The Other Candidates

            What do Ralph Nader, Bob Barr, Cynthia McKinney and Charles Baldwin have in common? They are Independent Presidential candidates who are demanding equal running rights.

            Nader is running for President for his fifth consecutive election with Vice President candidate Matt Gonzalez. If they win, Nader will be the oldest President in history at 74, two years older than McCain and four years older than William Henry Harrison, when he was elected president. Nader was instrumental in both Clean Air Act (1968) and Clean Water Act (1970) as well as being instrumental in getting air bags and over the should harnesses in cars. (http://www.draftnader.org/accomplishments.php) (http://www.ontheissues.org/Ralph_Nader.htm)

            After Gonzalez graduated from Stanford Law in 1990 he was elected to the 11-member San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2000. Recently he fought for San Francisco’s minimum wage to be brought up to U.S. highest $9.36/hr. In 2003 he lost the election to be Mayor of San Francisco to Willie Brown. Gonzalez received 47% of the votes after being projected to get 4%. (http://www.votenader.org/about/matt-gonzalez/) (http://www.votenader.org/) 

            If you thought Barack Obama and Sarah Palin were going to be the only African American or woman in this election, you were wrong. Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente are running together for the Green Party.

            McKinney has no problem with controversy; she was Georgia’s first African American Congresswomen in 1992. She served in the House of Representatives for 14 years. She is against the death penalty, against the Patriot Act, for the legalization of marijuana and thinks spending $38 billion on education and $700 billion on defense is wrong. (http://www.ontheissues.org/Cynthia_McKinney.htm)

            Born and raised in the Bronx, Clemente graduated from the University of Albany and Cornell. As a journalist and hip-hop activist, she if for the power of the people. (http://votetruth08.com/)

            If you want religious views in the White House, then vote from Charles Baldwin and Darrell Castle. They are running for the Constitution Party. (http://baldwin08.com/)

            Baldwin is the founder and minister of the Crossroad Baptist Church. He is for the equal rights and is against foreign countries owning American property and resources.

            Baldwin’s running mate, Castle was born and educated in Tennessee. After graduating from East Tennessee State, he joined the military where he eventually rose to the rank of First Lieutenant. As a former military officers wants more answers about 9/11.

            The Libertarian Party candidates are Robert Barr and Wayne Root.  They are for smaller government and more state choice. They are against government spending, against the war in Iraq and want to pursue more off shore drilling. (http://www.bobbarr2008.com/)

            Barr is a graduate of USC, George Washington University and Georgetown Law. Root is a small business owner and TV show host. He graduated from Columbia in 1983 in the same class as Obama. Although he was born and raised in New York he considers himself from Nevada. (http://www.bobbarr2008.com/)

            Other than equal running right these candidates share the hatred for the two-party system that Nader calls a “duopoly.” Four of the men have JDs - Nader, Gonzalez, Barr and Castle. And three of the four Presidental candidates are for either a single payer or free choice healthcare. (http://www.votenader.org/issues/single-payer)