, Louisiana|mayor]] of Shreveport. Gardner knew Roemer's grandfather as "Uncle Ross". McDade's wife died, and he remarried, from which union came Adeline Roemer. Roemer and Gardner were not close politically.

Roemer was reared on the family's Scopena [[plantation]] near [[Bossier City, Louisiana|Bossier City]].<ref name="Maverick">{{cite news |title=Roemer finds poker valuable |author=Fuerbringer, J. |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=G7wbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X04EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4311,2433588&dq=roemer+scopena-plantation&hl=en |agency=New York Times News Service |newspaper=The Times-News |location=Hendersonville, NC |date=June 12, 1987 |page=24 |accessdate=February 5, 2011}}</ref> He attended [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]] and graduated in 1960 as [[valedictorian]] of [[Bossier High School (777 Bearcat Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana)|Bossier High School]]. In 1964, he graduated from [[Harvard College]] with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in economics. In 1967, he received an [[Master of Business Administration|MBA]] in finance from [[Harvard Business School]].

After college, Roemer returned to Louisiana to work in his father’s computer business and later founded two banks. He was elected in 1972 as a [[delegate]] to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention held in 1973.<ref>{{cite news |work=Waycross Journal-Herald |date=October 16, 1990|url= http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JVtaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yUwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6897,99490 |title=Governor Buddy Roemer is a Maverick Southern Politician |agency=Associated Press }}</ref> Among the Shreveport-area delegates who served with Roemer was his future gubernatorial advisor [[Robert G. Pugh]], future [[U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana|U.S. District Judge]] [[Tom Stagg]], and former [[Louisiana State Legislature|Louisiana State Representative]] [[Frank Fulco]].

Roemer's father had been in 1971 the campaign manager for [[Edwin Washington Edwards]] and became commissioner of administration during Edwards' first term as governor. Buddy Roemer worked on the Edwards campaign as a regional leader and later started a political consulting firm.

In 1978, Roemer lost in the [[nonpartisan blanket primary]] for the 4th district congressional seat, which was vacated by popular incumbent [[Joe Waggonner]], also from [[Bossier Parish, Louisiana|Bossier Parish]]. Waggonner announced his opposition to Roemer after Roemer criticized the excessive costs of the [[Red River of the South|Red River]] navigation program, a favored project of the retiring Waggonner. Roemer finished third in the primary to Democratic State Representative [[Buddy Leach]], with 27 percent of the ballots, and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Jimmy Wilson]], a former state representative from [[Vivian, Louisiana|Vivian]] in northern [[Caddo Parish, Louisiana|Caddo Parish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=32017 |title=LA District 4 – Open Primary Race – Sep 16, 1978 |publisher=Our Campaigns |accessdate=February 22, 2012}}</ref> Leach went on to defeat Wilson by 266 votes in a disputed vote count.

In 1980, Roemer and Wilson again challenged Leach in the primary; also running was [[Louisiana State Senate|State Senator]] [[Foster Campbell]] of Bossier Parish. That time, Wilson finished in third place, Roemer ranked second, again with 27 percent, and Leach led the field with 29 percent. In the general election, with the support of Wilson,<ref>"Wilson endorses Roemer", ''[[Minden Press-Herald]]'', September 19, 1980, p. 1</ref> Roemer handily defeated Leach, 64 to 36 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=49554 |title=LA District 4 Race – Nov 04, 1980 |publisher=Our Campaigns |accessdate=February 22, 2012}}</ref>

In Congress, Roemer frequently supported [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] policy initiatives and fought with the Democratic congressional leadership,<ref name="Maverick"/> though he remained in the party. He also criticized then Democratic House leader [[Tip O'Neill]] of [[Massachusetts]] for being "too liberal", and was in turn characterized by Speaker O'Neill as being "often wrong but never in doubt.".<ref name="Fuerbringer">{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/10/us/washington-talk-avocations-networking-at-the-poker-table.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm | work=The New York Times | first=Jonathan | last=Fuerbringer | title=WASHINGTON TALK: Avocations; Networking at the Poker Table | date=June 10, 1987}}</ref><ref name="Fuerbringer"/>

In 1984, Roemer again broke with O'Neill to support Reagan's request for American aid to [[El Salvador]], which Roemer described as "a freedom-loving country." Roemer was among the congressional observers in the El Salvador national election.<ref>"Roemer backs aid to El Salvador", ''Minden Press-Herald'', May 9, 1984, p. 5A</ref>

In 1988, Roemer claimed that Democratic presidential nominee [[Michael Dukakis]] made "a much better choice in terms of politics and impact on Louisiana" in tapping U.S. Senator [[Lloyd Bentsen]] of [[Texas]] for [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]] than Republican [[George H.W. Bush]] made in choosing Senator [[Dan Quayle]] of [[Indiana]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AD&p_theme=ad&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB475001AA629B0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Roemer criticizes Quayle as VP choice |publisher=The Advocate |date=August 18, 1988 |accessdate=February 22, 2012}}</ref> Roemer, as the host governor and still a Democrat, welcomed the Republicans to [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], where delegates in convention nominated Bush and Quayle.

