The U.S. Presidential Election 2012: The Candidates

I guess it would be appropriate if I left such a polarizing topic as politics out of a blog dedicated to art and music, but the election is a mere week-and-a-half away, and I feel that I need to inform my friends and colleague of their choices on the ballot. Just in case they feel unsure or uninformed about the next Commander In Chief.

I'll list the candidates alphabetically by last name:

Rocky Anderson

Affiliation: Justice Party

Ideology: Social Democracy

Career: Former mayor of S.L.C., UT.

VP Nominee: Luis J. Rodriguez

Platform:

• End of the wars in the Middle East
• Campaign finance reform
• Abolition of corporate personhood 
• Overrule of Citizens United decision
• Financial transaction tax
• End of the Bush-Era tax cuts
• Opposition to the Canadian oil pipeline
• Ban on mountaintop coal mining
• Single-payer healthcare
• "Green jobs" and environmental protection
• Labor rights
• Medical treatment, rather than punishment, for drug abuse

Virgil Goode

Affiliation: Constitution Party
Ideology: Paleoconservatism
Career: Former U.S. House of Representatives, Virginia 
VP Nominee: Jim Clymer













Platform:

• Abolition of the income tax
• View that federal spending on education, healthcare, and welfare is unconsitutional
• Opposition to foreign aid
• Economic protectionism
• Anti-globalization
• Non-interventionist foreign policy
• No amnesty for illegal immigrants
• Opposition to euthanasia and abortion in all cases
• Capital punishment
• Opposition to marriage equality
• Support for War on Drugs
• Second Amendment rights
• Opposition to Patriot Act
• English fluency as precondition to citizenship
• Voluntary state membership in the Union

Gary Johnson

Affiliation: Libertarian Party
Ideology: Libertarianism
Career: Former Governor of New Mexico
VP Nominee: Jim Gray













Platform:

• Military non-interventionism
• Cut military budget
• End of the wars in the Middle East
• Opposition to Israel vs. Iran conflict
• Simplification of tax code
• Cut federal spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security
• Opposition to federal bailouts
• Elimination of the Federal Reserve
• Drug decriminalization
• Pro-choice
• Network neutrality
• Opposition to Patriot Act, TSA, and indefinite detention of prisoners
• Marriage equality

Jill Stein

Affiliation: Green Party
Ideology: Social Democracy
Career: Physician, Massachusetts
VP Nominee: Cheri Honkala

Platform:

• "Green New Deal"
• Renewable energy
• Intra-city mass transit, inter-city railroads
• Organic agriculture
• Cut military budget
• Non-interventionism
• Tax on capital gains, offshore havens, real estate
• Pro-choice
• Campaign finance reform
• Marriage Equality
• Universal healthcare
• Drug decriminalization
• Gun control

Now I could have sworn there were two other candidates...candidates from two big, corporate, sell-out Parties...

...nah, I think I covered them all. Get out and vote!