These last several months have changed my life. About two years ago, after watching so many of the ideas I believe in go down in flames at the hands of the American electorate, I was in a pretty low place. Over the years, I have crept closer and closer to completely giving up on the electoral process in this country. I was a Ron Paul Republican and campaigned hard in 2012 for his election.
When Dr. Paul lost, after months of watching the media and his own party, over and over again, ignore, ridicule and outright cheat the only person in years that made any sense, in politics, I got on board with the lesser of two goods, Gary Johnson. I courted the idea of voting for Rand Paul, until his abysmal failure in the Iowa caucuses. Again, I found myself backing Gary Johnson. I disagreed with Johnson on a few things, but at least he made Libertarians seem likeable, if not that well informed. Need I mention Aleppo?
Then, Bill Weld was chosen as his VP. Yuck! This guy is Mitt Romney’s twin! I said “fine, I guess I won’t vote.” The day of the election, my wife talked me into voting for Gary, “if not for Johnson/Weld, for the principles of liberty.” Really, I voted so that I could say I went in and, “waved my Johnson at all the Republicans,” in our district. Long story short, Donald Trump is our president. I was pretty upset with the candidates our people chose. Don’t give me the “better than Hillary speech,” I know they are cut from the same muddy swamp cloth. I said to my wife, “I am done with politics, unless like, I don’t know, somebody like Adam Kokesh runs for president.” Well, that bit me in the ass.
In the fall of 2017, Adam Kokesh held an event in Indianapolis, near where I live. I don’t even know how I got put on the list of people to invite. I told my wife that I really wanted to meet Adam. For years, I had followed him, and especially admired his speech for Ron Paul that propelled him into the Freedom Movement spotlight. Sometimes, I loved him; like when he danced at the Jefferson Memorial. Sometimes, I cringed, as he said some unwise things. Either way, he certainly was somebody I wanted to meet. Adam Kokesh was a ballsy activist, and I like activists. I wanted to be one. Most of my “work” was done behind a keyboard. My family, commitments, and unusual religious beliefs meant that, in my mind, I would be a hindrance, not a help, to any cause I might want my activism to serve. Still, I wanted to meet this guy! So, my wife, my best friend, and I found ourselves going to the event.
The week of the event, Ben, Adam’s chief advisor, asked if anybody had room to put people up for the night. Adam, at the time, had a small RV, just big enough for him and wanted someplace for Ben and Zach, Adam’s biographer, to stay. I volunteered my place. Because I live outside of Indianapolis, I figured they would find someplace closer, but they did not. The next thing I knew, I was talking to Ben on the phone and getting things set up.
I was at work when they arrived. My gracious wife, who to be clear, also enjoyed Adam’s activism, met them, made them comfortable and largely let them get some needed rest. To be honest, I was a little jealous. She got to meet Adam, and I did not get to, until the event. I did get to meet Ben and Zach. They were both fantastic Libertarians. I was nervous. What the hell would I talk about? I mean, these guys hear similar ideas to mine and talk about them to people all over the country. So, I babbled on and on about my religious beliefs, trying like hell to be interesting.
That evening, we went to the event. I helped Zach carry in some copies of Freedom! I had not yet read it, but that changed the next day. We met with the people who were in attendance. After a few minutes, Adam came in and I introduced myself, and he thanked me for letting them stay at our house.
Adam surprised me. I thought he would immediately start dominating the conversation. I learned the first of many things about Adam Kokesh. He is a mild, and an introspective listener. I know, right? No way! But here he was listening far more than talking. So, this was the guy who loaded a shotgun on the national mall. I listened to everyone talk about so and so in the LP and this person and that; things I could not care less about. The name dropping from a particular woman was so annoying that I rolled my eyes. Adam noticed the glazed eyes of the others in the room and said, “Guys, no one really cares about internal politics here, instead, how about we talk about ideas.” Thank God! This is what I came for.