In his first term in Congress, Roemer did not serve on any committees.<ref>{{cite news|title=Democrats tighten ranks|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xvRiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_20NAAAAIBAJ&pg=3574,1008767&dq=buddy+roemer+committee&hl=en|newspaper=The Evening News|date=January 7, 1981}}</ref> He was a member of the "[[Boll weevil (politics)|boll weevil]]" and the Conservative Democratic Forum.<ref>{{cite news|last=Baker|first=Kathryn|title=Weevils flourish|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LLdcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ulgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3736,404708&dq=buddy+roemer&hl=en|newspaper=Portsmouth Daily Times|date=December 26, 1984}}</ref>

{{Main|Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1987}}

Buddy Roemer was one of a large number of Democratic candidates to challenge three-term incumbent governor [[Edwin Edwards]], whose flamboyant personality and reputation for questionable ethical practices had polarized voters. Other candidates challenging Edwards in the primary were U.S. Representatives [[Bob Livingston]], a suburban [[New Orleans]] Republican, and [[Billy Tauzin]], a Democrat from [[Lafourche Parish]]. Outgoing Secretary of State [[James H. "Jim" Brown]], originally a lawyer from [[Ferriday, Louisiana|Ferriday]] in [[Concordia Parish]], also challenged Edwards.

While Edwards faced a wide field, Roemer's candidacy had a poignant aspect. His father, Charles E. Roemer II, had been Edwards' top aide and campaign manager during Edwards' first term as governor. In the 1972 campaign, Buddy Roemer had claimed that Edwards as governor "will listen to the people and to public officials who represent the people before acting on any problems in the state."<ref>"Edwards campaigner Say's He 'Will Listen'", ''Minden Press-Herald'', February 25, 1972, p. 1</ref> In 1981, Roemer's father had gone to prison on conviction of selling state insurance contracts. During the election he was advised by [[Gordon Hensley]].<ref>https://books.google.ca/books?id=3UM3_hDzspIC&pg=PA123&dq=Gordon+Hensley&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5-pTVaWwDs6ryASYxoDQDA&ved=0CEcQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Gordon%20Hensley&f=false</ref>

{{BLP refimprove|section|date=February 2015}}

Facing a $1.3 billion [[Government budget deficit|deficit]] in the state budget, his first job was eliminating the deficit. Roemer's first chief of staff, [[Len Sanderson, Jr.]], had previously been a journalist with the ''[[The Town Talk (Alexandria)|Alexandria Daily Town Talk]]'', had run Roemer's gubernatorial campaign and was a close confidant. He represented the reform-minded agenda that had redefined Louisiana politics during Roemer's first session. According to [[Ron Gomez]], Roemer's secretary of natural resources and a former legislator from [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]], the LSU-educated Sanderson "with his blond hair spilling to below shoulder length, stepped on so many toes and got into so many faces that he didn't make it into the second year."<ref>[[Ron Gomez|Gomez, Ron]] (2000), ''My Name Is Ron And I'm a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative'', [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]], Louisiana: Zemog Publishing, p. 171, ISBN 0-9700156-0-7</ref> After another interim appointment, Roemer named former State Representative [[P.J. Mills]] of Shreveport as chief of staff, to, in the words of Gomez, "bring some maturity and experience to the office."<ref>Ron Gomez, p. 168</ref> Other sources{{who|date=February 2015}} maintain that Sanderson was an effective chief of staff who left office solely to rehabilitate from a tragic automobile accident. The majority of reform legislation was passed during the first months of the Roemer administration while Sanderson was chief of staff. Many{{who|date=February 2015}} said that Sanderson's departure could have been a turning point when the "revolutionary character" of the administration moved from the successful reform platform toward a more traditional political agenda.

