In 2012 with the habits of a small businessman of standing his ground and adapting and moving forward, following his run for President in 2008, he ran again. But with the 2008 Obama election the economy had tanked and his small business—as was the case with many others—had its revenue cut in half so cash was tight. He used frequent flyer miles accumulated over many years and performed the labor on one job to obtain the last $3,000 necessary to run. Spending $10,000 among serious candidates, he placed seventh in both the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary, ending his campaign with $400 on hand, with credit cards maxed out and no other sources of cash. One small construction project which he had set up to start a week later allowed him to begin the road back. Today despite the President’s sorry record on the economy he has fully recovered and is Houston’s oldest residential contractor.
He began his campaign with a video of his stump speech . . .
Early on a Norwegian magazine included ALL of the presidential candidates declared and considering the race.
He attended Congressman Steve King’s Conservative Principles Conference in Des Moines. The event was attended by other potential presidential candidates Herman Cain, Michele Bachman, Haley Barbour, John Bolton, and Newt Gingrich. Here he addressed the issue of the inefficiency of too many levels in government bureaucracies. He made the point to the group that the military has survived and prospered quite nicely for thousands of years in different cultures all over the world with only about a dozen or so levels. He asked the question: why should the government have more levels than this long lasting institution? He later met John Bolton who seemed to be impressed with his remarks.
He was given the opportunity to speak to the Belnap County Republican Committee in New Hampshire on Veterans Day with Bill Tobin the Vice Chairman presiding. Was honored as one who was a veteran during the Viet Nam war. Belnap County is one of ten New Hampshire’s counties and is located in the Lakes Region of the state.
Spoke at the annual Octoberfest of the Rockingham County Republican Party at the 200 year old Stone Church in Newmarket, New Hampshire. He and state party chairman Wayne MacDonald discussed issues and Vern’s book Overcoming Legal Abuse as an American Entrepreneur which the chairman had read earlier. The event was attended among others by gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne and former state party chairman Jack Kimball. Fosters Daily Democrat and Seacoast online covered the event
Forbes magazine tax expert Kelly Erb interviewed Vern as holder of a CPA certificate concerning his views on America’s tax system.
Throughout the campaign he presented solutions on various issues
Was interviewed by Lydia at New Hampshire Capitol Access.
An article in the Concord Monitor reviewed his campaign.
Along with a speech by Rick Santorum he was scheduled to give a speech at the New England College Converntion on the personal qualities of presidential candidates.
He received high marks for the transparency of his campaign in a strict evaluation by opencongress.org
On a shortened scheduled due to lack of funds he nevertheless visited many businesses throughout Iowa and New Hampshire.
At the famous Lindy’s Diner in Keene, New Hampshire it is rumored that if you fail to campaign there you will not win the New Hampshire Primary. In Vern’s 2008 campaign Lindy’s owner told him that the only candidate who had not come by was Hillary Clinton. Hillary did win the Primary but lost to Barack Obama that year . . .
And in the often snowy New Hampshire there are a large number of diners throughout the state. Vern campaigned in a number of them. The Tilton Diner is at a crossroads in the state so many candidates campaign there while traveling to other areas of the state. Vern visited with diners there in 2008 and twice in 2012. On his last trip Vice President Joe Biden followed him there and then followed him to Concord the next morning to file for the New Hampshire Primary shortly after Vern had filed earlier.
He visited with voters at the Airport Diner across from the Super 8 where he normally stayed while in Manchester.
Was interviewed by Veterans in Politics out of Las Vegas
Was interviewed again by Skip Murphy long time blogger and radio host of GraniteGrok in New Hampshire who had had him as a guest several times on his radio show in his 2008 campaign.
Received favorable comments by the bloggasphere.
He ended his campaign in Iowa on Caucus Day in Iowa’s fourth largest county, Blackhawk County, making a final request to voters along with Newt Gingrich and Michelle Bachman which was covered worldwide. He was warmly received by the large crowd and by Blackhawk County Republican Party Chairman Mac McDonald and in a later facebook post by a reporter for one of the major networks. He later met Michelle Bachman, kidding her that he would see her in New Hampshire. She greeted him and moved away. She ended her campaign, dropping out of the race later in the evening.
Reporter Kiernan Majerus-Collins gave complete coverage of the event:
He had the good fortune to be interviewed by Elaine Driscoll New Hampshire Director of Concerned Women of America (click this for video) which was aired the night before the New Hampshire Primary
Early in the morning of the New Hampshire Primary Day he worked the famous Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, visiting about common friends with fellow Texan Rand Paul, waiting there for breakfast while working for his father. Vern had supported him earlier at a fundraising event in his run for Senator from Kentucky and had met Ted Cruz for the first time at that event.
An interview by Gracie Barney and Greer Lemnah profiling him encapsulated the entire campaign and was given through coverage by superior presidential candidate website presidential candidates.org