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US presidential elections 2012

Not just Obama and Romney - who's standing in US presidential election 2012?

More than 40 per cent of people polled around the world would like to vote in American elections. Tough luck! Although whoever wins the 6 November US presidential poll will take decisions that affect the entire globe, only US citizens will get to cast a ballot. But we’re all interested, aren’t we? So here’s a guide to some of the candidates … and not just Obama and Romney.

Reuters/Kevin Lamarque
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The Democratic and the Republican parties dominate US politics to such an extent that the whole world is acquainted with them, their candidates and most of those who failed to win the nomination. What divides the big two?

Democratic Party:
          

President Barack Obama
Vice President Joe Biden

 


The sitting president is defending his record and, given that the economy is still struggling to recover, promising that things will get better. Pluses: killing Osama bin Laden, withdrawing from Iraq. Minuses: the shaky state of Afghanistan, some demoralised supporters but, above all, 12 million unemployed.

Republican Party:
           

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
Congressman Paul Ryan

 

 
The Republican candidate is criticising Obama from the right but seems unsure just how far right. Pluses: Obama’s 12 million unemployed, promises to cut taxes, highly motivated right-wing activists who mobilise the vote. Minuses: Flip-flops, gaffes, highly motivated right-wing activists who frighten floating voters.

Although it’s hard to believe from most election coverage, the Obama/Romney tickets are not the only ones.

Over 150 people have declared themselves candidates to be the US president. That doesn’t mean they will get on the ballot paper anywhere. Candidates have to win enough backing to be placed on the ballot paper state by state or, failing that, the right to have voters write their names on it.

Green candidate Jill Stein and her running mate, Cheri Honkala, were arrested on 17 October while protesting that they were excluded from the prime-time TV debates and that media coverage pre-judged the result by excluding any third-party candidates.

After that the four third-party candidates who have won the right to stand in the highest number of states took part in a debate that gave them a little of the media attention they craved.

Libertarian Party:
 

Gary Johnson
Former Superior Court Judge Jim Gray

 

 
When governor of New Mexico Johnson vetoed almost half the bills the state legislature passed, mainly to keep state spending down. In power he would scrap the Internal Revenue Service and income tax. He would also slash defence spending and legalise marijuana and gay marriage. On the ballot in 48 states.

Green Party:
          

Dr. Jill Stein
Cheri Honkala

 

 
Stein ran against Romney for Massachussetts governor, winning 3.49 per cent of the vote. Wants a Green New Deal, that creates jobs in environmentally friendly small industries, amnesty for undocumented immigrants, a ban on home foreclosures, less defence spending and universal health-care coverage. On the ballot in 38 states.

Constitution Party:
          

Former Congressman Virgil Goode
Jim Clymer

 

 
Goode, a former Congressman for both the Democrats and the Republicans, joined his current party in 2010. Wants to deploy troops and fences to stop immigrants crossing the Mexican border, scrap Obama’s health-care programme and pull troops out of Afghanistan. Opposes free trade deals and would replace income tax and estate tax with a sales transaction tax. On the ballot in 26 states.

Justice Party/Independence Party of Connecticut/Natural Law Party of Michigan:
          

Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson
Luiz Rodriguez

 

 
Former Salt Lake City mayor Anderson set up the Justice Party in 2010. Quit the Democratic Party, claiming it was too like the Republicans. Wanted to impeach former president George W Bush for starting the Iraq war and prosecute alleged torturers under his administration. Supports green policies, a tax on financial transactions and a single-payer health-care system.
On the ballot in 15 states.
 
Other candidates who have won the right to appear on the ballot in more than one state are:

America's Party/American Independent Party:
          

Tom Hoefling
J.D. Ellis

 

 
Right-wing Christian. Supports capitalism, the right to bear arms. Opposes abortion, gay marriage, federal income tax.

American Third Position Party:
          

Merlin Miller
Harry Bertram

 

 
“Neither ‘left’ nor ‘right’,” according to their platform, but racist.

Objectivist Party:
          

Tom Stevens
Alden Link

 

 
Wants to balance budgets “sooner rather than later”, end illegal immigration and reduce legal immigration.

Party of Socialism and Liberation (PSL):
           

Peta Lindsay  
Yari Osorio

 

 
Opposes racism, imperialism. Wants jobs as a constitutional rights, free health care and education, full rights for immigrants and abortion on demand. Seize the banks!
 
Peace & Freedom Party:
          

Rosanne Barr
Cindy Sheehan

 

 
Another socialist candidate, the former sitcom star is “the only serious comedian in this campaign”, standing for “health care not health insurance”, legalising cannabis and ending war. Running mate Cindy Sheehan became an anti-war campaigner after losing son in Iraq.

Prohibition Party:
          

Lowell "Jack" Fellure  
Toby Davis

 

 
“My Presidential Campaign Platform is the Authorized 1611 King James Bible … It shall never be necessary to change it.”

Reform Party USA:
          

Andre Barnett
Ken Cross

 

 
Wants tariffs on imports, cuts in corporate tax, reduced health care costs, less foreign policy and fewer illegal immigrants.

Socialist Party USA (SP-USA)/Liberty Union Party:
          

Stewart Alexander  
Alejandro "Alex" Mendoza

 

 

Support Occupy, scrap the Patriot Act. "You cannot simply regulate the weed of capitalism by chopping off its leaves - you must pull it out by the root and replace it with something beneficial."

Socialist Equality Party:
          

Jerome "Jerry" White (Michigan)
Phyllis Scherrer (Pennsylvania)

 

 
More socialists. Internationalist, anti-imperialist, Trotskyist, pro-free health care and “social equality”. “Expropriate the banks and corporations.”

Socialist Workers Party (SWP):
          

James Harris
Maura DeLuca

 

 
Yet more socialists, internationalists, Trotskyists. “Put millions to work
building what we need.”

For a list of absolutely every candidate and links to their websites, visit http://www.politics1.com/p2012.

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