Late Presidential Candidate Teddy Mather Enters Race

Supporters of Mr. Mather are starting a grassroots campaign to get him on the ballot for the 2008 presidential election, but they have their work cut out for them. For starters, Mr. Mather is a bear. A really big bear, but he's hoping to overcome his non-human handicap to be allowed to run. He is running as an Independent. You may run across his campaign ad on such popular media sites as YouTube and VideoSift. There are not plans yet on if he will buy major media outlet ad space or time, but supporters are signing petitions online in hopes of spreading Teddy's campaign.

Mr. Mather announced his candidacy on September 29, 2007 in Washington, D.C. at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on National Public Lands Day. He chose that day to announce his presidential aspirations to draw attention to the issues he is making key to his bid for the White House.

Mather has made the statement on his Teddy for President official website, "I have to do what's right for my community and my family and for future generations. I couldn't stand aside any more. I'm going to make national parks a national priority, and I hope all of America will stand with me in this quest." He hopes to encourage the other candidates for president in both parties to start a national discussion concerning the US Park system.

Mather hopes to tackle such hot-button issues as pollution and wildlife conservation during his campaign. Mather points outs that National Parks across the US are suffering from smog and other forms of air pollution, and subsequently, the visibility in parks from Shenandoah to Yosemite has decreased significantly. Air pollution is also harming park residents as well as park employees. Mather will work to be a leader in promoting cleaner burning fossil fuels and investing in renewable energy sources for the nation.

He also will focus on curbing over-development of parks and other public lands from forestry and mining operations. Mather promises to increase funds earmarked for the woefully under budgeted National Park System when he takes office in 2009. He commends the US House of Representatives for recently approving a budget increase for 2008, and expresses his optimism that the Senate will do the same.

Mather encourages other candidates as well as all Americans to take the "Fix Our National Parks" pledge.

Teddy Mather has divulged his funding for this presidential race as coming from the National Parks Conservation Association. There is no word yet on whether Mather will accept "soft money" from political action committees like most of the other candidates.

Source: ElectTeddy.org, National Parks Conservation Association