Twelve Candidates -- Not Two -- for President

The Florida general election ballot lists twelve candidates for president -- twelve presidential/vice-presidential tickets -- and, once again, most people have heard about only two...maybe three, given celebrity Roseanne Barr's candidacy. Mainstream media coverage leads most people to think presidential politics is about male, mostly White, candidates. The truth? Check out the candidates, all of whom are listed below.

What is to gain by running as a third party candidate? Remember the check-off box on your income tax form asking if you want to contribute $3 of your return to the Federal Election Campaign? If a party can get at least 5% of the popular vote, that party earns a piece of that money. It may not make a difference for the current campaign, but the money might affect future third-party candidates' chances. 

It also is important to know that more and more American citizens are registered as unaffiliated with any political party (http://justthewritetouch-info.blogspot.com/2010/02/major-parties-in-minority.html).

THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ON THE FLORIDA BALLOT

Want to know more than just a name? Wonder what some of those three-letter combinations indicating political affiliation mean? Want to find out who is contributing money to these candidates? The I.N.F.O. Finder is on the job!

First, let's look at why the candidates are listed in the order they are. Florida law says:

Florida Statutes, 101.151:
(2)(a) The ballot shall have the following office titles under which shall appear the names of the candidates for the respective offices in the following order:

1. The office titles of President and Vice President and thereunder the names of the candidates for President and Vice President of the United States nominated by the political party that received the highest vote for Governor in the last general election of the Governor in this state. Then shall appear the names of other candidates for President and Vice President of the United States who have been properly nominated.

A little further down, however, the same statute says:

(3)(a) The names of the candidates of the party that received the highest number of votes for Governor in the last election in which a Governor was elected shall be placed first for each office on the general election ballot, together with an appropriate abbreviation of the party name; the names of the candidates of the party that received the second highest vote for Governor shall be placed second for each office, together with an appropriate abbreviation of the party name.

(b) Minor political party candidates shall have their names appear on the general election ballot following the names of recognized political parties, in the same order as they were qualified, followed by the names of candidates with no party affiliation, in the order as they were qualified.

 Hmmm. This year, for instance, the Republican party candidates are listed first because the Republican candidate got the most votes in the 2010 election. We could discuss whether such an order perpetuates the status quo or unjustly favors some candidates over others, but we won't. It is worth noting, however, that some states -- Wisconsin is one -- draw lots to determine the order.

So, who are the twelve candidates? Listed below are the presidential/vice-presidential candidates, in reverse order from the ballot listing. I have linked the candidates to their official Web sites, but Wikipedia has entries for each candidate, including links (at the bottom of the entry) to outside news sources:

Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson / Luis J. Rodriguez -- JPF (Justice Party). As a Democrat, Anderson served two terms as mayor of Salt Lake City. In 2011, he switched party affiliation to the Justice Party. Rodriguez's bio page on the two Web sites, says he is "a leading Chicano writer, speaker, gang expert and interventionist, and activist for justice in urban peace, the arts, labor, and human rights,"

Tom Hoefling / Jonathan D. Ellis -- AIP (America's Party). Hoefling is an Iowa political activist, who was political director for 2008 presidential candidate Alan Keyes. No information about Ellis is given on either Web site, that I could see. One link offers what it says are Ellis' responses to various questions, but a cursory examination of the sites and a quick Google search found no other information about Ellis. The only official photo on the Web site (other than a very small one as part of the banner and other than a pencil drawing), is this one of Hoefling and his wife, Siena.

Roseanne Barr / Cindy Sheehan -- PFP (Peace and Freedom). Barr bills herself as "The only serious comedian running for president," a reference to her career as a stand-up comedian and actor. Sheehan is the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq; following her child's death, Sheehan's bio page says "her quest for answers . . . led her to Revolutionary Socialism as as the solution to the Imperialist/Capitalist two-party stranglehold on not only US politics, but, by extension, the world."

Peta Lindsay / Yari Osorio -- PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation).  Lindsay is an international political activist and is a master's student in education at the University of Southern California. Osorio, born in Colombia, has a degree in forensic psychology, is a licensed EMT, and is part of social activist groups including the  Occupy Wall Street movement.

