Willard Dean Watkins, February 14, 1931 (Canton, Ohio) -
VP candidate for Prohibition Party (2000)
Running mate with nominee: Earl F. Dodge (1932-2007)
Popular vote: 208 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Earl Dodge was making his fifth run for the Prohibition Party nomination and then the Presidency in 2000. But this time he almost didn't get past Step 1.
Dodge underwent a septuple bypass operation on May 28, 1999 but a month later was active in nabbing the Party's nomination at their convention. 39 Party members were present and a growing anti-Dodge faction had nominated a challenger, Gary Van Horn, a perennial candidate from Utah who had been the American Party VP nominee in 1996 and in 2000 was associated with the Independent American Party. Dodge defeated Van Horn in a close 9-8 vote.
The VP choice was W. Dean Watkins of Tucson, Ariz., a recent Party member with an interesting story. While researching his family history, he investigated the political career of his grandfather, Aaron S. Watkins. The elder Watkins had been the Prohibition Party VP nominee in 1908 and 1912, as well as the Presidential nominee in 1920. He also ran as a Prohibition Party candidate for the US House, US Senate, and Governor of Ohio. Discovering that the Party still existed, the grandson contacted Dodge and soon became the VP choice.
Some in the anti-Dodge faction felt the selection of Watkins was a publicity gimmick and the talents of this retired aeronautical engineer were not being used to full advantage. However, Watkins' precision and thoroughness was employed in his role as the chair of the committee to redraft and overhaul the Party's platform, and he wrote position papers.
As is turned out the 2000 platform changes were mostly cosmetic and it remained as consistently Right wing and bordering on Christian nationalism as it had been for decades. A few of the changes found in the 2000 platform worth noting--
Added under Taxation and Spending: Ending useless programs funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Science Foundation -- Minimizing taxes which threaten private ownership of land and real estate -- Emphasizing excise taxes for the financing of government.
Added under Social Security: allowing workers the option of enrolling in private plans in lieu of Social Security;
At the very end The Alcohol Problem was completely rewritten and new section, Presidential Qualifications was added:
The Alcohol Problem
Alcohol is still the number one drug problem in the United States. It is a major cause of poverty, traffic crashes, broken homes, juvenile and adult crime, physical and sexual abuse, political corruption, wasted manpower, disability, and premature death. We favor maintaining the nation-wide legal drinking age of 21.
Historically, the Prohibition Party has led in offering programs of publicity, education, and legislation leading to the prohibition of the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of all alcoholic beverages. We continue to support this stand. Our society already practices prohibition in the form of enacting laws which promote the safety and well being of the society members. We will help Americans to realize that alcohol's harmful effects far outweigh those of all illegal drugs combined. We advocate that all tax monies collected from the sale of alcohol be used in aggressive media and educational campaigns to teach the American public the truth about alcohol. We support local option. We advocate the enactment and enforcement of strong drunk driving laws.
Presidential Qualifications
Leavening the Loaf
"Nothing doth more hurt to a State than that cunning men pass for wise."
...Francis Bacon, statesman
The qualifications for President stated in the Constitution have to do with age and citizenship. We call attention to the fact that of greater importance are those not so stated referring to moral, intellectual, and spiritual endowments. The President of the United States in his daily life, his home and family relationships, and his official career is expected to typify the finest and best the country can produce. He is the leader of the nation. The moral force and power of his example are immeasurable.
Watkins wrote an essay entitled "Excise Taxes vs Income Taxes" and opened with the thesis statement: "The 2000 Prohibition Party platform advocates using excise taxes to pay for the operating costs of the federal government. It also advocates the abolishment of personal income taxes. Many people think this is a radical stand. However, let us examine the federal tax system ..."
On the ballot only in Dodge's home state of Colorado the Dodge/Watkins ticket placed dead last out of ten with 208 votes, 0.01% of the state total. Nationally they finished 15th out of 16 tickets on the ballot. This would be the worst result ever in the long history of the legitimate wing of America's oldest third party.
In 2000 Dodge had faced rumblings within the Party, but it would explode into full revolution by the next election. Watkins joined the group that eventually ousted Dodge. In a 2002 article by Ernie Tucker, Watkins expressed his frustration: Concerns over fuzzy finances foamed over in 2000 ... Initially, Watkins supported Dodge's fifth presidential run, but he eventually grew frustrated with his lack of candor. "He's too secretive," Watkins says of Dodge. "His financial reports don't make sense. And there's an appearance of wrongdoing."
And this drama spilled over into the 2004 election.
Election history: none
Other occupations: US Army, Materials Testing Laboratory - Naval Avionics Center, design engineer at Hughes Aircraft Company,
Notes:
Grew up in Canton, Ohio and Indianapolis, Ind.
Baptist.
Plays the piano and organ.
