Aryan Nations founder runs for mayor in Idaho

CNN ^ | Wednesday, October 22, 2003 | AP

[yonif]

HAYDEN, Idaho (AP) -- The people of Hayden can't seem to rid themselves of neo-Nazi Richard Butler.

The founder of the Aryan Nations lost his compound outside of town to bankruptcy several years ago, but moved into a Hayden house bought by a supporter. Now Butler is running for mayor of this town of 9,000, linking Hayden in the public mind once more with his anti-Semitic, white separatist views.

[yonif]

Despite heart problems and legal woes, Aryan Nations founder Richard Butler is running for mayor.

[Poohbah]

Good grief. Someone tell him he's 15 years over his Biblically-allotted threescore-and-ten...

[TheAngryClam]

HAHAH

bump to that!

[Billthedrill]

He'll get creamed. The locals there (I just bought a place 15 miles up the road) are steamed at him because the rep he brought with him has lowered property values and the rich folks are less willing to buy. His people were ex-cons who were creepy even by the very tolerant standards of small-town Idaho. If the SPLC hadn't run him out of town somebody'd likely have shot the SOB.

[Cindy]

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The founder of the Aryan Nations lost his compound outside of town to bankruptcy several years ago, but moved into a Hayden house bought by a supporter. Now Butler is running for mayor of this town of 9,000, linking Hayden in the public mind once more with his anti-Semitic, white separatist views."

Disgusting. This guy is an all-around loser and will lose even another one.

[Catspaw]

In a previous article on Butler it said he needed a whopping five signatures to get on the ballot. I hope they examined the petitions closely to make sure he didn't sign his own name five times.

[Slings and Arrows]

Good grief. Someone tell him he's 15 years over his Biblically-allotted threescore-and-ten...

Probably even the Devil doesn't want his company.

[Slings and Arrows]

Despite heart problems and legal woes, Aryan Nations founder Richard Butler is running for mayor.

How can you have heart problems without a heart?

[Poohbah]

In a previous article on Butler it said he needed a whopping five signatures to get on the ballot. I hope they examined the petitions closely to make sure he didn't sign his own name five times.

I just snorted soda pop all over my keyboard...

[Poohbah]

"Heaven doesn't want him, Hell's afraid he'd take over."

[Joe Anybody]

I grew up not far from Hayden and have childhood memories of bombs exploding in Coeur d'Alene. There is no way this guy will get elected.... the locals hate him.

[Catspaw]

I just snorted soda pop all over my keyboard...

Freepers have the cleanest monitors & keyboards in the world :-)0

[TopQuark]

Why do you think he is doing this? Publicity? A recruiting effort? I wonder...

[Joe Anybody]

Who knows what makes fruitcakes do what they do...

[Catspaw]

Butler's group has been going downhill & losing membership since he lost the Aryan Nations HQ--add in internal squabbling, competition from other groups, and it's in its decline.

[GeronL]

well, he'll definitely split the Democrat vote

[GeronL]

Half the members of Aryan Nations were probably undercover informants for a half dozen different federal agencies.

[GeronL]

Half the members of Aryan Nations were probably undercover informants for a half dozen different federal agencies.

[Clinging Bitterly]

He is no less a person, has no less entitlement to his beliefs, and has as much right to run for public office as any other (Robert Byrd, for example).

No need to call the lynch mob here, there is no benefit in that. Best we can hope for is he'll get about three votes and will go away from the race knowing that the community doesn't want him as their mayor, and more important, some good reasons why they don't.

As long as he's alive, salvation is possible. Perhaps this reading of his public support, or lack thereof, will help him along the way, and he'll have learned the lesson that we all wish the Senator could have learned so long ago.

Dave in Eugene

[tubavil]