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News

UH student sets sights on presidency

Senior plans on running for U.S. executive office in 2016

By Portia Elaine-Gant
Senior Staff Writer

Wealthy. Partisan. Ivy League-bred.

Presidential candidates tend to be everything UH senior Jonathan Hansen is not -- which is exactly why he will run for president in 2016, the first election for which he will be constitutionally eligible.

Hansen, a 23-year-old finance and marketing major, makes the clichéd claim that he is "not a politician." Indeed, he has no intention of running on a Democratic or Republican ticket although he said he is conservative.

"Deep down, I'm a blue-collar guy with white-collar aspirations," Hansen said. "I want a self-made American, dyed-in-the-royal-blue-blood kind of White House. I'm passionate about that. If you want to effect change, you have to put yourself in a position to do that."

And though he has not finished college, Hansen already has campaign bumper stickers prepared.

"If I'm going to fund my own campaign, it's going to have to be a 12-year grass-roots effort. I'm not going to be able to do it in nine months," Hansen said. "It's a long way to get name recognition to get on the ballots I would need to in order to have a chance at winning. There's a lot of work to do, and even Ralph Nader couldn't get the signatures he needed in Texas."

Hansen will graduate in May and then pursue a master's degree. He plans to work at a brokerage firm until he is 30, then start his own company and earn money to fund his campaign.

"I don't want strings attached with soft money or PAC money," Hansen said. "If I weren't able to finance that, I would run in 2020 at (age) 39."

Part of Hansen's goal to be president so young comes from his plan to be single while in office.

"I've always seen myself with no wife and no kids (in office). I want one term, four solid years, of nose-to-the-grindstone work. I don't want to spend the last nine months to a year campaigning," Hansen said. "I want to have time to set policies and change the path of the country, not be responsible for it forever."

He said he wants to address Social Security, taxes, national security and America's role in the world as president with the help of a well-informed cabinet.

"I wouldn't claim to have all the answers to solving every problem. Part of being president is assembling a team with expertise in the areas that you don't," Hansen said.

Though a strong cabinet is important, Hansen said the ultimate leader must have sound morals.

"I know the difference between right and wrong. Let me know all the options, all of the possibilities, and the values and morals will lead me in the right direction," Hansen said. "You're electing a person ... who doesn't have all the answers, but someone who knows how to make good decisions."
 

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