Herald staff
Voters might be a bit surprised when they get their ballots Tuesday and realize they get to choose from 10 presidential candidates, not just two.
Here’s a rundown on their parties:
Constitution Party: www.constitutionparty.com. Formerly the U.S. Taxpayers Party, founded in 1992, but changed its name last year. Focused on the U.S. Constitution and the principles of the Founding Fathers. Believes in biblical principles of civil governance. Wants to limit government.
Freedom Party: Created this year from a split within the Reform Party; its presidential candidate, Pat Buchanan, is also the Reform Party candidate in many states and still refers to that party in his Washington voters’ pamphlet statement.
Green Party: www.greenparty.org. As the name implies, focused on environmental issues. Also wants to demilitarize society. Believes in decentralized government with more local control. Its presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, is particularly popular in the Northwest.
Libertarian Party: www.lp.org. Dedicated to civil liberties and personal freedom. Advocates abortion rights, gun rights, legalized drugs and a foreign policy of non-intervention. Wants to make the federal government small enough to eliminate the need for an income tax. This year 66 Libertarian candidates ran for office in Washington, more than all the other third parties combined.
Natural Law Party: www.natural-law.org. Founded in 1992, growing out of the teachings of Transcendental Meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Its presidential candidate, John Hagelin, is a quantum physicist who is also running as the Reform Party candidate in some states. Believes in prevention-oriented government rather than crisis management.
ttp://sp-usa.org. Advocates decrease in military spending and increase in workers’ wages. Wants to eliminate economic gap between rich and poor by transforming capitalism to create equality in social class, gender, race and sexual orientation.
Socialist Workers Party: www.themilitant.com/campaign. Advocates workers and farmers’ solidarity. Presidential candidate James Harris is a garment worker and vice presidential candidate Margaret Trowe is a meat packer.
Workers World Party: www.workers.org. Anti-capitalism group that participated in the demonstrations against the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle last year. Working to free death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal and end the death penalty.
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