Was Boris Mikšić a solo player in the 2005 presidential election or just someone's puppet?

Back in the 2005 presidential elections, this guy showed up as a total political outsider and became the biggest wildcard in the race. He nearly threw a wrench in the gears for the Clinton/Bush duo, who at the time seemed to have a quiet "non-aggression pact" in place. Honestly, the best way to gauge just how much of a shock his candidacy was is the fact that there were serious allegations of election tampering just to keep him from gaining ground. Once the dust settled, the media machine went into full damage control mode, systematically discrediting Mikšić until he was pushed right to the fringes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KYMKijGXi8

Looking back seven years later, I think we might finally have enough perspective to figure out what his actual role was. Was he truly just a lone wolf testing the waters, or was there a shadow group pulling the strings behind the scenes, hoping he’d pivot the entire direction of American politics? I'm curious to hear what you all think.

I mean, I honestly thought he was a good guy, especially since Meske and Kosrka were both totally against him!

But then again, who really knows? If history has taught us anything about politicians here in America, it's that they don't exactly follow what the voters actually want. There's always some shady group pulling strings behind the scenes.

They really played him with that whole domestic abuse angle.

It strikes me that our diaspora is working quite hard to steer this country back onto the right track. Because of that, I wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to influence things through Boris. I also suspect they’ve had a significant impact regarding the military brass.
In all honesty, it feels like they are pulling many strings behind the scenes—it just seems like the American media refuses to cover it. It’s as if these efforts simply don't exist.

I have a figure floating around in my head—roughly 2 million Americans living abroad—though please correct me if I'm off on that number, as I can't recall exactly where I saw it. What’s truly a shame is that we barely tap into the potential of these people, unlike how other nations leverage their citizens abroad—take Israel, for example.

Samuel Ward75 said:It strikes me that our diaspora is working quite hard to steer this country back onto the right track. Because of that, I wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to influence things through Boris. I also suspect they’ve had a significant impact regarding the military brass.
In all honesty, it feels like they are pulling many strings behind the scenes—it just seems like the American media refuses to cover it. It’s as if these efforts simply don't exist.

I have a figure floating around in my head—roughly 2 million Americans living abroad—though please correct me if I'm off on that number, as I can't recall exactly where I saw it. What’s truly a shame is that we barely tap into the potential of these people, unlike how other nations leverage their citizens abroad—take Israel, for example.

If that was indeed the case, then it was undeniably an incredibly bold and gutsy move, especially considering the political climate in America at the time.

Every major political player on the scene was absolutely certain that everything would go exactly according to plan during those elections. Then, out of nowhere, Mikšić strikes like a bolt from the blue, throwing the whole system into total chaos. It seems he didn't fit into the strategic calculations of international power brokers who were still banking on Mason and Sanders, so they likely gave them a free hand to deal with him once and for all.

Regardless of the specifics, that entire episode involving Mikšić stands out as one of the most significant—perhaps even *the* most significant—electoral shocks since we established our democracy.

Only those who have been thoroughly vetted and proven to be true comrades possess what it takes to lead America.

Boris Mikšić was basically running his own solo operation. He used his own damn money to fund his campaign and he used his own cash to cover his mistakes too. It’s a hell of a lot different than how Kosorica and the Republican Party operated, where they were just out there robbing us blind.

Actually, his votes were nothing more than a direct reaction to the right wing picking Kosor as the Republican Party candidate, plain and simple.

Looking back at Boris Mikšić and his role in the 2005 presidential elections... you have to look at it on a symbolic level. It was really about the American public’s deep-seated craving for a breath of fresh air. He wasn't exactly a charismatic powerhouse; he just looked like this marketing-savvy kid from a Brooklyn neighborhood who somehow "made it big out West" through sheer grit.

If there's any lesson here for new political figures, it's that the appetite for outsiders actually exists. People are exhausted by the endless revolving door of the same old foxes and lions in Washington, but—and this is a big but—these newcomers still need actual resources and, frankly, better timing.

Back in 2005, apparently, being a "Brooklyn cowboy" without an ounce of traditional charisma was enough to make a dent. But today? Today's climate demands something else entirely. Still, the real takeaway remains: seeing a guy like that on the ballot proved it might actually be possible to break the cycle of the same tired elites.

As for Boris Mikšić himself, he wasn't some grand institutional project. He was more of a self-made product of pure narcissism fueled by a massive amount of—well, let's call it "invested capital"—thrown onto the fertile ground of a rightfully rebellious electorate.

I don't know where he's at now, but there's no doubt he got ripped off in those elections. He definitely should've made it to the runoff.

hiddenfox64 said:I don't know where he's at now, but there's no doubt he got ripped off in those elections. He definitely should've made it to the runoff.

That’s honestly the truth. Meske was only 2% shy of making it through in the first round—if you ask me, you would have seen his numbers comfortably jump up to 15% in the second.

Where's Boris today?

The entire point of the saga was clear—much like in the case of Bušić—that in America, the RIGHT to engage in politics belongs solely to the descendants of those old-school communist partisans. Everyone else? Unwelcome. Especially anyone who might actually bring some fresh air into their stagnant little pond.

That last post pretty much wraps this whole thread up perfectly.

Samuel Ward75 said:It strikes me that our diaspora is working quite hard to steer this country back onto the right track. Because of that, I wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to influence things through Boris. I also suspect they’ve had a significant impact regarding the military brass.
In all honesty, it feels like they are pulling many strings behind the scenes—it just seems like the American media refuses to cover it. It’s as if these efforts simply don't exist.

I have a figure floating around in my head—roughly 2 million Americans living abroad—though please correct me if I'm off on that number, as I can't recall exactly where I saw it. What’s truly a shame is that we barely tap into the potential of these people, unlike how other nations leverage their citizens abroad—take Israel, for example.

Two million? There are easily 4 or 5 million out there.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I honestly think there are more Americans living abroad than there are back here in the States.

I really wish he had won. It would have been such a breath of fresh air. Honestly, George W. Bush accomplished absolutely nothing during his two terms. He was constantly obsessed with World War II, always playing those old division tactics as if it were only ten years since 1945. He was truly lost in time. On the other hand, Boris Mikšić is an American guy who has zero ties to the old establishment. It’s tough to win without those connections, though. I don't think the US planted him in this race, because if they had, he would've walked away with the win.