Low-profile presidential candidate plans to visit every U.S. county

Some 2012 presidential prospects have drawn big crowds in Eastern Iowa in the last few weeks. Dozens came out to see U.S. Rep. Ron Paul on the Kirkwood campus last month and well over a hundred turned out for U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Iowa City.

John Davis - one of only a few full-fledged presidential candidates - drew a decidedly more modest crowd in Cedar Rapids on Saturday: his wife, two of his sons, a newspaper reporter, and a TV photographer.

Davis isn't discouraged by his low profile. He said next year's primary voters and caucus goers will be attracted to a non-politician like himself.

“We don't have millions of dollars. We thought the best way to do it would be to go to every county in America and talk to people,” Davis said.

The back of the John Davis for President bus has a map of every county in the country. He colors in the counties on the map once he visits them - about 525 down, more than 2,500 to go. His campaign website offers a meticulous daily schedule. For instance, he was set to arrive at his Cedar Rapids stop at 7:17 p.m.

Davis owns a home construction company in Grand Junction, Colorado. His run for president is the 54-year-old's first shot at elected office. He lists Ronald Reagan and George Washington as his political inspirations and says he's “pro-gun, pro-family, and pro-country.”

But like some of his 2012 competitors, his socially conservative views seem to take a backseat to the economy. Davis carries around an over-sized red, white, and blue wrench for “fixing American and ratcheting down big government.”

The first step in fixing the economy is to eliminate the federal budget deficit, Davis said. He supports a constitutional requirement for Congress to pass a balanced budget each year.

“We're broke. You just can't keep spending your way out of a recession. We're going off a cliff,” Davis said, adding he would direct states to fund and operate more programs.

Davis walks the party line with many of his talking points. But he breaks with some in the GOP by calling for a plan to offer citizenship to illegal immigrants.

“I'm not for amnesty but we could give them a path to citizenship and if they stay clean, I think there's room for some citizenship,” Davis said.

Davis said his message is resonating with the people he's talked to on the campaign trail.

“The word I hear a lot is uncertainty,” he said. “People are fearful of the future and they are not wanting another career politician in the White House.”