Shortly, after everything was set up for the presentation, we headed into the other room. Our little group found ourselves in the front row. We listened. This was the best explanation of Libertarian ideas I had ever heard. I learned, for sure, that Adam Kokesh was serious, compassionate, intelligent, very well spoken, principled, ethical, and yes, he was intending to run for president. Well, I guess I’m going to have to vote again, I told myself.
After the event, we headed home. Sometime later that night, Adam and Ben returned to my house. Zach had to fly ahead for another event. Ben immediately went to bed. Adam asked if he could fix himself some eggs. We offered him some tomatoes from our garden, as well. We started to talk. Mostly, it was me asking questions. One of them was, “how can I help?” I meant, do you have signs I can put in people’s yards? Remember, I did not want to hurt him politically, I’m kind of weird. I explained that my background is actually in Funeral Service and that isn’t likely to be helpful. He said, “ok, then what skills do you have?” I informed him that I can write pretty well, and I am comfortable talking to people. I suggested that I could campaign locally, door to door, and pass books out. He replied, “No, I think I have another idea for you.” I said ok, having absolutely no idea what that might be. He continued, “Can you make a list of the media outlets for the stops on the tour starting in a couple of weeks and then just stay two weeks ahead?” I responded with, “Maybe, but I am not really a tech guy and computers are not my best asset. Maybe my best friend Michael, who is a web designer, might be a better pick.” “No, I think I’d like you to do this,” he said. Reluctantly, I agreed. I certainly did not want to fail, and I had no idea what to do. He gave me his card, with his email and phone number on it. I was to email him with a report of what I was able to accomplish.
The next day they left. I was happy to have met Adam, and frankly, Ben and Zach. They were all nice and great to talk to. I set out to do what was asked of me. Within 48 hours, I had the lists of all local newspapers, magazines, radio, and television stations compiled for the next three stops, and sent them to Adam. I actually don’t think he expected me to actually do it. Then, in the next couple of days I worked on contacts for a few other stops. He said “that’s great, how would you feel about calling them to see about setting up interviews?” I said, “ok.”
I called hundreds of numbers and emailed the contacts as well. I talked to more secretaries, and voicemail boxes than any human should need to in a lifetime. I failed to schedule one interview. I do not like to fail. Finally, I received an email back from a little radio station, they were interested. I jumped up and down. I immediately texted Adam, his response was simple, “we’ve had to cancel that stop.” This really frustrated me; I threw my notebook across the room and then emailed Adam. I told him that I did not feel as though I was cut out for this. All I was doing was spending hours failing. He called me. I, again, explained that these local main stream media outlets were not responding. It had to be me, I thought, come on this is somebody running for president for the 3rd largest party in the country, and he was coming to their town! Surely that was newsworthy! I have since learned that several “news” outlets don’t even want news, they receive it from those who know, like the government and other propaganda, I mean, news outlets. He suggested I make calls from a list he had. It was a national list of Liberty friendly outlets. I would start emailing those the next day.
I decided to email ten contacts off the list every day. I started at the top of the list and worked my way down. Before I finished sending out the last email of the day, my phone rang. I was sitting in the lounge at my day job. Someone from out of state was calling my number. There were no pens or paper. I rushed to find loose paper in the trash and grabbed a marker. It was what would be the first interview I scheduled. I texted Adam.
I scheduled three interviews that week. Adam set me up an email. My average, at this point, is between three and five interviews every week that I schedule for Adam. That list dried up pretty fast. Luckily, we also have incoming interview requests. The social media director and I became friendly. He would send me interview prospects as he received them. I then contacted them back. I also began writing press releases.
The next thing I knew, the campaign manager at the time, which no longer works for the campaign started calling me The Press Secretary. Holy crap, I got a title. I also was invited to start being a part of the weekly conference calls. Regularly, I communicated with Adam. We became friends.
