showed that he was the single most popular public figure in united states of america at that time. before you made that speech in 95 announcing that he would not run for the presidency, it was very possible that he would run. he had written two speeches, one announcing that he'd run, and one announcing that he wouldn't. either was possible. he written a memoir that was a smash success. people mobbed his booked events as if it were campaign events. he did travel including to some of the crucial early states, he did some campaign style events to basically test the waters if running for president was going to be right for him. colin paul had been an independent and legitimate nonpartisan throughout his 35 years of military service. both parties in fact, considered him as a potential standard variant in the presidential campaign before he did test the waters in 1995. but in 1995, when he was testing those water, team made clear that he was a republican.