Posted on 10/31/2004 12:43:54 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
There's more than one Texan on the ballot for president this year.
Libertarian Michael Badnarik — the only third-party or independent presidential candidate on the Texas ballot — is from Austin.
Badnarik campaigned in Houston on Saturday and will spend the rest of his time on the trail in his home state.
"I'm a legitimate candidate from a legitimate party," he said at a gathering of about 25 people at a Clear Lake-area Fuddruckers.
Badnarik is actually on the ballot in more states than Ralph Nader. Badnarik is on 48 ballots. Nader is on 35.
Election Day could be a watershed year for the party, Badnarik said, if it is able to garner 1 million votes.
He's been traveling the country since January; he packed up his place in Austin, put all of his belongings in storage and hit the road.
Within five months he put 25,000 miles on his car.
He tries to get media attention wherever he goes, often doing six interviews a day with local media.
He has been largely ignored by the national press.
Badnarik was arrested in St. Louis for trying to gain admittance to the presidential debate.
"It's been like living on a roller coaster without getting off," he said of his bid for president.
He's spent about $1 million on his campaign, with $300,000 going toward TV ads in a few states, primarily New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona.
Badnarik is running, he said, because he can't vote for President Bush or Democratic candidate John Kerry and respect himself in the morning.
He cannot support a candidate who will continue the war in Iraq or operate government in a deficit, he said.
Badnarik, a computer consultant, stresses individual rights over government intervention, and limited regulation of business.
He says the war in Iraq is a failure and that there is no exit strategy. He has maintained that Libertarian philosophy supports gay marriages, arguing that government should not decide who can engage in a marriage contract.
The federal government's job is limited to three things, he said — national defense, coining money and operating the post office. He says the government should not have a Department of Education, the Food and Drug Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency.
Badnarik says he wants to cost both Bush and Kerry the election, but at the same time he isn't packing his bags for the White House just yet.
"We are just beginning this fight," he said. "We will continue to exist, and we will restore liberty."
kristen.mack@chron.com
I don't know about private roads. If they work great, but in the meanwhile I would like government to do some real highway improvements.
I wasn't "patronizing"you at all;rather,I was telling you what to do to get up to speed.When you post without knowledge,you're in big trouble here.And we don't have "dialogs" here.That's a PC/LIBERAL term.We debate,we refute,and we even tell newbies where to find the facts. :-)
You now want trade to come to a standstill? You want every single container inspected? John Kerry,is that you,or are you John Edwards?
LOL! Very few places where pot is more then a misdemeanor and punished much different then jay walking.
all that gas tax money goes into the general fund
600,000 being .05% would mean there'd be 1.2 billion voters. Do you mean 0.5%? Even then there'd be 120 million, which I suppose is possible but only 108 million voted in 2000.
That would be consistent with the latest numbers of new voters signed up by the DNC.
He's raised a measly million dollars and you think that he needed Soros to do that? A dollar or two from each member of the party and a few more from those who are leaning that way and you got a million pretty quick. Compared to the GOP's $150 million (or whatever they are up to now), why are you seemingly so concerned about them?
There sure is an awful lot of fuss, worry, and speculation for 600,000 or even a million votes. So which is it? Are they a threat or are they a flea on an elephant? You seem to want it both ways.
No one owes their vote to the GOP or to the Dems. They have to earn them. With half of eligible voters not voting, and half of those voting, not voting for the GOP, it would seem that the GOP is attracting only about 25% of the electorate. Perhaps we (yes, I'm a Republican) should figure out why we don't appeal to more people.
I predict Badnarik will be third. Nader and David Cobb will split each other votes. Bush hasn't angered the social conservatives, he stood strong on embronic stem cells and support the Federal Marriage Amendment, so not many will vote for Peroutka. Bush has however angered some fiscal/economic conservatives and some might vote for Bednarik.
They've just privatized a portion of the Chicago Skyway.It's going to NOT work.Trust me...if I were a betting person,I would bet you on this one;it's a sure thing and I'd be taking candy from a baby.
Please do some reseach on this one.Look specifically at corduroy roads and tolls...if I remember correctly from my high school American history classes and I'm certain I do.Worst cases were in PA.and N.Y. state,if I recall.
Is that true? Gas tax simply ends up in general revenue? Well so does social security, so that doesn't surprise me.
Too bad the Saudis don't have him.
These folks have absolute NO knowledge about the topic and use the same damned talking points.Sheeeeeeeeeesh!
I think this is part of the 2 party mentality that exists in America. There is some hope in the young.
They let a private company build a road near DC but of course the government threw all sorts of regulations and mandates on it. It would be much better without that.
The feds give it back to the states and most states put it into the general fund. I doubt it all gets spent on roads.
Okay kid,it's late,you don't even know what you've posted,you lack even a minnimum of factual knowledge,and I'm not going to play teacher.When/if you ever manage to acquired factual historical knowledge,get back to me.Until then,lots and lots of other Freepers can and shall easily refute your juvenalia.
No, but they could find them or at least know exactly where he is. And if not him, then they can hand over every cleric preaching hate and every active terrorist.
I don't think we should privatize roads that already exist and are supposed to have been paid for by taxpayers.
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