Campaign 2000 | Third Party Candidates
 |
Nader, Buchanan, and some candidates you may not have heard about
by David Johnson |
This article was posted on October 16, 2000.
According to the Federal Election Commission, a total of 14 candidates beside Bush and Gore are seeking the presidency. However, they will not appear on the ballot in all states because rules vary.
Some third party candidates—Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan—are household names, certain to be active after the election even if they do not fare well at the polls. Other candidates are unknowns. If a party wins five percent of the vote it is eligible for federal funding for the next presidential election.
| Green Party | ||
 Ralph Nader | Presidential nominee: Ralph Nader, consumer advocate Vice Presidential nominee: Winona LaDuke, American Indian activist Founded: 1984 Previous nominees: Ralph Nader Philosophy: Liberal, environmental, pro-labor |  Winona LaDuke |
Polls show Nader's support running at six percent in some states. Nader dismisses allegations that he is taking liberal votes away from Al Gore, stating that the two major parties are both servants of big business.
The Green Party supports a range of liberal environmental and pro-union issues. It advocates universal health care, public funding of elections, a reassessment of public education, and affordable wages. Nader opposes NAFTA and trade policies outlined by the World Trade Organization.
| Reform Party | ||
 Patrick Buchanan | Presidential nominee: Patrick Buchanan, political commentator Vice Presidential nominee: Eloza Foster, teacher, conservative activist Founded: 1995 Previous nominees: Ross Perot, 1992, 1996 Philosophy: Government reform |  Eloza Foster |
Former conservative commentator Patrick Buchanan won the Reform Party nomination after a bruising fight. He appears on the ballot everywhere except in Michigan, where John Hagelin of the Natural Law Party is the Reform Party nominee. In some states both names appear.
Under Buchanan, the Reform Party platform calls for limiting military action to defending the U.S. He opposes NAFTA, the World Trade Organization, and says the bombing of Serbia was illegal. In addition, Buchanan opposes permanent trade privileges for China, and pledges to appoint anti-abortion Supreme Court judges.
| Libertarian Party | ||
 Harry Browne | Presidential nominee: Harry Browne, investment advisor, writer Vice Presidential nominee: Art Olivier, former mayor, Bellflower, California Founded: 1971 Previous nominees: Harry Browne, 1996 Philosophy: Reduce government regulation in all areas |  Art Olivier |
Browne is the nominee in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Neil L. Smith is the party's presidential candidate in Arizona. The Libertarian Party seeks to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government, abolish the income tax, and privatize Social Security. The party favors legalizing drugs and repealing all gun control laws.
| Constitution Party | |||
| (American Independent party in some states) | |||
 Howard Phillips | Presidential nominee: Howard Phillips, writer, activist Vice Presidential nominee: J. Curtis Frazier II, physician Founded: U.S. Taxpayers Party, 1992 Previous nominees: Howard Phillips, 1996 Philosophy: Conservative, religious |  J. Curtis Frazier II | |
The Constitution Party favors reducing the size of government. It supports abolishing income, gift, inheritance, business, and capital gains taxes, as well as privatizing Social Security. The platform calls for removing all federal involvement in education and ending U.S. funding for international organizations such as the U.N., IMF, and WTO. All presidential executive orders and emergency declarations should be abolished as infringing upon Congressional authority, the party states. The platform is also strongly pro-life.
| Natural Law Party | ||
 John Hagelin | Presidential nominee: John Hagelin, physicist Vice Presidential nominee: Nat Goldhaber, Silicon Valley businessman Founded: 1992 Previous nominees: John Hagelin Philosophy: New Age social liberalism, fiscal conservatism |  Nat Goldhaber |
Hagelin started out as the Natural Law Party candidate. The Perot faction of the Reform Party, however, also nominated him. As a result, Hagelin appears on the ballot in different states under different parties. He favors various government reforms, including an overhaul of the federal tax code with no family of four earning less than $34,000 paying income taxes. The party also endorses public sponsorship of elections, the promotion of renewable energy, such as solar, and reforming health care.
| Smaller Parties |
| RELATED LINKS |
| Al Gore George W. Bush Campaign 2000 Factsheet |
Nine other candidates will appear on the ballot in a few states. James Harris and Margaret Trowe, presidential and vice presidential nominees of the Socialist Workers Campaign, will be on the ballot in 14 states. Both Harris and Trowe are union activists that call for a revolutionary government led by workers and farmers to end capitalism.
They are not to be confused with David McReynolds and Mary Cal Hollis of the Socialist Party, USA, who are listed on the ballot in seven states, and have a similar platform. The Workers World Party is on four state ballots. Monica Moorehead and Gloria La Riva are the nominees, running to end "the prison industrial complex."
The Prohibition Party candidates, Earl F. Dodge and W. Dean Watkins appear on the ballot only in Colorado. Drug legalization advocate Denny Lane of the Vermont Grassroots Party, is only on the ballot in Vermont. In addition, several independent candidates will appear on one state ballot. They are: Cathy Gordon Brown and Sabrina R. Allen, Tennessee; Randall Venson and Gene Kelly, Tennessee; and Louie Youngkeit, Utah.
