10/29/2020 19:01
Clarín.com
World
Updated 10/29/2020 7:01 PM
The United States has had presidents for more than 230 years, but only the first, George Washington, was elected as an independent candidate.
The twins of US politics, the Republican and Democratic parties, dominate media coverage and campaign donations so completely that the chances of a candidate winning from outside the two formations are slim to none.
What kind of person looks at those almost insurmountable odds and thinks, "I'm running anyway"?
Quite a few,
beyond Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
As of October 9,
some 1,216 candidates (with varying degrees of seriousness) had appeared
before the US Federal Election Commission to run for president.
The
BBC
asked three of them - a concert pianist and motivational speaker, a Native American and computer technician and a cryptocurrency billionaire - what they stand for and why they deserve votes from Americans.
Jade Simmons
is a multi-faceted woman: former beauty queen, professional piano performer, motivational speaker, rapper, mother, and Christian pastor. As she puts it, she is an unconventional candidate, but "these are unconventional times."
It seemed to me that it was a moment in which we could not allow ourselves to do things as usual, he analyzes.
"I am the daughter of a civil rights activist and the way my father raised me was that if you see gaps, if you see injustices, you should ask yourself if maybe it is you who has to take the reins," Simmons details.
She says her goal is to create equal access to opportunity, through economic, educational and criminal justice reform.
And in that spirit, he aims to run "the least expensive campaign in our nation's history."
Jade Simmons, another of the presidential candidates.
"We think it
's abominable that it costs almost $ 1 billion to run for president
when the requirements are to be 35 years old, be a US-born resident, and have lived here for 14 years," says Simmons.
"We prefer to spend that money helping people," he defends.
So are you progressive or conservative?
"It depends on who you ask!" He replies.
"Everyone from disgruntled Bernie (Sanders) supporters to conservative Christian pastors likes our politics," he says.
Her experience as a pastor and person of faith does not automatically denote conservatism, she assures. "I think Jesus is one of the most radical figures we have in history. And I think that if you look at how he operated, you could end up calling him progressive," she defines.
The coronavirus pandemic disrupted this year's race
for the White House, reducing mass gatherings, making party conventions virtual, and dominating news headlines.
But for
Jade Simmons
, the biggest challenge of her campaign has been to let people know that she exists. "Even in an age when the lives of blacks and their voices supposedly matter and there were statements of solidarity coming from the media. and the corporations, it is those same media, including those directed at the black community, who have refused to tell the story that I am here, "he warns.
Of course, "perhaps there is a celebrity like Kanye West who did not even present his official candidacy, and on July 4, when he announced it,
in 30 minutes he was present in all the main networks," he
describes.
While Republican and Democratic candidates will be on the ballot in every state, independents must meet a number of state deadlines and access requirements.
Simmons' name will appear on the ballot in Oklahoma and Louisiana, but in 31 other states she is registered as a written candidate, meaning that if voters physically write her name, their vote will count.
She acknowledges that
the odds are absolutely stacked against her
, but she still believes she may make it to the Oval Office, if not this year, at some other time.
"I know it sounds crazy given the history of the independents!" He says.
"We believe that if we stay on our feet long enough, there is still more disruption to come and most Americans will see that the current two nominations are not the option," Simmons analyzes. "We have been saying from day one that we must restore the fabric of the nation. This is a spiritual, cultural, social and racial fabric, and we feel that it has been torn apart, mainly and intentionally by both political parties, "he compares.
"So if I close my eyes and envision a nation ... this can't just be a power exchange and revenge. I see a cleansing season where we can take a deep breath and say, 'Where do we go from here?'" , says Simmons.
Brock Pierce
is a former actor who appeared in the film Mighty Ducks (in Spain it was translated to "We are the best" and in Latin America as "The male ducks" or "The champions") and played the president's son in the comedy First Kid ("The President's Son") from 1996. But thanks to his second career as a tech entrepreneur, he's probably a cryptocurrency billionaire too.
Why are you running for president?
Partly
because he is deeply concerned about the state of the country.
"I think we lack a real vision for the future, I mean, what kind of world do we want to live in in 2030? What's the plan? Where are we trying to get to? You have to aim for something. And I see mostly a lot of mud, not many people coming up with game-changing ideas.
This is getting scary
. And I have an idea what to do, "he says.
For the past four years, .Pierce has focused on philanthropic work in Puerto Rico, where his foundation recently raised $ 1 million to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) to deliver to doctors and staff of emergency.
