Message from VIPI President to Political Candidates for 2014
Over the years Veterans In Politics International (VIPI) has been scrutinized, slandered, defamed, criticized, judged and not given credit for the work we have done.
But we are still here for over 21 years.
We are the only group that video tape our endorsement interviews, open it to a public audience, put the video’s on social media, have a diverse panel of individuals, have an independent moderator, invite every Candidate to attend our interviews despite (your lack of name recognition, your lack of funding, your lack of knowledge, your religion, your gender, your political party, your ideology), we invite every candidate to sit at the table at one time for each elected seat to be interviewed.
We even show up at your event and present you with the endorsement.
No other groups do what we do.
But yet we have haters.
We have heard every excuse from a candidate as to why they cannot attend. Some have legitimate reasons for not attending, while others do not.
The excuses range from the following: schedule conflict, emergency, my campaign told me not to attend, my political party people told me not to attend, I don’t like to sit next to my opponent, I don’t like your moderator, you veterans are just not important to me, I can’t be interviewed on a religious day, the media said some bad things about you.
Some of these seats are for six years out, yet you cannot spare an hour to be interviewed for a six year job?
If you do not have name recognition or funding why would you run from a group that would advertise you for free?
These people that tell you not to attend our interviews are they funding your campaign and knocking on doors for you?
Why would you not want to get outside your comfort zone instead of going to the same groups?
Say what you want to say about our military veterans, but if it wasn’t for them then you wouldn’t have the freedoms you have today.
I am sure not one of our veterans used any of the excuses listed above for reasons to not serve our country. I have to say that most people have attended and appreciate what VIPI is doing.
Believe it or not the people who criticize our group are the ones that never served our country, that never wore the uniform, that never took the oath; that never served our nation in combat.
Steve Sanson
President Veterans In Politics International
US Marine & US Army—Desert Strom Gulf War & Disabled Veteran
www.veteransinpolitics.org