Roemer also hired the [[Political consulting|political consultant]] and [[Public opinion|pollster]] [[Elliott Stonecipher]] of Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theadvocate.com/columnists/markballard/5693081-123/political-horizons-impact-of-statistical|title=Mark Ballard, Political Horizons: Impact of statistical spin, September 21, 2013|publisher=''[[The Advocate (Baton Rouge)|Baton Rouge Morning Advocate]]''|accessdate=September 27, 2013}}</ref>

As governor, Roemer worked to boost lagging teacher pay and toughened laws on campaign finance. State employees and retirees received small pay increases too, the first in many years of austere state budgets. Roemer was also the first governor in recent state history to put a priority on protecting the environment. His secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality, [[Paul Templet]], repeatedly angered Louisiana's politically powerful oil and gas industry{{who|date=February 2015}}. The legislature, dominated by supporters of Edwards, repeatedly opposed Roemer's initiatives. Roemer also acquired a reputation{{by whom|date=February 2015}} for being difficult to work with, something he had been frequently accused of{{by whom|date=February 2015}} as a member of the House as well.

State Representative [[Bruce M. Bolin]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], later a state district court judge, supported Roemer's early reform efforts: "the state can't be everything to everybody, and the new budget reflects that." Bolin also correctly predicted that Roemer would in time run for president, but Roemer did not seek the [[White House]] for another twenty-four years and by the time he ran made no headway in that regard. To make a presidential run, Bolin said that Roemer "needs no political baggage" and that Louisiana "must be viewed as a progressive state" for him to be able to accomplish that goal.<ref>"Bolin: 'Roemer's aspiration can only help state'", ''Minden Press-Herald'', May 17, 1988, p. 1</ref> [[Edward J. Steimel]], executive director of the pro-business lobby, the [[Louisiana Association of Business and Industry]], also applauded Roemer's early reform efforts. Business, said Steimel, achieve half of its goals in the 1988 legislative session. Another session of equal outcome, he added, could make the state competitive with its neighbors within a year.<ref>"Steimel applauds Roemer's efforts", ''Minden Press-Herald'', July 13, 1988, p. 1</ref>

In March 1991, Roemer [[Party switching|switched]] to the Republican Party just months before the state elections,<ref name="Trio">{{cite news |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TjQdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ViwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5904,3378123|work=The Milwaukee Journal |date= March 18, 1991 |title=Trio in Louisiana make up unusual slate for governor |agency=Associated Press }}</ref> apparently at the urging of Bush White House Chief of Staff [[John H. Sununu]]. Roemer, as a new Democratic governor, had appeared at the 1988 Republican Convention in New Orleans to greet the delegates. The convention was held in New Orleans through the urging of longtime Louisiana Republican National Committeewoman [[Virginia Martinez (Louisiana politician)|Virginia Martinez]], who had worked for Livingston in the previous campaign. She was also the chairman of the 1988 Host Committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/orleans/obits/1/m-07.txt |title=M Obituaries Orleans Parish Louisiana: 001924 Martinez |publisher=LAGenWeb Archives |accessdate=August 30, 2010 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071031083718/http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/orleans/obits/1/m-07.txt |archivedate = October 31, 2007}}</ref>

Roemer's late-term party switch dismayed as many Republican politicians and activists as it did Democrats. One irate Republican was the state party chairman, [[William "Billy" Nungesser]] of New Orleans. Failing to get the Louisiana Republicans' endorsement convention canceled, Roemer skipped the event. The convention, as expected, endorsed [[United States Representative|U.S. Representative]] [[Clyde C. Holloway]], the favored candidate of the [[pro-life]] forces in the state, with whom Roemer was at odds at the time.<ref>{{cite news

|url = http://articles.latimes.com/1991-06-14/news/mn-658_1_louisiana-republican-party

|accessdate =March 13, 2011

{{Main|Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1991}}

The 1991 gubernatorial contest included Roemer, [[Edwin Edwards]], [[David Duke]], and Eighth District Congressman Clyde Holloway of [[Forest Hill, Louisiana|Forest Hill]], who all ran in Louisiana's open primary. Roemer was wounded by his mistakes as governor, while Edwards and Duke each had a passionate core group of supporters. Roemer placed third in the primary. One of the contributing factors to Roemer's defeat in the 1991 primary was a last-minute advertising barrage by Marine Shale owner Jack Kent. Marine Shale had been targeted by the Roemer administration as a polluter. Kent spent $500,000 of his own money in the closing days of the campaign to purchase anti-Roemer commercials.

Roemer's defeat led to a nationally watched runoff election between Duke and Edwards. Faced with the alternative of David Duke, many Louisianans who were otherwise critical of Edwards now looked favorably on Edwards. This included Buddy Roemer, who had run originally on an "Anyone but Edwards" platform. He ended up endorsing Edwards rather than Duke, who was the putative Republican candidate.

