Two local men are entering the presidential race for 2016 and are currently listed in the presidential candidate registry. Barry Shannon-Reasoner, owner of Empire Games in Douglas and a military veteran, is running for President of the United States and his business partner and friend Henry Walsh is his running mate for Vice President. The two men began the journey to the White House after they were discussing the problems they see in the U.S. government. Henry ultimately turned to Barry and told him to “do something about it” instead of simply complaining. He suggested Barry run for president and they then began planning the campaign and strategy.
Together, Walsh and Shannon-Reasoner are working to educate the voting population and anyone who will listen about the aspects of government they believe need to be changed or reformed.
“The best thing for this country is an educated voting population,” Walsh stated.
Walsh, a member of MENSA and former professor and teacher, began to explain the flaws in trickle-down economics.
“Giving money to corporations to provide more products to a population that can’t afford to purchase the products is not as efficient as keeping the population funded to drive the production of the products that would be bought,” he explained.
Barry also explained that Obamacare is not working in its current state, though it is a good idea and could work on a small scale. The oversight to details and extensive restrictions within the program had caused his own family issues when purchasing insurance through Obamacare. His own firsthand experience with the issues in the system has driven his desire to fix the healthcare system.
The duo proclaims that there is one aspect of their campaign that sets them apart from every other candidate running currently—they are normal people. Because of their grassroots establishment and because they have struggled financially and come from poverty, they know the struggles and realities of the average American citizen. They claim most of the candidates are so out of touch with the common person that they don’t understand the implications of the laws they pass or policies they endorse. Walsh, who works as a technician for Empire Games and has worked in graphic design, also spoke about the deficit and offered solutions he believes could solve the budgeting and debt crises. From supporting the 2nd amendment, to supporting a cut in military weapon development, Shannon-Reasoner and Walsh want to improve the United States and are taking the first steps to making that a reality.
Though their platform is officially unaffiliated, the two bring a balance between Democratic and Republican ideals with Shannon-Reasoner being more conservative and Walsh being more liberal. In this way they hope to end the crippling division that partisanship has caused in the nation and politics in general. Through compromise and discussion, the two establish common ground within their campaign and hope to be an example for others in politics.
The campaign trail for the two is yet untraveled, but if expenses and logistics can be resolved their journey will be underway. Though Barry is on the registry as a presidential candidate, he will not officially be placed on the ballot until he gains at least five thousand dollars in donations. It’s one of the many hurdles the two are facing, but they have faith in their message. Even if they do not reach their goal, they are optimistic that at least there will be people listening and that they can influence change in some way. Above all, they just want to help people and have their message heard. Because, no matter the fate of their campaign, Barry stated, “We are mortal but ideas are bulletproof and they don’t die.”
To learn more about the men and their mission, they invite all questions either in person or to be posted on the Empire Games facebook page, www.facebook.com/empiregamesinc.