3rd Party 'Spoilers' Could Tip Balance

The presidential election could well turn on a factor that has gotten virtually no discussion this year -- the votes drawn by Libertarian Bob Barr, Green Cynthia McKinney and independent Ralph Nader.

Recent polls show a race too tight to call: Gallup tracking from Sept. 23 showed Barack Obama up only three points with 47 percent to John McCain's 44 percent. More interesting is a CNN/Opinion Research poll released Sept. 22 that includes all five candidates for president. McCain is at 45 percent, Obama is at 48 percent, and Barr, McKinney and Nader are polling a combined 6 percent of the vote. (Nader captured 4 percent and Barr and McKinney each got 1 percent.) In a close contest, the support for any of these three could well decide which major party comes out ahead nationally and in key swing states...

There's also a wild card: Libertarian Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who sought the GOP nomination and has continued to attract fervent supporters to his ''Campaign for Liberty'' attacking big government and the two-party system. After months of bickering with the Libertarian Barr, last week he threw his support behind yet another alternative party candidate, Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party. - The Miami Herald

Nader Blasts Obama and McCain

Perennial presidential hopeful Ralph Nader, who plans a rally in Amherst today, yesterday insisted he is the only candidate “who recognizes people’s necessities” and blasted the Democratic and GOP positions on the war and the economy.

Nader maintained his long-shot campaign persona as a populist gadfly, criticizing Friday’s financial bailout package, which was backed by Barack Obama and John McCain, calling it a bag of “freebies and goodies garnished with window dressing.”

The longtime consumer activist attacked both parties for their support of the package, charging it contains no criminal prosecution of the “corporate crooks who brought us this financial meltdown.” - Boston Herald

McKinney Accuses D.O.D Of Cover-Up

Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, known for her provocative statements when she was a congresswoman from Georgia, accused the Department of Defense this week of using Hurricane Katrina to cover up the slaughter of 5,000 prisoners.

At a news conference in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, McKinney claimed the Pentagon authorized the execution of the prisoners with one bullet to the head three years ago and then dumped their bodies in a Louisiana swamp.

McKinney said she heard the story from the mother of a National Guard soldier who said her son was assigned to help dispose of the bodies. - Fox News

Ron Paul Endorses Baldwin

Pensacola's Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Party presidential nominee, has picked up his biggest endorsement yet.

Former Republican candidate U.S. Rep. Ron Paul announced his support of the pastor's candidacy on Tuesday.

Paul had campaigned for the Republican nomination and created a small political sensation with his vocal, grassroots supporters and hefty online fundraising abilities.

In January's presidential preference primaries, Paul won about 5 percent of the vote in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties, finishing fifth in both counties out of nine Republicans on the ballot. He withdrew from the campaign on June 12.

"I'm pretty much overwhelmed," Baldwin said of the endorsement. "He and I have been friends for some time, and he knows I share his fundamental principles." - PNJ.com

Ron Paul and Ralph Nader

Now that Ron Paul, the rejected Republican candidate for president and longtime congressman from Texas, is calling on the forces of the "Ron Paul Revolution'' to rise up and vote for a third-party candidate in November, he's refraining from personally endorsing the best-known of those third-party contenders yet rallyng votes for him.

Appearing alongside Ralph Nader in CNN's Situation Room, Paul maintained that no one should read any personal endorsement into this.

"No. Ralph is a good friend, but we agree on tactics and what we're doing -- we agree on these very important issues, but quite frankly, he probably wouldn't have joined my campaign and I probably won't join his,'' Paul told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. - Tribune's Washington Bureau

Barr: Get McCain/Obama Off Texas Ballot

WASHINGTON — Libertarian presidential nominee Bob Barr’s campaign filed suit Tuesday seeking to remove Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama from the ballot in Texas, alleging that the two major candidates missed the deadline for officially filing to be on the ballot.

The lawsuit by the former Republican congressman from Georgia claims that neither McCain nor Obama met the requirement of Texas law that all candidates provide “written certification” of their nomination “before 5 p.m. on the 70th day before election day,” because neither had been formally nominated by their respective parties in time. The suit was filed in the Texas Supreme Court in Austin.

That would have been Aug. 25. Obama did not accept his party’s nomination until Aug. 28, McCain his on Sept. 4.

“The seriousness of this issue is self-evident,” the lawsuit states. “The hubris of the major parties has risen to such a level that they do not believe that the election laws of the State of Texas apply to them.” - AJC

Cynthia McKinney's Call For Probe

WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders expressed support for Green presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney's call for a new investigation of the 9/11 attacks and for public release of important evidence and files related to 9/11.

