“Imagine a nonpartisan presidential candidate who lives in a modest house, walks or bicycles around town, mows his own lawn, travels in a 1990s motorhome, and does without air conditioning and TV. Meet ‘Average Joe’ Schriner. Joe explains that his age (52), his height (5’10”), his weight (180 pounds), his yearly income (five digits), his home state (Ohio) and his overall political outlook represent the average American. In 1990, this Cleveland journalist and inner-city substance abuse counselor relocated to Tiffin in northwest Ohio to experience rural life. In 1992, along with his wife Liz and children Sarah and Joseph, Mr. Schriner embarked on an eight-year, 60,000-mile journey of the nation’s back roads, visiting hundreds of small towns to collect research. In 2000 ‘Average Joe’ Schriner registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to kick off his quiet presidential campaign. Since then — with the added company of a third child, Jonathan — he has traveled another 20,000 miles through the Northeast, the South, the Midwest, and the Southwest. In this 2008 election year, Joe is touring his home state once again.” (05/10/08)