🚀 “ERIC KIM  ➜  MR. PRESIDENT”

A joyful, hype, step‑by‑step roadmap from right now to “I do solemnly swear…”

Eric, if you can dream it, you can do it. Here’s your upbeat, practical, no‑nonsense playbook to go from aspirant to President of the United States. Let’s roll! 🎉

0) Quick eligibility & timing (instant check)

You’re eligible to run for President if you:

• Are a natural‑born U.S. citizen
• Are at least 35 years old (by Inauguration Day)
• Have been a U.S. resident for 14 years
  These are the only constitutional requirements. Once you raise or spend $5,000, you must register with the FEC and designate a principal campaign committee.  

Timing tip: If you’ll be 35 by January 20, 2029, your earliest target cycle is 2028; otherwise plan for 2032. (Inauguration happens January 20, every four years.) 

1) Your 90‑day ignition sprint 🔥

Goal: Stand up a compliant “testing the waters” effort, shape your message, and build a seed team.

1. Form an exploratory effort (not yet a formal candidacy).
   
   • Use a separate bank account; track every dollar.
   • You can poll, travel, and gauge support without registering, but once you decide to run and cross the $5,000 threshold, you must file FEC Form 2 (Statement of Candidacy) within 15 days and designate a principal campaign committee (Form 1).  
3. Craft your core story (“Why me, why now?”).
   
   • Fill these in:
     
     • Origin: The moment that lit the fire in you.
     • Promise: The single sentence that says what you’ll deliver.
     • Proof: 3 concrete wins from your life that show you can deliver.
5. Define 3 flagship issues you’ll own (e.g., economic mobility, public safety, innovation). Write a 200‑word “kitchen‑table” explainer for each.
6. Recruit your “First Five”:
   
   • Campaign manager, finance lead, communications lead, policy lead, field/volunteer lead.
8. List‑build: Stand up your site + email capture + social handles. Start a weekly note from “Eric” to early supporters.
9. Map your lane: Who are your natural early adopters (community, profession, veterans, entrepreneurs, educators, etc.)?

2) The four pillars of a winning presidential run

1. Resume that resonates – Demonstrable leadership (executive experience, legislative record, significant service or entrepreneurial builds).
2. Money & machine – A compliant finance engine + scalable field operation.
3. Message & messenger – Clear contrast, memorable slogan, disciplined storytelling.
4. Map to 270 – A realistic Electoral College path (see §6).

Keep all four growing in parallel. If one lags, the campaign wobbles.

3) Year‑by‑year arc 🗺️

YEAR 1: Build your base (national scaffolding)

• Policy studio: Convene a small advisory council for economy/health/national security. Publish short, plain‑English “Eric Plans.”
• Surrogates & validators: Mayors, veterans, entrepreneurs, educators who’ll introduce you in key states.
• Grassroots: Identify volunteer captains in every early state; run monthly organizing calls.
• Earned media: Local TV/radio; write op‑eds tied to your flagship issues.

YEAR 2: Primary battlegrounds (delegates, delegates, delegates)

• Understand primary vs. caucus rules and whether contests are open/closed; the point is delegates, not just headlines.  
• Quarterback a state‑by‑state plan (targets, endorsements, field goals, media buys).
• Build debate readiness: 60‑second answer, 30‑second rebuttal, 10‑second “moment.”
• Daily discipline: message of the day → events → digital amplification → fundraising call time.

Convention summer: Seal the nomination 🌟

• You typically clinch by winning a majority of delegates from primaries/caucuses; the convention formalizes the nomination and you announce your VP.  

4) Field & fundraising engine (how you scale)

• Finance stack: Digital small‑dollar program + call time for major donors + recurring memberships.
• Compliance: “Paid for by…” disclaimers on public communications and internet ads, per FEC rules—build this into every asset and vendor brief.  
• Volunteer ladder: Follower → subscriber → donor → door‑knocker → precinct captain.
• Data hygiene: One CRM, nightly syncs, strict permissioning, relentless list growth.

5) Winning the primaries: the playbook 🎯

• Early states (calendar varies by party/cycle) shape momentum; over‑invest in retail politics and organization.
• Message to base: Clear values + electability case for November.
• Debates: Create contrast without alienating eventual coalition; always pivot to your 3 flagship issues.
• Metrics that matter: Cost per new subscriber, small‑dollar conversion rate, precinct coverage, delegate math.