On Thursday afternoon, Ms. McKinney spoke at St. Marks Church in Manhattan at a 9/11 anniversary press conference promoting a New York City ballot initiative for a new investigation (http://www.nyc911initiative.org). Ms McKinney is speaking at other events related to 9/11 in the next few days (http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/event).

Greens also supported a resolution passed by Veterans For Peace at the latter's annual meeting earlier this week in Minneapolis addressing Bush military policy in Afghanistan and Iraq and impeachment and prosecution of President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes, violations of the US Constitution, and abuses of power. The text of the resolution is appended below. - Green Party Press Release

Party Spotlight: Independence Party of America

History: Founded in September of 2007 by Independence Party of New York activists.

Chairman: Frank MacKay

Platform: "To be an Organization in which candidates emerge from the grassroots and work diligently to achieve "mass appeal" based on their unique leadership qualities, character and competence and not because they rose through the political ranks supported by special interest power brokers and political operatives..."

Associated Political Ideologies: Fiscal conservatism

Economic Issues (30% Government Involvement Grade):

• Reduce income tax
  
• Use alcohol/tobacco taxes to educate children
  
• Replace excess Social Security with government IOUs
  
• Fully tax subsidies to corporations
  
• Completely overhaul the Welfare system
• Balance the budget
• Allow for the choice of school selection for parents
  

Foreign/Immigration Issues (40% Isolation Grade)

• Eliminate campaign donations from overseas corporations
• No assistance to illegal immigrants
  

Social Issues (40% Restriction of Freedom)

• In general, these issues are up to the individual to decide
  
• Eliminate discrimination based on race and gender
  
• Continue the course against drugs
• No position on abortion, school prayer, or the death penalty
• Do not discriminate based on sexual preference
  
• Keep non-violent criminals out of prisons
  

Total Score: 110

2008 Election Candidate: Unknown.

Party Spotlight: America First Party

History: The America First Party was created when some members broke away from the Reform Party in 2002.

Chairman: Jonathan M. Hill

Platform: To preserve and protect America's people and America's sovereignty, to promote economic growth and independence, to encourage the traditional values of faith, family, and responsibility, to ensure equality before the law in protecting those rights granted by the Creator and to clean up our corrupted political system.

Associated Political Ideologies: Conservatism, Economic Nationalism, Non-Interventionism

Economic Issues (50% Government Involvement Grade):

• Limit taxes on goods made in the U.S.A and dissolve property taxes
  
• Reduce income tax until it is non-existent
• Generally opposes Social Security except for congressional pensions
• End corporate welfare
• Withdraw completely from WTO, NAFTA, and the like
• Supports a trade policy built strictly around advancing the American economy
• Subtract the power of corporations

Foreign/Immigration Issues (60% Isolation Grade)

• Use the military to only protect the United States from invasion or attack
• Do not involve the troops under foreign leadership
• Adopt a very strict policy that ensures securing the borders and not offering amnesty
• Require proof of citizenship and residency for a number of things
• Temporarily ban legal immigration

Social Issues (85% Restriction of Freedom)

• Follow policy as governed by the Bill of Rights (for the President too)
• End affirmative action
• Support wholeheartedly the 2nd Amendment
• Denounce mind-altering drugs
• Overturn Roe V. Wade and illegalize abortion
• Against homosexual practices
• Limit the death penalty to crimes after "due process" has been done and the crime is determined as "beyond reasonable doubt"

Total Score: 195

2008 Election Candidate: Unknown, but general Constitution Party support

Party Spotlight: Green Party

History: The first Green Party formed in 1972. In 1984 the Green Committees of Correspondence began organizing. The Green Party of the United States was officially started in 1991.

Chairpersons: Jill Bussiere, Budd Dickinson, Sanda Everette, Phil Huckelberry, Jason Nabewaniec, Cliff Thornton, and Craig Thorsen.

Platform: To involve citizens directly in public decision making, to allow for equal oppurtunity and diversity, and to sustain a non-centralized government aimed at protecting the environment and the workers.

Associated Political Idealogies: Green politics, Progressivism, Social Ecologism

Economic Issues (85% Government Involvement Grade):

• Supports progressive income tax as well as wealth and inheritances taxes
• Supports funding Social Security via taxes
• Eliminate corporate welfare
• Endorses a fair trade system and an end to NAFTA and other trade agreements
• Eliminate corporations particularly in the agrictulture business
  
• Allow for workers to have more freedom in the workplace
• Subsidize farmers

Foreign/Immigration Issues (0% Isolation Grade):

• Cut military budget in order to ensure a defense-only position
• Support peacekeeping to end aggression
• Cut off aid to other countries
• Cut secret military operation programs
• Support the rights of immigrants

Social Issues (5% Restriction of Freedom):

• Supports the Bill of Rights
• Stengthen affirmative action
• Make stricter gun control policies
• End the war on drugs
• Allow for complete reproductive freedom
• Recognize and legalize same-sex marriage everywhere
• Abolsih the death penalty
  

Total Score: 90

2008 Election Candidate: Cynthia McKinney

Party Spotlight: Libertarian Party

History: The Libertarian Party was founded in 1971.

