Dal LaMagna
Candidate for the Office of President of the United States
Party: Democrat
Website: www.lamagnaforpresident.com
When the Democrats won the 2006 midterm election many Americans rejoiced and saw it as the end of the Republican machine and the Bush policy waivers. Responsible businessman and entrepreneur Dal Lamagna saw it as a victory as well, but also an opportunity to which he would finally be able to deliver his pro-peace platform that he had been demonstrating through his international peace activism and documentaries.
He was then, and is now, an advocate for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. “After working with members of the Iraqi Parliament I’ve spoken with those who haven’t been heard and they’re message is simple,” LaMagna says. “That message: please leave, we want to take care of ourselves.” Believing he could show this to Congress he went to Washington DC to lobby on the issue. “After really not getting anywhere in Washington I said screw this, I’m going to go straight to the American people with this message,” LaMagna says. He did just that and in April of 2007 Dal LaMagna declared that he was in the race for president of the United States.
“I moved to New Hampshire for six months to campaign,” LaMagna says. “My intent was to run as a dark horse and to garner 20,000 people to back up my stance on the war mostly from the progressive movement.”
Mr. LaMagna began his professional career as a successful, and responsible, businessman. In 1970 he graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School and again from the Kennedy School of Government in 2002. In 1980 he founded the company Tweezerman over time bulding it into a multi-national, personal care tool brand practicing responsible capitalism and business. For the past seven years Mr. LaMagna has practiced what he identified as ‘peace activism’ by exemplifying his responsible business actions throughout his tenure as CEO of Tweezerman. In 2004 he sold his company for $57 million as well as the rest of his shares in the company in 2005. During this time Mr. LaMagna produced three well-acclaimed documentaries on the Iraq War: The Ground Truth, The War Tapes and Iraq for Sale. Any other information regarding Mr. LaMagna’s business ventures can be viewed on his website www.lamagnaforpresident.com.
Mr. LaMagna’s political and peace activism career began as he described it ‘six or seven years ago.’ He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress both in 1996 and 2000 for the Democratic and Green parties respectively. During the 2006 Senatorial campaign Mr. LaMagna mulled a run against standing Senate Democrat of Washington State Maria Cantwell, before stepping down and becoming co-chairman of her campaign. “You can run for the senate with five million dollars,” LaMagna says. “For president you need an easy $200 million at least.”
In months after the Democratic victory of 2006 Mr. LaMagna campaigned consistently to the Congress by presenting his documentaries, noting his work with the Progressive Government Institute (which he founded) and even by directly introducing members of Congress to a standing member of the Iraqi parliament, Mohammed al-Dynee, who had been living at his house in Washington D.C. Mr. LaMagna was consistent and did not stand down from his message that Iraqis wanted only to control their country and simply wanted the American occupation to end.
After seeing little progress and only getting some 20 members of the 535 Congressional body to meet with al-Dynee, Mr. LaMagna decided to run for president as a one-issue candidate. “There was talk among the staff that it was not always the best idea,” Jennifer Hicks says, his former Communications Director. “Dal always had lots of ideas about other issues but his primary goal was solely the War in Iraq.”
According to Hicks Mr. LaMagna did fare quite well initially in his campaigning. “The day of his official announcement was well attended by press,” says Hicks. “It was a ‘Market Day’ in Concord, N.H. and it was very easy to meet and greet the voters.”
Despite the beginning ambitions of the campaign, a modestly allocated amount of funds and the initial attention, Mr. LaMagna was unable to garner the support he wanted. When asked just recently if he felt he had a chance at actually becoming president he responded negatively.
“I don’t think I have a shot,” LaMagna says. “I’ve been totally closed out of the system. I did not have enough money to launch a campaign and I have been disappointed by the indifference of the progressive campaign.”
LaMagna did not decide to run for president to push an ideological point or to make one issue prevalent or newsworthy. He ran with the intention of being a ‘dark horse’ and gaining ground from the grass roots level. While now he sees that there is no chance that was not the case back in April of 2007.
“The spectrum is only wide enough to the major candidates,” LaMagna added.
Despite seemingly having a number of funds to back a campaign it was not Mr. LaMagna’s intention to invest a high amount. “He only wanted to spend a certain amount,” Hicks says. “It was the primary factor and the complete lack of sufficient money that caused his eventual decline within the campaign field.”
Another important aspect that lead to the eventual decline is reiterated by Hicks regarding the staff. “In addition to money, an exorbitantly large staff is required.” Hicks also mentions that the media attention might have been better if the staff was larger but due to the funding restrictions of the minor campaign it was not possible to garner that many paid employees.
Professor Bill Grover of Saint Michael’s College speaks on the same ground when it comes to the importance of money.
“To be a serious contender you need money,” says Grover. “The political primary from the beginning is the money primary. The first eight months is the rush to get millions of dollars in campaign funds which is something that is much easier for candidate with a name.”
Professor Grover adds that while Dal LaMagna has something that many minor candidates do not have, that being money, it is still not sufficient enough due to his lack of name recognition.
“Why would a progressive Democrat throw his support behind someone who he has never heard of?” Says Grover. “Why would they not go for Dennis Kucinich instead? And even he is already mocked at the national level for various superficial reasons. And of someone like a Dennis Kucinich or a Ralph Nader couldn’t get taken seriously why would Dal LaMagna?”
With the rejection that Mr. LaMagna has felt he proclaims, “I have given up on the Democratic Party.”
“That problem with his campaign,” says Grover. “Was that he was running as Dal LaMagna individual Democrat instead of Green Party or independent. He was trying to run in a party that is not open and is too established.”
After attempting to run his campaign from the months of April 2007 to October 2007 Dal LaMagna closed the operation and moved out of New Hampshire back to Washington D.C. Regardless he still filed for president to the NH Secretary of State’s office on November 2nd via mail.
Despite no longer taking his campaign for president seriously the motives and platforms of Mr. LaMagna do seem to resonate with the greater majority of the country. Every week polls come out about the disapproval of the War and the push to have troops withdrawn as soon as possible, both of which are clearly along the lines of the LaMagna campaign.
“In terms of minor candidates and third parties they have made more of an impact on national politics and policy than they have in putting forth an individual candidate,” says Grover. Grover adds that all of the progressive politics that were pushed during the Populist movement of the1890’s were done so by individuals who could not necessarily break into the national level, be it as president or in Congress. “I believe parties are a good thing, and that parties can be a place where ideas can be established” Grover finally added.
Additional Resources
You can view other material regarding Dal LaMagna at http://www.lamagnaforpresident.com/ as well as clips of his documentaries.