Stewart Alexander / Alex Mendoza -- SOC (Socialist Party USA). Alexander is "a working man from Los Angeles, CA." His biography says he has worked in a number of trades and positions, including brick mason, forklift driver, salesman, and consumer lobbyist. As a political activist, Alexander has run for mayor of Los Angeles in 1989, for Lieutenant governor in 2006, and for governor in 2010. Mendoza has been an international IT consultant, currently owns his own landscaping business and is a master's student in geology at the University of Texas in Dallas

Andre Barnett / Kenneth Cross -- REF (Reform Party). Barnett, from New York, owns an IT consulting business and is a male fitness model. Cross is a civil engineer and also was a presidential candidate in 2008, but did not qualify to be listed on Florida's ballot.

Jill Stein / Cheri Honkala -- GRE (Green Party). Stein is an internal medical physician and enviromental-health advocate from Massachusetts. She ran for governor in 2002, for Massachusetts State Representative in 2004, for Massachusetts Secretary of State in 2006, and has served on the town meeting in Lexington for two terms. Honkala is an international anti-poverty activist.






Virgil H. Goode, Jr.  / James N. Clymer -- CPF (Constitution Party). Goode is a Virginia lawyer who served in the Virginia State Senate from 1973 to 1997 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2009. Clymer is a lawyer from Pennsylvania who ran for Lieutenant governor in 1998, for Lancaster County Commisioner in 2003, and for U.S. Senate in 2004.





 Gary Johnson / James P. Gray -- LBT (Libertarian).  Johnson, a businessman, was Governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003. Gray served on the Orange County (California) Superior Court from 1989 to 2010 and has written books about judicial leadership and the nation's drug laws.






Thomas Robert Stevens / Alden Link -- OBJ (Objectivist Party). Stevens is a New York attorney, educator, and political activist who, for two-and-a-half years, produced his own television program, "In Focus." Link is a New Jersey real estate developer and businessman. No official photo was found on the official campaign Web site. The photo shown at right is from an independent political site; on this site, Stevens is listed as a Libertarian. Wikipedia suggests Stevens has been affiliated with the Boston Tea Party and the Personal Freedom Party.




Barak Obama / Joe Biden -- DEM (Democratic Party). Obama is an Illinois lawyer who, beginning in 1996, served as State Senator and, beginning in 2004, as U.S. Senator. He was elected President of the United States in 2008. Biden is a lawyer and was a U.S. Senator from Delaware from 1973 until sworn in as Vice-President of the United States in 2009. The photograph to the left is from the official government Web site, whitehouse.gov.






Mitt Romney / Paul Ryan -- REP (Republican National Committee). Romney holds degrees in both law and business, has been a businessman, and was Governor of Massachusetts from 2002 to 2010. Ryan holds degrees in economics and political science; he has been U.S. Representative from Wisconsin since 1999. The photograph to the right was taken by Gage Skidmore .

Cheers to all who keep this process of self-government alive!

