Lake Forest Resident Challenges President in New Hampshire Democratic Primary

The Republican Presidential candidates may be getting all the attention in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday, but there is a contested election on the Democratic side as well. 

There are 12 people on the ballot, including President Barack Obama, and one of them is 16-year Lake Forest resident Bob Ely. There may not be debates between these challengers and the president, but people in New Hampshire have been getting mail from Ely. 

The self-described “jerk” is not accepting donations yet. He wants to raise taxes, implement protective tariffs and cut the defense budget. He is angry with those he believes have caused the nation’s problems, but he also blames himself and the rest of the American people.

“Washington politicians that have been seduced by Wall Street,” Ely said in response to an email from Patch asking who is responsible for the country’s condition. “But since we elected them, it really must be us.” 

Ely subscribes to neither Democratic nor Republican orthodoxy. He calls himself a fiscal conservative like many Republicans but has his own definition that he believes the GOP does not fit. 

“To me, a ‘fiscal conservative’ pays their bills without running up huge debts. That’s me,” Ely writes on his website. “To Republicans, ‘fiscal conservative’ means borrow and spend (was there a spending bill ‘W’ (former President George W. Bush) didn’t like?” 

While some people think Republicans want less government, Ely criticizes them for trying to legislate too many things about people’s lives. “The Republicans want to legislate and ban what is none of their business,” he writes on his website. 

When it comes to traditional Democratic values, Ely proposes finding a job for every American who does not have one. His proposed government job bank will pay the wages ($7.25 per hour) of all newly hired workers. 

Ely claims paying minimum wage for productive work is less expensive than paying unemployment benefits. If a person wants to earn more than minimum wage as some unemployment benefits pay, Ely has a solution for that as well. 

“If you want a better job, you will need to work hard at the job you’re given,” Ely writes. “It’s an opportunity to prove to a boss how valuable you can be if given a chance. Do that and you might end up with permanent employment and more pay.” 

Universal health care is another plank of Ely’s platform. Ely wants to see “basic” health care coverage for all Americans but, like social conservatives, he has his own definition of basic. 

“Basic means ‘not great,’ ” Ely writes. “Five-dollar co-pays for prescription drugs and doctor's visits, $100 for nonemergency visits to the emergency room. You only get generic drugs and no exotic treatments. The focus will be on wellness and prevention. Want better insurance? Buy it.” Medicare would remain for those over 65. 

While a number of candidates run for federal office claiming to be Washington outsiders, Ely considers lack of government experience one of his assets. “Washington is littered with experienced politicians,” he writes. “How’s that working out for you?”

This unusual candidate is challenging an incumbent, well-funded president because, like others, he feels a call to duty. He thinks every American must answer the call in some way.

“I’m angry and scared. Action is better than whining,” he writes. “I feel like I’m watching a slow motion car wreck that I have an obligation — you do, too — to attempt to stop, even if the chances for success are slim.”