Chairman: M. Carling

Platform: Eliminate government involvement in many aspects of life including, but not limited to: economics and business, social dealings, and foreign affairs.

Associated Political Ideologies: Libertarianism, Laissez-Faire Economics, Non Interventionism

Economic Issues (5% Government Involvement Grade):

• Reduce taxation
• Privatize Social Security and Welfare
• Eliminate corporate welfare
• Reduce regulation of business and foreign trade
• Protect property rights
  

Foreign/Immigration Issues (5% Isolation Grade) :

• Favors non-interventionist military policy
• Abandon being the policeman of the world
• Reduce regulation on open immigration
• Allow for free travel

Social Issues (20% Restriction of Freedoms):

• Supports protection of free speech, privacy, association, and sexual interaction
• Stop affirmative action in the private sector
• Supports the right to bear arms per Second Amendment and self-defense
• Abolish laws against the victimless crimes of prostitution, drug use, and fraternization
• Reduce federal involvement in abortion matters
• Limit or abolish the death penalty
• Keep government out of the health care business

Total Score: 30

2008 Election Candidate: Bob Barr

Party Spotlight: Constitution Party

History: The Constitution Party was originally founded as the U.S Taxpayers Party in 1992. The changeover to the current name came in 1999.

Chairman: Jim Clymer

Platform: Defending the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Associated Political Ideologies: Conservatism, Paleoconservatism

Economic Issues (10% Government Involvement Grade):

• Reduce government regulation in economic affairs
• Abolish taxation including, but not limited to: income tax
• Reduce or dissolve government programs and agencies such as the Department of Education
• Stop participating in international lending institutions
  

Foreign/Immigration Issues (50% Isolation Grade):

• Eventually stop participation in the United Nations
• Continue protectionist policies by levying a tariff on imports
• Favors a non-interventionist military policy
  
• Restrict immigration
• Reject amnesty to illegals

Social Issues (80% Restriction of Freedoms Grade):

• Supports pro-life policies: anti-abortion, anti-euthanasia
• Favors the death penalty for capital crimes
• Opposes same sex marriages
• Opposes pornography
• Rejects government funded gambling
• Opposes government's anti-drug laws
• Supports the right to bear arms per Second Amendment

Total Score: 140

2008 Election Candidate: Chuck Baldwin

About Beyond Two

Beyond Two, as its title indicates, looks beyond the Two Party system that currently dominates American politics. Beyond Two provides American citizens with an alternative political voice -- one that doesn't exist in the mainstream mass media.

In addition to providing extensive third party coverage, BT acts as an outlet of independent thought on political and philosophical issues.

Party Spotlights: Information is gathered from a variety of sources, namely official Party websites and On The Issues. The grade rubric is as follows:

• Economic Government Involvement Grade: The lowest score of 0% represents an almost completely laissez faire capitalist system in which the government has no or little regulation over economics. The highest score of 100% represents a communist system in which the government has total involvement over economics. A score of 50% represents a middle of the road, third way or mixed, economy.
• Foreign/Immigration Issues Isolation Grade: It should be noted that isolation does not necessarily mean protectionism or non-interventionism in this context. The lowest score of 0% indicates that the nation does not get at all involved in international (other countries) military or political matters. Also, a score of 0% indicates a general openness to immigration. The highest score of 100% indicates that the nation willingly gets involved in international military and political matters. Also, a score of 100% indicates a general opposition to immigration. This is by far the toughest category to grade.
• Social Issues Restriction of Freedoms Grade: The lowest score of 0% represents no or little government involvement in personal freedoms. The highest score of 100% represents complete or near-complete government involvement in personal actions.

Sample Ideology Scores*

1. Anarchism - 0
2. Libertarianism - 25-75
3. Liberalism/Progressivsm - 80-130
4. Democratic Socialism - 160-180
   
5. Conservatism - 185-205
   
6. Communism - 240
7. Fascism - 300

*Please note that the scores do not reflect (and essentially transcend) the traditional left-right political compass. Instead, the scores reflect the total amount of government involvement in every sphere of society. A score of 0 indicates a society with no government. A score of 300 indicates a society featuring characteristics of statism: militarism, nationalism, and authoritarianism.