Immediately after leaving office as governor, Roemer taught a course in economics for the spring semester 1992 at his alma mater, Harvard.<ref name=fouryears/>

The Sterling Group specialized in international trade of plastic raw materials between the United States S and Mexico. Roemer served as the chairman of the board and Traigle served as president. Roemer was a strong supporter of improving Louisiana and U.S. trade with Mexico. Traigle bought Roemer out of the company in 1997.

{{Main|Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1995}}

In 1995, Roemer attempted a political comeback when he again ran for governor. Having been squeezed out in 1991 between Edwards and Duke, Roemer chose to run on a much more conservative platform in 1995, emphasizing an anti-crime and anti-[[Social security|welfare]] stance. For example, he called for prisoner chain gangs to clean up litter on state highways. Roemer held a wide lead for much of the campaign, but faded in the days before the primary election as State Senator [[Murphy J. Foster, Jr.|Mike Foster]], who switched affiliation from Democratic to Republican during the campaign, peeled conservative votes away from Roemer. As a result, Roemer finished fourth with 18 percent of the vote, two percentage points from making the runoff, called the [[general election]] in Louisiana.

{{See also|United States Senate election in Louisiana, 2004}}

In the summer of 2004, Roemer briefly considered entering the race to succeed retiring U.S. Senator [[John Breaux]]. Roemer passed on the race, and Republican U.S. Representative [[David Vitter]] of [[Louisiana's 1st congressional district]], anchored about suburban New Orleans, was elected to succeed Breaux. Vitter represented the house district held from 1977 to 1999 by Republican Bob Livingston, one of Roemer's gubernatorial rivals in 1987.

Having failed at his political comeback, Roemer has in recent years been an investor and banker. He formed one company that built retirement housing for retirees near universities, with alumni from each university being the target buyers. He also founded Business First Bank, based in Baton Rouge, of which he is the current President and CEO, and his daughter-in-law, Heather, is the assistant vice president of human resources.<ref name=dakota/>

In June 2005, Roemer underwent [[coronary artery bypass surgery|triple bypass heart surgery]] at the Baton Rouge General Medical Center.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-Governor at Home After Bypass Surgery |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.klfy.com/story/3530940/ex-governor-at-home-after-bypass-surgery?redirected=true |agency=KLFY |date=June 28, 2005 |accessdate=October 5, 2011}}</ref> In 2008, Roemer supported and campaigned for U.S. Senator [[John S. McCain]] of [[Arizona]] for U.S. President.

[[Ron Gomez]] (a [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]] politicist) said that he believes Roemer "could have been one of Louisiana's great governors. The state's horrible financial condition when he took office, his dependence on an inexperienced and sometimes rashly immature staff in his first year or so, an overly-ambitious legislative agenda and his own unpredictable dealings with individual legislators all contributed to the failures he suffered. Ultimately, all of these factors led to his running third, as the incumbent, in the 1991 gubernatorial election."<ref>Ron Gomez, p. 169</ref> Gomez describes Roemer as "a dynamic orator who could light up an audience with his first two sentences. When he got wound up it was truly evangelical, and he made sense. His wiry, five foot seven, one-hundred thirty-five pound frame would seem to uncoil and grow as he outlined his vision as a fighter against crime, corruption and waste in government, poor education, taxes and industrial pollution."<ref>Ron Gomez, pp. 169–170</ref>

{{main|Buddy Roemer presidential campaign, 2012}}

In January 2011, Roemer told Baton Rouge television station [[WAFB]] that he was considering a bid for the U.S. presidency in [[United States presidential election, 2012|2012]].<ref>Kornacki, Steve (2011-03-03) [http://www.salon.com/news/2012_elections/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/03/02/roemer_duke_president The White House hopeful who lost to the Klansman], ''[[Salon.com]]''</ref><ref>

| url = http://www.lapolitics.com/column.php

| title = A Louisiana Governor for President&nbsp;– Weekly column by John Maginnis

| publisher=LaPolitics.com

| archivedate = Jan 26, 2011

{{cite web

| url = http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/01/buddy_roemer_for_president.html

| title = Buddy Roemer for president?