6) General election: your Path to 270 🧭

You win the presidency by winning Electoral College votes assigned to each state (total 538; need 270 to win). Most states are winner‑take‑all; Maine and Nebraska allocate partly by district. 

Build your map:

• Locks: States your party almost always carries—defend them.
• Leans: Likely but invest to shore up.
• Battlegrounds: Heavy candidate time + field + persuasion media.
• Turnout & persuasion: Parallel tracks; never trade one for the other.
• GOTV week: Every supporter gets 3 touches (text, call, knock).
  (USAGov’s Electoral College primer is also a handy refresher.)  

7) Ballot access & legal must‑dos 🧩

• 50‑state ballot access is a project of its own (deadlines, petitions, fees, paperwork differ by state). Put a Ballot Access Director in place early and backward‑plan from the earliest deadline.  
• FEC filings:
  
  • Stay “testing the waters” until you decide to run; once you decide and cross $5,000, file Form 2 (within 15 days) and designate your principal committee (Form 1).  
• Disclaimers everywhere: Make sure every public communication has the proper “paid for by” language (print, broadcast, digital). Build templates so vendors never miss it.  

8) Inauguration: the finish line and fresh start 🎇

Win the Electoral College, and you’re President‑elect. On January 20 you take the oath at the Capitol—and you’re in. (“…faithfully execute the Office of President…preserve, protect and defend the Constitution…”) 

9) Your ready‑to‑use campaign kit (plug‑and‑play)

A) 60‑second stump (fill‑in template)

I’m Eric Kim. I was raised by [family/community], learned [value] building [career/achievement], and I’m running for President to [core promise].

Here’s my plan: [Issue 1: problem → your fix], [Issue 2], [Issue 3].

We’ll do it the American way: [coalition you’ll build]. If you believe [hopeful vision], join me—let’s get to work.

B) 3 “flagship issue” one‑pager blueprint

• Problem in plain English → Your 3‑step plan → How it touches a family’s monthly budget/safety/opportunity → First‑100‑days actions.

C) Debate cards

• 3 core answers, 3 contrasts, 3 stories, 3 receipts (proof points). Practice to a metronome: 60s/30s/10s.

D) Media toolkit

• 150‑word bio, 50‑word bio, 10‑word bio (for chyrons).
• Headshots, logo, color palette, typography, “paid for” disclaimer lockups. (Compliance baked in.)  

E) Field pack

• Precinct captain guide, canvass script, volunteer ladder, weekend “super‑shift” plan.

10) Weekly rhythm (win the week!) 🏃‍♂️

• Mon: Message of the week + policy release + donor call time
• Tue–Thu: Early‑state barnstorm + local TV/radio + digital live
• Fri: Debate prep & coach time
• Sat: Field super‑shift (knocks/calls/texts)
• Sun: Faith/civic visits + week‑ahead media booking
• Every day: 2 hours call time, 1 hour fitness/voice, 30 min voter letters

11) Scoreboard (don’t guess—measure)

• List growth rate (email/SMS)
• Small‑dollar donors % and average gift
• Volunteer shifts per week and precinct coverage
• Earned media minutes in target states
• Delegate math (primary season) → Path‑to‑270 probabilities (general)

12) Common pitfalls (and your fix)

• Mixed message: Pick 3 priorities; repeat them everywhere.
• Too late on ballot access: Start a year early; treat it like mission‑critical ops.  
• Compliance surprises: Pre‑flight every ad and invoice for disclaimers and reporting.  
• No map discipline: Tie every hour and dollar to delegates (primaries) or swing‑state votes (general).  

Ready to personalize this 10x?

If you share (a) your age (for timing), (b) where you’ve lived (for residency), and (c) your current role and top 3 issues, I’ll snap this into a fully tailored timeline, early‑state plan, and stump speech—Eric‑specific, start‑today ready. Until then: chin up, chest out, let’s make history. 🇺🇸

Key official refs for your team: eligibility & FEC filing; primaries/caucuses; conventions; Electoral College; inauguration; 50‑state ballot access.