Robert Keighton

If You Elect Me President Robert Keighton First edition

For ten years the historic open fields of Prowse Farm near Boston, Massachusetts became a battlefield, pitting those seeking to preserve a precious slice of America's heritage against those seeking to profit from the land. Codex Corporation, a subsidiary of Motorola, seeking to industrially develop the farm, liberally flaunted bogus claims of tax relief and jobs, together with a promise to save the original farm structures that stabled J. Malcolm Forbes' world champion trotting horses in the 1890's. A grass roots citizens' group, led by a sportswriter and a Boston Celtics basketball star, campaigned to save the farm. The crusade carried the citizens to courtrooms, Motorola stockholders' meetings, the hostile arena of local politics and repeatedly into the private chambers of Governor Michael Dukakis. Dukakis made an unconditional pledge to save Prowse Farm for this and future generations, and repeatedly urged the citizens to block the corporate development until he returned to office and could take the land under eminent domain. IF YOU ELECT ME PRESIDENT is an insightful, powerful case study of political betrayal of the public by an aspiring presidential candidate. This case study has universal application in today's presidential election process as the lesson is to judge a candidate on character ...and not on what he or she may say or promise, as professionally packaged and delivered up in the soundbites and debates. Today's candidates all too frequently change positions for political expediency or ultimately may be unable to deliver on campaign pledges due to circumstances they can't control.