From Harvard Law Prof To White House?

It seems a Harvard law professor may have designs to move out of Areeda Hall... and into the White House.

It seems a Harvard law professor may have designs to move out of Areeda Hall… and into the White House. Lawrence Lessig, a constitutional law professor, internet law specialist, and advocate for campaign finance reform, has launched LessigforPresident in anticipation of a possible presidential run.

Lessig is hoping to raise $1 million by Labor Day in order to officially throw his hat into the Democratic presidential primary. As Politico reports, Lessig’s presidential aspirations are limited to making radical changes to election laws:

Lessig’s candidacy is aimed at securing passage of the Citizen Equality Act of 2017, a legislative proposal for voter protection laws, new methods for electing representatives and a greater focus on citizen-funded elections.

In his launch video, he explains that he is running to put “citizen equality” on the map, and unless a leading candidate, “whether Hillary or Bernie or Joe or someone else” adopts that mantle, Lessig himself would run as a “referendum president,” serving only as long as it takes to pass that agenda.

The centerpiece of a Lessig presidency would be an end the the trifecta of election law issues: voter ID laws, gerrymandering, and Citizens United; and then, well, he’ll give it all up. Not a typical presidential platform, to be sure, but certainly a fascinating one. In an interview with the Washington Post, Lessig discusses why this is such an important issue for him:

“Until we find a way to fix the rigged system, none of the other things that people talk about doing are going to be possible,” Lessig said in an interview with The Washington Post, borrowing a phrase that has become Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s rallying cry. “We have this fantasy politics right now where people are talking about all the wonderful things they’re going to do while we know these things can’t happen inside the rigged system.”

And Lessig is confident he’ll be able to make the 1% national polling threshold the DNC has established to participate in the debates:

“That one percent of America has watched my Ted Talks,” Lessig said. “If we can be in the debates and frame this issue in a way that becomes compelling, then I think there’s a chance to see it take off.”

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I can’t wait to see what drinking game rules JoePa comes up with if there is a Harvard Law prof in the mix.

Lawrence Lessig wants to run for president — in a most unconventional way [Washington Post]
Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig exploring White House bid [Politico]

Earlier: The Official Lawyer’s Guide To Getting Drunk Watching Donald Trump Debate

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