After the CNN forum (I hesitate to call it a "debate"), there has been much talk about how the early favorites are framed, (such as in this diary on framing from earlier today) how much TV time they got, etc. This leads to another question: who really should get to decide who the leaders are, and how is it decided?
CNN invited eight candidates, hence deciding that there are eight serious candidates for the Democratic Party Presidential nomination. However, there are at least eleven more who have filed as candidates, or have at least registered an exploratory committee.
A look at the candidates over the fold.
Kos posted a cattle call diary on June 1 discussing the so-called Top Tier (Clinton, Edwards, Obama), the Second Tier (Richardson) and "The Others" (Dodd, Biden, Gravel, Kucinich). Those designations are from Kos, so if you have an issue with that, take it up with him.
Here, I will discuss the Fourth Tier and Fifth Tier candidates. These will be arbitrarily categorized by whether or not they have a campaign website.
Fourth Tier (Each of these candidates has a campaign website, so a dedicated voter could find information about them and potentially support one of them for President)
Warren Ashe (Virginia)
In Mr. Ashe's website, he refers to himself as "President Warren Roderick Ashe." Perhaps an attempt to create facts on the ground! According to his profile, he is a 50 year old native of North Carolina, currently living in Newport News, Virginia, married with 5 children.
According to Mr. Ashe:
I am the United States President Auxiliary since 1981. I am also the Founder, Owner, President of my company Jyperonix Astrophysics. Which is a Fortune 500 company at the top of the list. I am involved with time travel communications that are real. And capable of time travel contact throughout history itself.
I started this program of time travel communications in the Ronald Reagan administration in 1981. The time travel transmissions have communicated at least and no less than 500 years into the future. I have used my saucers built by hand at Edgecombe Community College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. That has already since 1983 taken sperm and DNA into the future. Into the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th centuries. The methods I used are through flux capacitation and wormhole technology.
Randy Crow (North Carolina)
Randy Crow is a 61 year old Texas native, currently living in North Carolina. Here is a summary of his platform:
Abolish the private corporation known as the Federal Reserve System, return to the US treasury every penny paid the owners since its inception, and punish the present owners beyond their wildest dreams.
Stop Voting Machine Fraud
US Constitutional Amendment requiring voters to cast paper ballots and allow any citizen hand count ballots, precinct by precinct, to verify computer generated totals are correct.
Economy - Save It
Environment - Save It
War - I'm Against It
Michael Forrester (Colorado)
No biographical information is available from Michael Forrester's campaign website. Here is the Mission Statement:
Michael Keith Forrester's primary mission is to strengthen America as we know it today. It is his belief and his goal to achieve changes in the American economic and political environments. We need to ensure that the vote of every American citizen counts, not just those of a chosen few. Economic stability needs to be achieved in our country so that we may help our citizens first. We need to work together to get our country back on the right path & look forward in this 21st century to a time where America can celebrate and demonstrate its unification and diversity to the rest of the world. Michael Keith Forrester is passionate about his mission and seeks your support for a new America.
Dan Francis (New York) (alt. websites:Dan Francis' Blog, Dan Francis' myspace page)
Dan Francis is a 65 year old Illinois native currently living in upstate New York. Mr. Francis is a retired Marine Lieutenant who was wounded in Vietnam. From his myspace page, here is his pre-announcement message:
I have officially filed with the FEC as the first step to running for president. If ample support is forthcoming, then I will officially announce by July 4th. But, I need your help to compete.
If you want change, you have to help make change. The current field offers much of the same old, same old political status quo. I want to shake up the system. With my message and your help, I can make political history and then together we will move to make our future!
If you can help, use the safe and secure contribution link below. And thanks, in advance. Come back soon and bring a friend.
-Dan Francis
John Joseph Kennedy (Georgia)
John Joseph Kennedy is a 53 year-old native of Oklahoma currently living in Atlanta, Georgia. His "media bio" is heavy with genealogical information tying him to South Carolina politics. His platform includes many progressive stands. However, it appears he may espouse some views on domestic terrorism that are forbidden subjects on this site.
Karl Krueger (South Dakota)
Karl Krueger is a 60 year old native of Wisconsin currently living in South Dakota. Mr. Krueger is in the trucking business. he is a Vietnam Veteran, and served 14 years in the Army. Mr. Krueger's platform includes a plan for energy independence.
James Prattas (Hawaii)
"Aloha & Peace, Love & Light," proclaims James Prattas' website. The site is full of large fonts and colorful art work, but short on specifics. It is not an easy read, but this one caught my eye, though:
If you are not outraged with what is going on in America today, and in the world and in our White House, Senate and Congress, then you are not an American, and obviously you are not on the same page in American Family life, who has a heart, soul, or spirit for your own people and country.
Oloveuse O. "Ole" Savior (Minnesota)
Attempts to access this website are met today with a message "This website is coming soon."
Fifth Tier (these two candidates do not have websites, making it nearly impossible for anyone to find out about them)
Laura Davis-Aaron (Tennesse) (from Politics1.com)
Laura Davis-Aaron (Tennessee)
STATUS: ANNOUNCED CANDIDATE. Except for the fact that contractor Laura Davis-Aaron filed paperwork with the FEC to run for President, little else is known about this 2008 Democratic hopeful. She lost a 2005 special election primary for an open State Senate seat (9th place - 1%), then filed for an open Congressional seat in 2006 but quit well before the primary. No website yet.
Alfonzo Jones (California) - according to Politics1, Mr. Jones has filed paperwork with the FEC to run for President again in 2008 ( he also filed in 1996, 2000 and 2004). No other information is available.
The Rest
Sal Mohamed (Iowa)
Sal Mohamed is a naturalized citizen and is therefore Constitutionally disqualified from being elected President. Of course, there was talk about an amendment to allow the Governator to run, so that would allow Sal to run, too. Mohamed is a perennial candidate, having run in the gubernatorial primary in 2006 and in the Congressional primary in 2004.
Mohamed's platform is summarized as:
- Advancing American Intellectual Capital.
- Victory in Iraq and in the War against Terrorism.
His idea of victory in Iraq is somewhat different from that of the current administration (if they even have an idea). He plans to put to use the fact that he is Egyptian born to open doors in the region and says:
I have available to me a huge reservoir of cultural, historical and spiritual resources that I share with the people of Iraq. I can use this knowledge to have a positive effect on their lives, get our troops out of Iraq safely, leave Iraq in good hands and build a tremendous good will towards America in the Middle East. In other words, get us from there "smelling like roses". I will succeed while others failed. In a very short period of time, with your help and support, I will turn the situation around to become one that is in favor of the United States.
Also, this will carry over to the war against terrorism, the war that the experts estimates to last for generations, I plan to win it in less than four years. I will be able to stop the recruitment of terrorist dead in its track and we will win the hearts and minds of about 1.3 billion people. The savings in the cost of war can be utilized to benefit Americans. I will be able more than any one else to affect progressive reforms in the middle east that will bring lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
You can read about all the candidates here at POLITICS1.COM
Update: It looks like Ole Saviors' last name didn't come through in the poll. My apologies for not noticing that in the editing process, but it cannot be changed after it is published.
Update II: MissLaura pointed me to another candidate who has experience running for President and who may get on the ballot in New Hampshire.
Willie Carter
Willie Carter is a 64 year old Texan who ran for President in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and is presently running for president for 2008. Mr. Carter's platform appears to be generally progressive. According to MissLaura, he has received as many as 86 votes in the New Hampshire Primary.
Since he has a website and campaign experience, he would fit in the Fourth Tier. To vote for Mr. Carter in the poll, click on "Other".