So this is how I became the Press Secretary for the leading candidate in the race for the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president of the United States. I am just a normal guy who sees a problem and I am trying to do what I can to help solve it. Here is the best part of all of this. Adam, and everyone that works hard to spread the cause of freedom for this campaign, is just like me, in the sense that they’re normal people, trying very hard to help this world move towards the next societal evolution. Our activism seeks to free this world from the evil forces of violence and coercion known as government. I am proud to stand with these people and am humbled by everyone I meet. Even if Adam Kokesh finds someone better than me to do this job and I find myself doing other things, he has my undying gratitude for believing in me and giving me the chance to become the activist I am today. Initially, I thought this would be just one post, but I think I will continue the story of my exciting journey in another post, because I have not shared the best parts of my experience and I am guessing that I will continue to have an amazing time as we help give this world back to the sovereign individual.
Written by @marcus.pulis (Please follow and support his work!)
Great story! But the @marcus.pulic link isn't working for me?
Sorry, it is corrected: @marcus.pulis
This is an amazing story. It may be historic also, considering the public vibe that we've been hearing lately. A lot of people are waking up and are in tune with the message of @adamkokesh. Time will tell how this will go, but I think we all agree we live in interesting times. Steem on! @ironshield
I guess the first thing we all get to like about Adam is his guts. Really ballsy if you don't mind my language. I like people who can stand up and fight for what they believe in.
He's right, there's more to you Mr Kokesh than just guts and libertarian values (as exciting as that is already). You seem like a really nice guy (I'll hold the final decision for when I finally meet you in person, maybe on your way to the White House).
Wonderful personal tale. I hope all your efforts so far will be rewarded.
It has been a ride, the story is far from over this takes my story to about last December, the fun really starts in January.
From this story, I appreciate @marcus.pulis , when faced with a choice not many people choose to follow their heart, most of them choose because good prospects in the future not because of the happy thing and @marcus.pulis have chosen appropriately, following @adamkokesh
conscience is never wrong.
▪ Because the heart understands what we enjoy, there's nothing wrong if you follow
▪Because the heart is only willing to give not master, do not hesitate choose with the heart.
▪The future belongs to those who are confident rather than self-exalt.
▪The heart is not visible but through the heart, we hear God discuss.
▪When the mind seeks and the convincing heart is where the right choice is found.
thank you for sharing @marcus.pulis .. i have followed you and @adamkokesh
because i choose the right person and the great bohomian in sharing experience and the meaning of freedom.
Thanks for this @adamkokeah
Great story @marcus.pulis life is a choice, and your belief is very appropriate to choose Mr @damkokesh walking towards freedom, Adam has opened the eyes of many people's hearts
I really enjoyed this. Been crazy busy, glad i spent my 5 minutes reading this
Thank you
It's good to know your story. Hope you will surely share your exciting journey with us very frequently. Congratulations!
I will, this gets to December 2017, the real fun starts inJanuary.
Waiting!
It's a very wonderful story and adventure
I love democracy and I love the atmosphere of the elections because everyone expresses a good opinion
I am so proud of the work you are doing. Introducing FREEDOM to all!
I do what I can.
@marcus.pulis that was a truly GREAT, well written article! It is great to know that you are on the FREEDOM Team! @adamkokesh has put together a strong team and that is important because he cannot do it all himself. It takes a Team of dedicated, trustworthy people to make any project a success and you are an important part of that Team. I look forward to reading more about your story and there will be many more stories to come it sounds like. Excellent JOB!
What a great story, friend, you are an example of motivation and that everything you propose is possible if you put a lot of effort, keep it up! freedom is near
Your post will influence me. You have describe your real story how you came down to up. I will do like you.
I wish the best on your journey. I hope the world knows the truth about things that's going on around!
Adam Kokesh if you become President you will immediately be approached by Pentagon and Cia people who want you to continue their operations in the middle east, there will be massive pressure on you to continue these programms.
Cia & Pentagon " President Kokesh we have been conducting spec ops in Syria from the start, we have invested many millions and we have invested blood, we want that oil and we want hedgemony. We need you to sign off on our operations for clarity. Please sign here, here and here"
How do you respond?
The more important question is considering the number of homeless and low income humans unable to afford health insurance and a pension provision.....when all 50million ask for help after the Libertarian party have dismantled the welfare state as per their manifesto is...
