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As McAfee runs for US President – we ask a crucial question: Will Reg readers back him?

Don't wait for 2016 – vote now!

Poll Now that paranoid playboy John McAfee has personally confirmed to El Reg that he is running for US president, it's time to ask a key question. No, not where his campaign stands on inequality, America's simmering racial tensions, the fate of the middle class, and stuff like that.

We need to find out this crucial detail: does the wild man of information security have Reg reader backing. We know millions of you read this site a month, and McAfee claims to have "a huge underground following on the web." Before you make a snap decision, make sure you watch his campaign launch video. We think it speaks for itself. It is right here:

Youtube Video

McAfee's campaign website is here, where you can find ways to donate or volunteer. The founder of the McAfee antivirus software – now owned by Intel – has set up the Cyber Party to get him into the White House next year. He is taking a hard stance against mass surveillance and the constant erosion of privacy.

"Technology has transformed nearly every aspect of our society. From education, to transportation, to media, to energy, there is hardly an industry that has been untouched by modern technology," his campaign bumf notes.

"The major exception to this has been the federal government. The goal of the Cyber Party is quite simple: we aim to speed up the rate the federal government adopts new technology, without sacrificing American freedom and privacy."

Whether this is a prank, protest vote, or the real deal, the American millionaire software baron has filed his paperwork to stand as a presidential candidate. It is unwise for him to formally declare himself a candidate at this stage, because once he does, tough rules on financial declarations and fundraising kick in. Instead, for now, McAfee is calling for people to "stand with him."

So, what do you reckon? Don't forget to hit submit after answering the two questions. ®

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Bootnotes

Thanks to davidstalane and cfclark on Twitter for some of the slogan ideas. We also spotted that, last year, McAfee said in a Q&A on drug dealing: "I would never run for office, neither would I want to be in office, of any kind. I would rather drive a nail through my foot."

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