When asked what America's priorities should be for the next four years, he suggests that the country stop looking for "growth for growth's sake" and measure its success based on how well it defends life, freedom. and the pursuit of happiness.
It is difficult to define Pierce politically.
Brock Pierce, Photo: Twitter
The man described by
Rolling Stone
magazine
as "the hippie king of cryptocurrencies" favors the legalization of cannabis, held a unicorn-themed wedding ceremony at the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada, and was so unimpressed to be included in a Forbes list of rich people who promised to give away their first $ 1 billion.
He also strongly believes in personal freedom and has donated thousands of dollars to Republican candidates. "I have a lot of liberal leanings as well as conservatives," Pierce says.
"And I think it is time for us to take a collective breath and take a brave step into the future, because all these ideologies have something to teach us," he says.
The 39-year-old man's life has not been without controversy.
When he was 19 years old, three male actors accused him and two business associates of sexual assault. Pierce denied any wrongdoing and was never charged with any crime.
The three plaintiffs dropped the cases against them and never received any personal compensation, but inevitably the headlines linked to that episode have made their presidential career look more difficult.
Data from the Federal Election Commission shows that Brock Pierce
invested $ 3.7 million in his campaign.
Pierce explains that his strategy is to end up in the White House not by winning the election outright, but by landing a single state in a close race and then forcing the House of Representatives to pick a winner.
"Every time this has happened before, 100% of the time, they have always chosen the third-place or last-place candidate to be president as a compromise. Now, this only happened once, in 1824. Therefore, our goal is to win only one state. And if it turns out exceptionally well, win three, "adventure.
"I will turn 40 in November, which means that I also have time on my side. Therefore, we are laying the foundations for the future, not only for me as a candidate, but for all independent candidates in the future," he says.
What if you can't?
Pierce says he has offers.
"I'm constantly being asked to run for governor of New York
or governor of Minnesota. Basically, wherever I go, they say, 'Brock, could you fix this. If you don't become president next year, would you run for our state? Could you rule our city? '"He says.
"I wouldn't spend a moment thinking about this until November 4, and that's what I tell everyone: 'Call me on November 4.' But I made the decision to live my life dedicated to public service, and I'm prepared to do good that job, "he says.
One factor that unites the independent candidates is that they have not had to please the majority of a party to get a platform, so they are running as themselves on issues that really affect them personally.
Mark Charles
is a good example, he has worked professionally as a computer programmer and in technical support, but he is also a fervent advocate for social justice on issues affecting Native Americans and people of color.
His goal is to be an alternative candidate for voters who do not feel sympathetic to the Trump or Biden ballots.
Charles is of Navajo descent, an identity that has deeply shaped his candidacy and his vision of what America should be.
The land on which Washington DC was built belonged to the people of Piscataway.
"These were their lands, long before Columbus was lost at sea, and they are still here. And I feel honored to live in these lands, on their lands, and I want to honor them as the host people," he says.
Mark Charles.
Photo: markcharles2020
In the early 2000s, Charles decided to move his family to a remote home on a Navajo reservation, "because he wanted to experience more traditional life."
They would live there for 11 years. "I saw several presidential elections from this point of view," he says.
"We were six miles from the nearest paved road, we lived in a one-bedroom Hogan, the traditional Navajo dwelling. There was no running water or electricity in our community, our neighbors were carpet weavers and herders," he describes.
The family prepared to cook in a camp kitchen, carry water and live by candlelight.
What they had not anticipated was how outcast they would feel.
"The only groups of non-natives that we saw in the reserve were those who came to take our photos or those who came to give us charity.
Almost no one came to establish relationships with us," says
Charles.
"In addition to that, I began to understand and see part of the old trauma produced by the very unfair history against our people. I felt that I became more insecure and angrier," he says. He decided to look outside and foster understanding instead of bitter.
Now he says he is fighting for a modern and truly inclusive America that rejects inequality.
"Our Constitution, which begins with the words 'We the people' (...) never mentions women, specifically excludes natives, and counts Africans as three-fifths of a person," says Charles.
"And this is what my campaign is about: if we want to be a nation of 'We, the people' we really have to include all the people, we have to do work at the foundational level," he warns.
"We can't just say it and wish it. We have to go in and change some things that this nation was founded on, like racism, sexism and explicit white supremacy," he lists.
MC
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