By Lauren Bishop
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Five months ago, 41-year-old Glenn Sargent of Mason lost his job at Fifth Third Bank. Now, he's spending time doing what just about anyone in his position would do: Trying to become president of the United States.

Glenn Sargent

Sargent and 177 other people nationwide are vying for one of 12 spots on Showtime's upcoming reality TV series, American Candidate. The show's goal is to pluck the ideal presidential candidate from obscurity.

The 12 finalists will compete in a series of political challenges over the 10 weeks of the show. Whoever comes out on top won't automatically become a candidate in this year's presidential election, although he or she can choose to run.

But the winner will receive $200,000 - and what Showtime promises will be a "nationwide media appearance." Unlike Survivor, it all sounds pretty good to Sargent.

"I'm into government," says the one-time candidate for urban county council in Lexington and a corporate trainer by trade, "and you don't have to sleep outside and eat bugs."

Sargent and other prospective candidates already have personal pages on the American Candidate Web site (www.americancandidate.com), where Web browsers can pick out their favorites.

In choosing the finalists, the show's producers will look at the number of clicks each candidate gets, along with the amount of time they participate in online message boards and public appearances sponsored by www.meetup.com.

Candidates have to be at least 18, and can be foreign-born. And it's entirely possible that someone could get further along in the televised political process with a platform that includes, say, a TiVo in every home, as one candidate's does.

Sargent, the only candidate from the Tristate, calls himself a Clinton Democrat, and even speaks with a slight Southern drawl. His own platform includes developing clean fuels, improving education and elder care, helping the United States gain more respect from other nations and creating new jobs in this country - his most important goal.

A stay-at-home dad to two boys while his wife, Karla, holds down two jobs, Sargent says he's only slightly worried about skeletons emerging from his own closet if he becomes a candidate.

Probably the wackiest thing he's done, he says, was to write and record a rap single in homage to former University of Kentucky basketball coach Rick Pitino, titled "Funky Cold Pitino," after the 1989 Tone-Loc hit "Funky Cold Medina." The song was a hit on Lexington radio.

Says Sargent, "But it's not like I was Puff Daddy."

To cast a vote

American Candidate premieres in August on Showtime. To help producers choose the 12 finalists, visit www.americancandidate.com to vote for your favorite. The Web site address for prospective candidate Glenn Sargent of Mason is www.americancandidate.com/candidate_homepage.php?id=75

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E-mail lbishop@enquirer.com