Richard A. Sanders, February 1966 (Marion, Ill.) -
VP candidate for American Party of America (2016, 2020)
Running mate with nominee (2016, 2020): Dennis Andrew Ball (b. 1951)
Popular vote (2016): 0 (0.00%)
Popular vote (2020): 12 (0.00%)
Electoral vote (2016, 2020): 0/538
The campaign (2016):
Dennis Andrew Ball founded the American Party of America in 1995 but did not appear to run for President until 2012. Apparently not a believer in filing with the FEC, Ball seems to have started running in 2011. Included in Ball's campaign webpage was his embrace of Birtherism, a strong dislike of President Obama, opposition to Gay rights, and support for energy alternatives. He was also selling a book he had authored.
In 2012 his running mate was Stephen Kates. But in the next two elections his VP was Richard Sanders. In the previous election his base was in Arizona, but by 2016 he was in Marion, Ill.
One of Ball's often touted qualifications was that he claimed to be a descendant of Mary Ball Washington, the mother our our first President.
Ball sometimes called himself a "radical centrist," and other times a "Goldwater conservative independent voter" and a "Bible man." He opposed opening relations with Cuba, saw feminism as a negative movement, continued to be against Gay rights, did not like NAFTA, and said "The Clintons are hippies." His stand on Gays had been qualified with, "If the gays support our platform, they're welcome into the party. We're not here to hurt them, we're not here to help them. We believe in the traditional family. If they have a family, I'm not going to say anything negative about them."
The candidate declared "Liberalism is a mental disorder."
Richard (not Bernie) Sanders, Ball's VP, was also a resident of Marion, Ill. If anything, Sanders was even more of a hardcore political Christian than Ball. Sanders described himself as a "Libertarian Conservative."
The Ball/Sanders ticket had no reported votes but instead the results were lumped in with general write-ins. They were registered as write-ins in six states.
The campaign (2020):
Ball's 2020 American Party of America webpage was virtually unchanged from the 2016 effort. But if his Twitter account is any indicator, he had shifted even further to the Right and was deeper into conspiracy theories than the previous two elections. Some examples--
-RESIGN Biden. File criminal charges on both Biden & Sanders! $4M Bank fraud Sanders & wife from the College in Vermont she was President.
-If Christians don’t personally engage in politics, it’s all over for America
-Our hope is in Jesus Christ & Him RISEN!
-I believe Biden's family is dirty Creepy ... Joe is too!
-Muslims must assimilate or leave U.S.
-Booker total moron
-ARREST ANTIFA THUGS. THEY ARE TERRORISTS!
-Omar must resign. She is a disgrace and her constituents are too for voting for a low life like her!
-White House flag no longer at half-staff days after death of John McCain ... A vote of no confidence fits McCain perfectly.
-Parents Look to Home Schooling As Leftists Take Over Public Schools ... Radical left indoctrination prevalent public schools.
-We are living in the age of the Deep State! Rise up you slumbering masses to your destruction if you care! Your children are watching!
-Arpaio plans to continue investigation into Obama birth certificate ... Get him Joe!
-Make Texas White.
-Gay Pride is hypocritical to tolerance and diversity.
-Ivanka Trump: My Dad Is Now Destroying Elite Pedophile Network-
-FBI: Pizzagate Arrests 'Imminent' In Washington Pedophile Ring Bust
-Americans are fed up with the Radical left & demand change to normalcy.
In between the 2016 and 2020 elections Ball had made a failed run for Mayor of Marion, Ill.
The Ball/Sanders ticket were registered write-ins in six states. Of their reported 12 votes, 8 came from Maryland. Sanders indicated on Facebook he embraced the conspiracy theory that Trump actually won the election.
In both the 2016 and 2020 elections, the fact that both people on the ticket were residents of the same state would have posed a Constitutional problem.
Election history: none
Other occupations: US Air Force, engineer, songwriter, lead singer of the Fortress Quartet (gospel), boat designer
Notes:
Once I stayed the night in Marion, Ill. on one of my road trips. I must say it had almost the worst tap water I have ever encountered.
