Entrepreneurs eye the White House

A small-business business owner for president? These Libertarians are ready for the job. Check out our profiles of several entrepreneurial candidates who will be in the running when the party picks its nominee later this month at its convention in Denver.

Age: 46
Business: Winning Edge International
Title: Founder and CEO
Campaign Web site: rootforamerica.com

How about a Las Vegas odds maker for President? Wayne Allyn Root is founder of Winning Edge, a publicly traded sports handicapping service that sold last year for $6.5 million to British sports betting company Betbrokers. Bemoaning the Libertarian party's lack of political progress on a national level, the former co-host of Spike TV's King of Vegas is aiming for the top position.

"What I will preach is that ownership is the key to life," says Root, who cites sports commentator and Las Vegas bookie Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder as one of his professional role models.

As well as Libertarian staples such as small government, low taxes and less foreign intervention, Root's political priorities including keeping decision-making authority about social issues at the state level, from gay rights to stem-cell research. A parent who helps home-school his four young children, he plans to shut down the federal Department of Education and emphasize alternatives to public schooling.

Despite being a new face in the Libertarian party, Root has become a frontrunner for the nomination: The race is considered to be a close, three-way fight between him and longtime politicians Bob Barr and Mary Ruwart.