Political Scandals, Rampant Infidelity & Negative Campaign Ads-Beleaguered Americans Yearn for a Candidate Who is Just an "Average Joe"
New Book Average Joe Reveals the Character and Values Americans Want in Their Political Leaders
Gainesville, TX- In the pivotal days before the November 2 elections, there is a common thread woven into the messages from both political camps-their candidate is their neighbor, their friend-merely an "Average Joe" with whom Americans identify. After decades of watching the races unfold, Robert H. Hickman, a rancher in the heart of Texas-and a true "Average Joe"-began outlining the key issues facing America in the hopes of finding a candidate who represents these sound ideals. The resulting book is Average Joe: The Story of an Unlikely Candidate, by Robert Hickman-who left his career and established a state-licensed residential ranch for at-risk teenage boys as his way of affecting positive change in America-and his daughter, Susanna Hickman Bartee.
Average Joe may be a fictionalized tale of Joe Blankenship - a rancher-turned-congressional-candidate - but the values of this protagonist parallel some of today's candidates who are running for the upcoming 2010 elections. Like Blankenship, congressional candidates Stephen Fincher (Tennessee) and Todd Young (Indiana), and senatorial candidate Joe Miller (Alaska) agree that America must stand up for the fundamental beliefs that it was founded upon.
These real-life "Average Joes" have platforms that align with the ideals of Joe Blankenship, including:
- Joe Miller-who opposes ObamaCare and encourages competition among medical providers in order to lower costs and increase efficiency
- Stephen Fincher-who supports a limited federal government and seeks to return power and money to state government
- Todd Young-who pledges to increase Congressional scrutiny of allocating taxpayer dollars
Average Joe addresses the very real issue of grandstanding "fat cats" in Washington-professional politicians who have become so comfortable with wealth and power that they have lost sight of the reasons that originally propelled them into politics. In the book, Blankenship wonders, "What if it were me? Could one truly ordinary man choose to run for federal office on the platform of common values without the trappings of power and wealth?" These are the questions that today's candidates must remember during their final days of campaigning. Platforms identified in the book include: supporting capitalism by opposing government bailouts and stimulus plans; deterring complacency in elected officials by supporting congressional term limits; and supporting a federal government that will limit its role in public education and leave the decision-making to individual states.
All of these "Average Joes" seek to redirect power from the federal government to the state and local governments, where better decisions can be made closer to those who will be most heavily impacted. Just as the reader cheers on the book's protagonist, Americans will cast their ballots for the hardworking candidate with traditional values who will fight to protect our freedoms.
Robert Hickman and his wife, Linda, have three children and ten grandchildren and operate a cattle ranch in north Texas. Susanna Hickman Bartee and her husband, Shane, live in Savannah, GA with their five children. Average Joe is the first literary collaboration by the father and daughter team. The book is available for sale on Amazon.com. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/AverageJoeBook.
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To schedule an interview with Susanna Hickman Bartee or Robert H. Hickman, please contact Kristen Schremp at Kristen@kaspublicity.com or 703.928.5527
Kristen Schremp
703.928.5527
www.facebook.com/AverageJoeBook
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