For the moment, let's assume that I figure out the answers to all the nation's most pressing problems. Okay, maybe not the 100% perfect all-inclusive nary a stray step answers, but vast improvements in the right direction. And, let us further assume, that these solutions can be explained in a way that's understandable and attractive to a significant subset of the population. So what?
Nothing much will change unless one switches gears from research to politics. How - talking nuts and bolts here - does one win office and enact change?
Rather than risk letting this topic become overly vague, let's assume that the optimum path is to be elected US Senator outside the 2-party system, using that bully pulpit to then recruit and support like-minded persons in other states, forming a working but flexible coalition with the two majors that varies from issue to issue, and thus putting the answers into law. Doesn't matter if the preceding scenario is true or not so long as it's true that politics is where implementation must occur; the rest is just details. Maybe it's intra-party insurgency. Maybe governor is the appropriate office. Maybe president. The nuts and bolts will be much the same, so long as it's a political implementation that's required.
I think the first thing you need is a website that's comprehensive on the issues. That's probably manageable by the candidate (who needs to have a mastery of the issues in any event). It won't be pretty and it won't be polished and it won't have the bells and whistles of video & etc, but it will have the information that needs to reach voters. Not, of course, that it wouldn't be good to find a good webmaster ASAP. One 'feature' should probably be some form of "HOT LIST" -
* Topics that particularly need research (e.g., nailing down provable examples of last minute anonymous amendments),
* Needs that particularly need filled (e.g., we could really use crash space in Pensacola for April 24th),
* Positions that particularly need filled (e.g., we really really need a videographer).
* Expert Advice (e.g., we really need an expert on health care).
The second thing you need is a treasurer to handle the money and disclosures. Again, initially the candidate can probably do that too. And again, it would be good to find a trustworthy treasurer ASAP.
Speaking of treasurer, don't forget what the filing thresholds seem to be. Once you cross $5,000 you must register with the FEC. Once you cross $25,000 then you've got to deal with the IRS. And speaking of money, there's getting on the ballot. The filing fee seems the way to go; that's ~$7,000. And keep in mind that, despite the absence of any primary election, donors can still contribute $2,500 per election including the primary which means the practical donor limit is $5,000 (although the internal accounting must be able to separate such contributions into primary/general and once the 'primary' date is passed, the practical donor limit drops back to $2,500. For me, the most advantageous option for 'primary' date is probably the mid-August date of the major parties' actual primary).
So anyway, very very early on you need to have a plan. For one thing, the cliche is true: failing to plan is planning to fail. For another, a credible (if optimistic) plan is crucial to being a credible candidate and being a credible candidate is crucial to fund raising and fund raising is crucial to political success. So you need a plan.
And I think the plan is fairly simply stated:
If your answers are sufficiently motivating to sway meaningful numbers of voters (assuming they ever hear your answers), then there's going to be a small subset of those voters who are sufficiently motivated that they're going to volunteer and work. From this group you're getting your webmaster, your treasurer, your fundraiser, your local field directors, your media specialists, etc. And with enough people being volunteers (and you will need many in order to spread the work around), your fundraising can be overwhelmingly directed towards reaching the voters through media (radio, cable, web, etc). Hard goods (lawn signs, handouts, etc) can be created by volunteers and simply made freely available for independent local production and distribution. Even additional media could be handled similarly - produce x radio ads, make them available for download by local supporters, the local supporters raise their own money, buy their own airtime on their local media to air whichever ads they like best. The candidate simply needs to keep getting in front of as many people as possible while the volunteer staff: supports the candidate's schedule, handles the money, creates new media (some of which may come up from the local supporters), makes training and direction and resources available to the local groups, and makes media purchases. Wash, rinse, repeat.
The basic premise is, I think, sound. But obviously a lot more work would need to be done. But the first step really is to be comprehensive about the issues. Which is what's being attempted here.
