Our country is going to hell in a hand basket, according to Dale Peterson, former candidate for Alabama Commission of Agriculture and Industries, who is now working to help conservatives get elected nationwide.

“It’s not about Senate or congressional races,” Peterson said. “It’s about whether or not we are going to survive.”

He burst through the Ferguson Center door on Tuesday night wearing his infamous cowboy hat, and announced in his message that he is an average guy who is sincere.

“I am what you see,” Peterson said. “I’m not a politician. I am representative of about 90 percent of America.”

If there is one thing Peterson has vast knowledge of, it’s agriculture. Peterson recalls acting as a livestock judge for decades, traveling across the United States and Canada.

“I got to see all the kids who loved their animals and loved what they were doing,” Peterson said. “It was pure. They just had their cow or hog and put it out there on a level playing field to be judged for what it was worth.”

However, he said when he would leave the livestock competitions on the last day and drive back out through the gates, the world would just turn off.

“The cesspool we have today opened up again and I hated it,” Peterson said.             “People at large compete, whether it’s in animals, politics, or whatever. We don’t have a level playing field today.”

Dale Peterson is a genuine person, according to John Chapin, a junior majoring in political science and anthropology.

“When he came into the room, the whole place lit up, and you could just see people responding to what he was saying,” Chapin said.

Peterson said he would not censor anything he believes to be true, and even expressed that he thinks the current presidential administration hates America.

“Our country is all we have,” Peterson said. “I adore my wife more than anything in this world. But without a country to believe in or goals to obtain once you get out of college – you don’t have squat.”

Peterson said the government wants to make students totally dependent on the government after graduation. He said he also believes that if the thumb was taken off of private enterprise, jobs would open up.

“You need to govern by the Constitution and let private industry work,” Peterson said. “With those two things, America can be successful.”

While Peterson said he has been asked to run for President, he is still unsure about whether he will enter the race.

“Sure, just give me 600 million [dollars] and I’ll do it,” Peterson said. “The liberal press would eat me alive, though, because I’d be true to myself.”

People are expected to be too politically correct now, according to Peterson.

“We have worn the ‘racist’ word out,” Peterson said. “If I have the wrong color boots on I am racist,” he exclaimed, pointing down to his black boots. He openly admits he does not believe himself to be an eloquent speaker, just a genuine down-to-earth American.

CadeAnn Smith, the president of College Republicans, who hosted the event, said she was pleased with the speech overall.

“I think he’s really entertaining, and one of the more famous Republicans out there lately,” Smith said. “We drew a good crowd tonight.”

Peterson told all of the audience members who are considering running for public office in the future to be true to themselves.

“There are all kinds of engineers on that long, black train trying to pull you off the tracks along the way,” Peterson said. “You have to be sincere.”