Advice to Presidential Candidates

It won't be long now before we see presidential candidates queuing up to impress upon us what worthy successors they will be to Barack Hussein Obama. I don't think I have ever looked forward to a presidential campaign quite as enthusiastically as I do for 2012.

Already, we see likely candidates visiting Iowa and New Hampshire and other important primary states. But before things really get started with declared candidacies and exploratory committees, I have a word of advice for all those considering this challenge.

Before you throw your hat into the ring, locate your long-form birth certificate, your school records, your travel history, your Selective Service registration and your medical reports. Be prepared to release them publicly. It's not just a word of advice. It's going to be a requirement of American voters in the future. Mark my words.

As I have mentioned before, the production of the birth certificate may even be a requirement of law in some states — a necessary component of getting on the ballot.

In fact, I would suggest reviewing all these documents long before you craft, or commission a ghostwriter to craft, your autobiography. Why would I suggest the review? Because I suspect that was the fatal flaw in Barack Obama's political strategy.

I suspect he commissioned his own autobiography, "Dreams of My Father," long before he ever thought about running for president. I suspect he had much lower ambitions in mind at the time — perhaps the office of mayor in the city of Chicago.

So, with the likely help of wordsmith Bill Ayers, he created a profile. It was not necessarily the profile of a future president. But it was an interesting, well-written narrative, if not entirely honest.

In fact, factually, it is full of holes big enough to drive Air Force One through. And there's the problem.

Why can't Obama release all those missing documents, from his birth certificate to his college records? There may be many reasons. But I suspect at least one reason is that they will contradict his official life story. They would prove he lied to the American people about who he is. That would be pretty disconcerting, especially given his latest popularity ratings.

That's why I am offering this advice to future presidential candidates: Don't make the same mistake as Obama. Don't let Bill Ayers write your autobiography. Write it yourself and stick to the truth.

There are other reasons I would like to see 2012 candidates forthcoming with their personal records:

— It will provide a stark contrast between them and Obama in the increasingly unlikely event he should he choose to run for re-election.

— It will increase the pressure on Obama to release his — even late in his first term. I don't think he will ever do it, no matter what, but it's still important to demonstrate to the minority of American voters who don't understand what he's hiding.

— The American people actually do have a right to know those they are considering to be their president.

— And there actually is a constitutional requirement to prove eligibility for the office.

In the future, we don't need to have any doubts about the occupant of the White House. It's not healthy for America. It's not good for national security. As we can see from Obama's example, it's not even a good idea for sitting presidents' credentials to be suspect.

That's why I absolutely support legislation in all 50 states to require future candidates for the highest office in the land to prove their constitutional eligibility before they ever get on a ballot.

To find out more about Joseph Farah and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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