Can Smith make a difference?

Michael Charles Smith is running for President of the United States.

Yes, its a long shot. And yes, he is hardly known outside of Oregon.

But Smith has fire. In the great spirit of America, where a regular guy can put his hand up for the most powerful job in the world, Smith is fighting to make a difference.

Smith is an employee of Hewlett Packard, he has a wife and 2 kids...and he plays the tuba.

As a moderate Republican, Smith believes that the party has shifted too far to the right, and listens too much to what he calls the "...religious conservative voices." Smith is a Republican who believes in small government and personal freedoms, values on which the party was founded, but has drifted away from in recent years.

Does Smith have a chance at winning the nomination? Well, no. But Smith himself recognises this is an uphill battle. In his own words, he is not "...delusional enough to have my bags packed and be planning on changing my address to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue."

Smith however may yet get a chance to attend the Republican National Convention, if he can secure enough votes in his home state. This in itself would be a big victory, and it would give him the opportunity to talk on the national stage about moderate Republicanism.

In a climate where the conservative forces in the GOP are taking a battering, Smith may well be able to secure enough votes for his convention goal.

At the very least though, Smith is a candidate for President. And as the race hots up over 2007, what better position to be in to have your views heard?