| publisher=The New Orleans Times-Picayune

| accessdate =Feb 4, 2011

| archivedate = Feb 4, 2011

On March 3, 2011, Roemer announced the formation of an [[exploratory committee]] to prepare for a possible run for the 2012 presidential nomination of the Republican Party.<ref>[http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S=14181238 "Roemer announces 2012 presidential bid"], WXVT-TV.</ref> Roemer stressed that [[campaign finance reform]] would be a key issue in his campaign.<ref name=derby>Derby, Kevin (March 3, 2011)[http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/fighting-campaign-finance-reform-buddy-roemer-jumps-2012-race "Fighting for Campaign Finance Reform, Buddy Roemer Jumps into 2012 Race"], ''Sunshine State News''. Retrieved March 3, 2011.</ref> Pledging to limit campaign contributions to $100 per individual, Roemer appeared as one of five candidates at a 2011 March forum in [[Iowa]] sponsored by the [[Faith and Freedom Coalition]].<ref>{{cite news |first = James |last = Gill |date = March 13, 2011 |accessdate =March 13, 2011 |newspaper=Times-Picayune |page = B5 |title = Who is this guy Roemer described?|url = http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2011/03/who_is_this_man_former_louisia.html}}</ref> But he was not invited to any of the [[Republican Party (United States) presidential debates, 2012|Republican debates]] because he failed to meet the 7 percent minimum criterion for popularity in polls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.therightsphere.com/2012/01/why-is-rick-perry-invited-to-the-cnn-debate-but-not-buddy-roemer/ |title=Why is Rick Perry Invited to the CNN Debate, But Not Buddy Roemer? |publisher=The Right Sphere |date=2012-01-15 |accessdate=2012-08-20}}</ref> He was not even included as an option in several polls<ref>{{cite news|url=http://projects.wsj.com/campaign2012/candidates?mod=wsj_elections_2012_nav |title=Candidates & Races – Election 2012 |work=The Wall Street Journal |accessdate=February 22, 2012}}</ref> until the [[Iowa Republican caucuses, 2012|2012 Iowa Caucus]] and the [[New Hampshire Republican primary, 2012|2012 New Hampshire primary]] in early January.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://2012newhampshireprimary.com/ |title=2012 New Hampshire Primary |publisher=2012 New Hampshire Primary |accessdate=February 22, 2012}}</ref> Instead Roemer attempted to reach audiences through social media, including tweeting responses to debates in which he could not participate. His donations averaged $30,000 a month, far below what is raised by the front runners.<ref>{{cite news|last=Saslow |first=Eli |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/buddy-roemer-among-those-struggling-for-a-slot-in-gop-presidential-race/2011/12/08/gIQAlXCRgO_print.html |title=Buddy Roemer among those struggling for a slot in GOP presidential race |work=The Washington Post |date=December 8, 2011 |accessdate=February 22, 2012}}</ref> This difference in campaign fundraising may be attributed to the fact that Roemer limited donations to $100 per U.S. citizen, and denied all PAC, [[Super PACs|Super PAC]], and corporate donations.<ref>buddyroemer.com</ref> His campaign garnered some visibility when Roemer starred in an advertisement for [[Stephen Colbert]]'s Super PAC, in November 2011. The ad lampooned the flimsiness of legal restrictions against Super PACs coordinating with the candidates they support.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/401632/november-07-2011/colbert-super-pac-ad---undaunted-non-coordination |title=Colbert Super PAC Ad – Undaunted Non-Coordination |publisher=The Colbert Report |date=July 11, 2011 |accessdate=February 22, 2012}}</ref>

=== Footnotes ===

=== References ===

* Reeves, Miriam G. ''The Governors of Louisiana''. Gretna: Pelican Press, 1991. ISBN 978-1-58980-262-9

*[http://buddyroemer.com/ Buddy Roemer 2012] ''official campaign site''

*[http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/409/Default.aspx Former Governor profile] from the [[Louisiana Secretary of State]]

*{{CongLinks|congbio=R000384|votesmart=128775|washpo=|govtrack=409354|opencong=|ontheissues=Buddy_Roemer.htm|surge=|legistorm=|fec=P20002523|opensecrets=|followthemoney=|c-span=charlesroemer|rose=|imdb=4556609|nyt=|guardian=|worldcat=lccn-n92-7805|nndb=392/000120032|findagrave=}}

*[
http://www.pointninenine.com/2011/11/buddy-roemer-9-questions-with-the-gop-presidential-candidate-about-campaign-finance-the-99-and-a-possible-split-ticket/ Buddy Roemer: 9 Questions with the GOP Presidential Candidate about Campaign Finance, the 99% and a Possible Split Ticket], Dan O'Mahony, ''Point Nine Nine'', November 28, 2011

*[http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/12/buddy-roemers-overshadowed-nh-retail-experiment/250191/ Buddy Roemer's Overshadowed New Hampshire Retail Experiment], Tyler Bridges, ''[[The Atlantic]]'', December 20, 2011

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States Representatives from Louisiana|House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Louisiana's 4th congressional district]]|years=1981–1988}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Louisiana|Governor of Louisiana]]|years=[[Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1987|1987]]}}

[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives]]

[[Category:Democratic Party state governors of the United States]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Republican Party state governors of the United States]]