All 13 Presidential Candidates on Florida's 2008 Ballot

Barack Obama isn't the only person with African heritage running for president, nor is Sarah Palin the only woman on a ticket. This year's candidates include an Arab-American, one who graduated from a U. S. military high school in Iran, an all-female ticket, and one who isn't a U.S. citizen. But each has spent the time, invested the money, and gathered enough support to qualify for Florida's ballot. Here they are, in alphabetical order by party, with a short blurb and links to other sources for each. Yes, I use Wikipedia for some of these sources. Additionally, Vote USA sent over 800 topics to each of the candidates -- not just the top two -- and has posted a side by side comparison of responses to its Web site. Our Campaigns is a "collaborative political Web site" with detailed info about each of the candidates. On The Issues is another site with comparative responses from each of the candidates. America's Independent Party (AIP) -- Alan Keyes, P; Brian Rohrbough, VP Here's what World Net Daily says about Keyes, one of WND's columnists (also where I found the most writing by Keyes): "A high-level Reagan era diplomat, a media personality and a conservative political activist, Alan Keyes is well-known as a staunch pro-life champion and a leader in the effort to restore the eroded sovereignty of the American people by securing our borders, abolishing the federal income tax and bringing the federal Judiciary back within proper constitutional bounds. He formally severed his Republican affiliation in April. He has since joined with other conservatives of conscience seeking to forge an Independent alternative in 2008 and has been nominated by the newly minted America's Independent Party as its choice for president. His name will appear as an alternative to Obama and McCain on many states' ballots, and will be available as a write-in on most others. More information and useful links can be found at www.alankeyes.com, www.americasrevival.com or at www.aipnc.com." And here's a link to Daylife's entry on Keyes -- Daylife is a news aggregator. Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Keyes Boston Tea Party (BTP) -- Charles Jay, P; John Wayne Smith, VP The link above takes you to the party's platform; the link to BTP's voters' guide shows different VP candidates listed on the ballot in different states. When Jay ran as the Personal Choice Party candidate in 2004, he was listed only on Utah's ballots. BTP's Web site indicates the party endorses a number of Libertarian candidates throughout the nation. The bio on Jay's Web site -- which seems to be unchanged since his 2004 run -- says he is a "New Jersey native, . . . a graduate of the University of Miami (Florida) and currently resides in Elkhart, Indiana." The bio also says his business background is in the world of boxing as a promoter, commentator and active guardian against corruption in the business. Here is Daylife's entry for Charles Jay. Photo: http://www.charlesjay.com/ Constitution Party of Florida (CPF) -- Chuck Baldwin, P; Darrell Castle, VP According to its Web site, the Constitution Party was formerly the U.S. Taxpayers Party, "one of only five federally recognized national parties," according to a 1999 press release on the Constitution Party of Florida's Web site (different from the CP national site linked above). In fact, in Michigan Baldwin is still listed as a candidate for UTP. In many other states, he's an Independent Party candidate -- sometimes as a write-in candidate. Ron Paul has announced his support for Baldwin (at the very end of a long statement). Baldwin's Facebook page says he is pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL, and lists other links for more info about Baldwin. He is also a broadcaster and syndicated columnist. Here is Daylife's entry for Chuck Baldwin. Photo: http://baldwin08.com/Chuck-Baldwin.cfm The Democratic Party (DEM) -- Barack Obama, P; Joe Biden, VP The Democratic Party dates back to 1792, according the DEM's Party History page. Then, however, it was called the Democratic-Republican party and its candidate was Thomas Jefferson. Interesting that the DEM site has FIVE pictures of McCain and only TWO of Obama on its front page. Reverse psychology? Born in Hawaii to an American mother from Kansas and an African father from Kenya, Obama graduated from Columbia University in New York and currently lives in Chicago. He has taught constitutional law. Here's Daylife's entry on Obama. Photo: http://obama.senate.gov/ Ecology Party of Florida -- Ralph Nader, P; Matt Gonzalez, VP EPF's Web site is specific to Florida. Here's the national campaign site for Nader & Gonzalez. As with the DEM site, click on "Skip to the Web site" to get past the sign-up-to-receive-emails page. Ralph Nader has been running for president since 1992 when he agreed to be a write-in candidate for "none of the above" in two states. His first formal campaign was in 1996 and he has run every four years since then. This year, Nader is on the ballot in 45 states. Nader is largely responsible for the existence of such agencies as OHSA and EPA. Wikipedia says he is the first Arab-American and first Lebanese-American candidate for President of the United States. Here is Daylife's entry on Nader. Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Naderspeak.JPG Green Party (GRE) -- Cynthia McKinney, P; Rosa Clemente, VP McKinney and Clemente, "the first all-woman-of-color Presidential ticket in U.S. History," call themselves the Truth Squad, according to their Web site. McKinney was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 1992, becoming the first African-American female to represent Georgia at the national level. Before that, McKinney served in the Georgia House and, according to her bio page, "gained national attention for her determined struggle for a fair and just reapportionment plan in Georgia." McKinney also played a highly visible role in challenging the 9/11 Commission Report. Here is Daylife's entry on Cynthia McKinney. Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_mckinney Libertarian Party (LBT) -- Bob Barr, P; Wayne A. Root, VP The Libertarian Party's slogan is "Smaller Government. Lower Taxes. More Freedom." Barr, a former Republican U.S. Congressman from Georgia, now works as a lawyer and runs a consulting firm called Liberty Strategies, LLC. according to the bio on his Web page, Barr also "serves as a board member for Privacy International, an international watchdog group headquartered in London." According to Wikipedia, Barr was a federal prosecutor and a leader in the move to impeach former President Bill Clinton. Raised in a military family, Barr graduated from high school in Iran and originally was a Young Democrat activist. Here is Daylife's entry for Bob Barr. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26574201@N07/page2/ Objectivist Party (OBJ) -- Thomas Robert Stevens, P; Alden Link, VP One of the newest political parties, the Objectivist Party was formed by Stevens on February 2, 2008, and is now chartered in 18 states. February 2 is Ayn Rand's birthdate, and the party "seeks to promote Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism in the political realm," according to the party's Web site. Dr. Stevens, a former Libertarian who supported Ron Paul in the Republican primary earlier this year, is described as an "educator, attorney and political activist." Here is Daylife's entry for Thomas Robert Stevens. Photo: http://www.facebook.com/people/Tom_Stevens/538957202 Prohibition Party (PRO) -- Gene Amondson, P; Leroy Pletten, VP This is Alaskan Gene Amondson's second run for President as the Prohibition Party candidate. With a degree in zoology and a master's in divinity, Amondson works as an artist, writer/illustrator and presents an impersonation of preacher Billy Sunday. According to Amondson, the Prohibition Party is America's oldest third party and the 13 years of Prohibition cut crime, mental institutionalization and occurrences of cirrhosis of the liver. Wikipedia says, "Amondson's third place finish in four Louisiana parishes was the first time since 1960 that the Prohibition Party candidate for President outpolled all other minor party candidates for President in any county." Here is Daylife's entry on Gene Amondson. Photo: http://www.geneamondson.com/ Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) -- Gloria LaRiva, P; Eugene Puryear, VP The PSL's Web site says, "The Party for Socialism and Liberation is a newly formed working class party of leaders and activists from many different struggles, founded to promote the movement for revolutionary change." LaRiva is president of the Typographical Sector, Media Workers Union, Local 39521, CWA, and was the Peace and Freedom Party candidate for California governor in 1994 and 1998. LaRiva has organized anti-Iraq demonstrations and immigrant rights. One part of her platform says, "As a labor activist, I know firsthand the deteriorating wages and benefits that millions of workers are facing today. My campaign calls for a $15/hour minimum wage, strengthening union rights, healthcare for all, free education through college, and a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions housing is a right!" Here is Daylife's entry for Gloria LaRiva. Photo: http://www.peaceandfreedom.org/home/index.php/articles/partisan-number-25/121-gloria-la-riva Republican National Committee (REP) -- John McCain, P; Sarah Palin, VP According to the Party History page on the GOP (does anyone remember this stands for Gallant Old Party?) Web site, the Republican party provided a major third party upset in 1856 when their first presidential candidate, John C. Fremont, captured 30% of the popular vote, effectively ending the Whig party. Four years later, the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, was elected president. Born in the Panama Canal Zone to military parents, McCain graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, worked briefly in public relations after his career in the Navy, and lives in Arizona. Here is Daylife's entry on John McCain. Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mc_Cain Socialist Party of Florida (SPF) -- Brian Moore, P; Steward Alexander, VP Here's the link to the national Socialist Party USA which says at the beginning of it's Statement of Principles: "THE SOCIALIST PARTY strives to establish a radical democracy that places people's lives under their own control - a non-racist, classless, feminist socialist society... where working people own and control the means of production and distribution through democratically-controlled public agencies . . . " According to Moore's Web site, he was raised in Oakland, Calif., earned an M.A. in public administration from Arizona State University, worked as a health care executive and an executive recruiter and currently lives in Florida. He appeared last night on The Colbert Report. Here is Daylife's entry on Brian Moore. Photo: http://www.votebrianmoore.com/background.htm Socialist Workers Party (SWP) -- James Harris, P; Alyson Kennedy, VP I couldn't find an actual Web site for this party, so the link above is from Wikipedia. The Wiki article says the SWP is a communist political party that claims industrial workers and trade union members as the bulk of its members. The article also says that the official candidate is Roger Calero, a Nicaragua journalist. Because Calero isn't a natural-born citizen -- he's a permanent resident alien (green card), James Harris is a stand-in candidate on the ballot in many states. Here's an NPR link "Socialist Workers Party Candidate's Uphill Battle" explaining more about the party and the candidate. Daylife had no entries for Roger Calero, so here is Daylife's entry on the SWP. The photo is of Roger Calero NOT James Harris. Photo: www.politics1.com/pix1/calero.jpg