Alternate Voices

By: Katie Beemer, Guest Contributor Fourth Party Politics
 

We have heard overwhelming amounts of information from the major party candidates this season, but almost nothing about the third party candidates. While this is not unusual, it is important to also take into consideration their voice. What do they believe that makes them different? Here’s some basic info on each of these candidates:

1. Rocky Anderson (Justice Party) Believes : 
1. Advocates an immediate end to all wars 
2. Balanced Budget 
3. Universal Health Care 
4. Progressive Tax 
5. Overrule Citizens United vs. FEC (Supreme Court Case that allows for Super-PAC’s) 
6. End “Personhood” debate, a fetus is not a person 
7. Reduce the Defense Budget 
8. Favors Rehabilitation rather than Incarceration 
2. Virgil Goode (Constitution Party) Believes: 
1. Strict Constructionist 
2. Illegal immigration is a serious threat, and the borders must be secured. 
3. English should be the official language 
4. The United States is too dependent on foreign oil, and therefore must develop both alternative energy and drill off our own shore. 
5. Eliminate Death Tax 
6. Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage 
7. Would like to end ObamaCare 
8. Would like to cut the Department of Education 
9. Consistently voted pro-life 
10. Trade Agreements like NAFTA weaken America’s economy and lead to a loss of jobs 
11. Supports Term Limits for Congress 
3. Jill Stein (Green Party) Believes: 
1. Renegotiate NAFTA to strengthen the economy 
2. Employee Free Choice Act-provides for more union rights 
3. Raise the Minimum Wage 
4. Close tax loopholes 
5. Make the cost of utilities at cost, without profit for the companies 
6. Upgrade the country’s infrastructure 
7. Break up the big banks, starting with Bank of America 
8. Eliminate tuition for college 
9. Stop using merit pay to punish teachers 
10. Forgive existing student debt 
11. Universal Health Care 
12. Expand product labeling 
13. Stop hydrofracking 
14. Halt the Keystone pipeline 
15. End coal mining in Appalachia 
16. Demilitarize border crossings 
4. Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party) Believes: 
1. Cut Federal Budget by 43% 
2. End the FED, they devalue the dollar through their choices 
3. Balance Budget by cutting Entitlements and Defense 
4. Legalize Prostitution 
5. Legalize Same-Sex Marriage 
6. Supports Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) 
7. Separation of Church and State 
8. Legalize Drug Use 
9. Supports Voucher system for Schools 
10. End the Department of Education 
11. Supports nuclear power 
12. End embargo in Cuba 
13. Supports gun rights 
14. ObamaCare is unconstitutional 
15. Patriot Act is unconstitutional 
16. Raise the qualifying age for Social Security and Medicare 

So, as one can see these candidates have diverse beliefs. The one thing we need to remember is that these third party candidates are a rare breed. They rarely make an impact on the election, but they can take away votes from the major party candidates. We will see if Gary Johnson, the Libertarian, steals crucial votes from Mitt Romney. They are spoilers, yet we need these third-party candidates to balance our electoral system, and to let all voices be heard.