POULSBO — Compared to the likes of national political giants like Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, Poulsbo resident Dal LaMagna knows he’s a long shot for the presidency, but that’s not keeping him from trying.
LaMagna, who recently moved to Washington, D.C., officially announced his candidacy last week for the Democratic nomination for president.
“Ideally, I’d like to be the favored son for Washington,” he said. “Washington can send its own candidate (to the Democratic National Convention).”
Even though he is originally from the Northeast, LaMagna said he is proud to call Poulsbo home.
“It’s such a friendly, relaxing place,” he said. “People there are living in the moment.”
Unlike megacities like New York City and Boston, where citizens are trapped in the hectic pace of everyday life, Poulsbo residents are living their lives without that kind of stress, he said.
That being said, LaMagna said the decision to run for president wasn’t one he rushed into, but was rather the end result of a process that began with the war in Iraq.
“The Iraqi people want us to go home, so they can take care of it themselves,” he said.
During the current debate on the war, the Iraqi people’s voice hasn’t been heard, when it should have, he said.
In working with U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Seattle), who has long been opposed to the war, LaMagna said he went to Ammen, Jordan and befriended Iraqi Parliament member Mohamed Al Di.
“I worked hard to get his visa, but couldn’t, so we ended up doing a video conference with Iraqi Parliament members and nine members of Congress,” he said.
The views expressed during that meeting contrast greatly to President George W. Bush’s plan to send more troops to the country, despite strong opposition from Congress, he said.
“I felt like I had done all I could in that capacity, so I decided to run for president,” he said.
Even with the odds stacked against him, LaMagna said his goal isn’t necessarily to win, but to raise issues, which have largely been ignored by national politicians.
“Look at what happened in New Orleans and what’s not being done in Kansas,” he said.
The president appoints 3,000-4,000 people to government positions to serve the American public, which they haven’t done, he said.
“I want to focus on creating a competent government,” he said. “It will not be based on politics, but capability and dedication to the service of our country.”
Many of his Harvard business school classmates have used their wealth to purchase yachts and other luxuries, but LaMagna said his passion lies not in material things, but service to his country.
“This is my passion. This is what I love to do,” he said.
Just because he has made millions of dollars from successful business ventures, LaMagna said he doesn’t plan of bankrolling his entire campaign.
“I put in $49,000, but I would prefer a grassroots campaign where people go to our Web site and donate $25 for support,” he said. “I’d be willing to put up to $1 million into my campaign.”
