I’ve decided not to pursue politics at this time. I apologize to all the people who supported, mentored, and guided me towards this path. To all the people who donated to the draftstu movement, the amount of support was humbling, but I asked the team to close it down. I will pay back all who donated. Despite the ’24 election so far away, this is my last chance to walk away before direct mailers go out in January, an action triggering my inability to pull out of the race and still have enough money to pay people back. The team’s goal was raising 30 million over the next year for a US Senate run out of Ohio. Boggles the mind how in politics, that amount of money seems matter of fact.
I initially gravitated towards politics because I felt I had something to offer in terms of leadership/courage and because it logically progressed from my non-standard journey. But when I centered myself and removed my anger and ego, I realized I didn’t have a strong desire to struggle through another broken bureaucracy. If I pursued politics to validate my supporters or to prove my haters wrong… either way… it was about them and not me.
My life up to this point has centered around leadership, bias for action, and work ethic. Going forward, my plan is remaining self employed while studying, speaking, and writing about leadership, courage, and war. For those who are interested, my speaking engagements, book signings, and/or other events can be booked through my website.
I am not pursuing a PhD. I believe formal education should only lead us to a departure point of self education. I believe I have reached that point in my understanding, maturity, and experiences. Validation of more degrees is not something I’m willing to invest in with my resources.
Ultimately, I want to move forward on my own terms. I don’t know what ’23 will bring, but I’m prepared to face the unknown. In the short term, my goals are spending more time with my kids, learning an instrument, and building a cabin on my farm. I’m sick of being angry, trying to prove something, or illustrating shortfalls that I now realize many people will never acknowledge. If the country ever needs strong leadership again, come find me on the farm with the school buses.