How do you respond?
The states will stop sending money to DC to siphon money off the top. This will equal more money for local communities. Government does not have any money that they did not rob at gunpoint from someone.
how does it equal more money for local communities ? the states wont be getting any money as there will be no taxes lol...whatever they get will come from voluntary contribution....from people who voted them in because they didnt want to pay any form of taxes....Do you think people will pay voluntarily as expected or pay nothing? In which case I ask again, who is going to help? what about roads , infrastructure etc etc...Its like the party a spoilt child would invent ! Have you actually read the Libertarian manifesto ?
Finally, perhaps governments rob money off people because they at least understand the need to help those less fortunate and the need in a modern humanitarian world for some form of welfare state to help the less fortunate as they know if they didn't, no one would give voluntarily........
Of course, fuck those poor and ill folk as long as you have the right to bear arms and revert the country back to civil war.
Government extorts money from people through taxation, it does not have money itself. For every step that dollar takes it is stolen from more. I will give an example. If the government steals a dollar from you to give it to your neighbor as food stamps, it is taken from you against your consent by someone in your local government. They are working for $, so their cut, let's say is 5 cents. 1.00-.05=.95 They hand it off to county government .95-.05=.90 To your state .90-.10= .80 to your regional people .80-.05= .75 Finally, it is off to the Federal government to process and take their cut and return .75-.25= .50 Now it is time for the government to be generous with your money. They send it back to the region .50-.05= .45 the State .45-.10=.35 county .35-.05=.30 and finally your local government .30-.05=.25 gives your neighbor .25 $ in food stamps. How is it more money for local governments? I would go next door and give my neighbor a meal= $15.00, but if you have local government handling it, sure they will have to do more but it would be closer to this stolen $1.00-.25=.75, given to your neighbor. Does that help?
So yes MUH ROADS! will get taken care of as well and use above formula to calculate. Just as an aside my government roads are horrible here in Indiana, are yours better?
Absolutely I help the poor, I recently was involved in a drive to clothe local homeless people. I also donate to my local food bank, which my wife volunteers at. As for guns, yes obviously I support people having the right to their own property but what does that have to do with the current question?
The US really doesn't want their oil they just don't want anyone else having it. The US just announced the other day it will become the largest distributor of oil on the market therefore we have plenty. Whoever has control of the oil in the ME becomes the dominate player and if that player happens to be terrorist then it's in the wrong hands because it's the oil that enables them to finance weapons. In Syria the US currently holds the most valuable real estate, land that oil fields are on, so until the situation there works itself out somehow whereas the government stabilizes I don't see them pulling out anytime soon.
Think about the audacity of that, the US openly admits to holding land of a foreign nation against the explicit wishes of that country. And to add to it you are also arming the jihadists in Syria. You call them rebels because you know a western public would never understand how the US could arm the same minded people like the 911 hijackers, jihadists types. Also arming jihadists at this moment would constitute treason as they are undoubtedly the enemy. So calling them rebels is an intentional mislabelling aka verbal gymnastics eg like calling torture enhanced interrogation.
I call the rebels because Assad has labeled them rebels. Rebels against his rule would be my guess as to why he's gone to calling them that. Then there's the Kurds who Turkey has labeled as terrorist and US as part of their coalition fighting ISIS terrorist. I don't see you going on and on about Turkey going into Syria to cause conflict with the Kurds. Half of whats wrong over there is one group hating on another internally...just think if every country in the world operated without regard or protections in place to guarantee liberty for everyone....there'd be no place safe and the world would be a mess. Granted it doesn't excuse interventionist practices but that's part of the point, those practices keep that hate in check and keeps it from growing. I don't have a magic answer and if anybody else did we'd be able to solve the problems.
The libertarians foreign policy is of non intervention ....their immigration policy is that of free entry to anyone who wants to come in. Do you not see how this could not cause internal security issues ?
@adamkokesh how would i make a request for you to restreem a blog post?