Thomas L. Knapp

 

Thomas L. Knapp, November 10, 1967 (Memphis, Tenn.) -

VP candidate for Boston Tea Party (aka Personal Choice Party aka Independent) (2008)

Running mate with nominee: Charles Jay (b. 1960)
Popular vote: 1,807 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

As the short-lived Personal Choice Party began to fade from their 2004 run with the Charles Jay/Marilyn Chambers Taylor ticket, another new party also offering a home for disgruntled Libertarians sprang up. Thomas L. Knapp created the Boston Tea Party and explained once in an interview many years later, "I founded the Boston Tea Party in 2006 when there was a fairly serious schism in the Libertarian Party. I saw people preparing to leave the LP, and decided that it was important to give them a place to go that they might come back from (as a matter of fact, at our first convention, I proposed that the BTP become a caucus within the LP rather than a separate party, but I got voted down) ... Hey, we had some fun, got our message out as best we could, and gave libertarians who couldn't stomach Barr/Root 2008 a ticket to vote for. I don't regret any of that. It wasn't until 2010 that I gave up on voting and electoral politics, and I still have friends who are involved."

Charles Jay resurfaced in 2008 as a Presidential candidate, but this time for the Boston Tea Party. Knapp became the official running-mate but Jay had several alternative VPs: Barry Hess, Dan Sallis Jr., John Wayne Smith, Thomas J. Marino, and Marilyn Chambers Taylor. The party also endorsed the rogue Libertarian ticket of Phillies and Bennett in New Hampshire.

The platform of the party was quite short:

Platform of the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.

However, they also had something called a "Program," which was basically a platform--

Program of the Boston Tea Party

Program of the Boston Tea Party
Adopted in Convention, October 26th, 2008

[Note: The Boston Tea Party's 2008-2010 program consists of the Campaign For Liberty's four points, endorsed by US Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and presidential candidates Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party), Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), Ralph Nader (Independent), Bob Barr (Libertarian Party) and Charles Jay, the Boston Tea Party's 2008 presidential nominee.]

1. Foreign Policy: The Iraq War must end as quickly as possible with removal of all our soldiers from the region. We must initiate the return of our soldiers from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle East. We must cease the war propaganda, threats of a blockade and plans for attacks on Iran, nor should we re-ignite the cold war with Russia over Georgia. We must be willing to talk to all countries and offer friendship and trade and travel to all who are willing. We must take off the table the threat of a nuclear first strike against all nations.

2. Privacy: We must protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons under US jurisdiction. We must repeal or radically change the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the FISA legislation. We must reject the notion and practice of torture, elimination of habeas corpus, secret tribunals, and secret prisons. We must deny immunity for corporations that spy willingly on the people for the benefit of the government. We must reject the unitary presidency, the illegal use of signing statements and excessive use of executive orders.
 
3. The National Debt: We believe that there should be no increase in the national debt. The burden of debt placed on the next generation is unjust and already threatening our economy and the value of our dollar. We must pay our bills as we go along and not unfairly place this burden on a future generation.

4. The Federal Reserve: We seek a thorough investigation, evaluation and audit of the Federal Reserve System and its cozy relationships with the banking, corporate, and other financial institutions. The arbitrary power to create money and credit out of thin air behind closed doors for the benefit of commercial interests must be ended. There should be no taxpayer bailouts of corporations and no corporate subsidies. Corporations should be aggressively prosecuted for their crimes and frauds.

Past Programs

2006-2008 Program
Adopted in Convention, August 21st, 2006

1. The Boston Tea Party calls for a complete and unconditional withdrawal of US troops from, and a cessation of US military operations against or within, Iraq.

2. The Boston Tea Party supports repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act.

3. The Boston Tea Party calls for an end to the federal prohibition of marijuana and hemp.

4. The Boston Tea Party calls for the immediate repeal of the REAL ID Act and any and all National ID plans.

5. The Boston Tea Party calls for legislation adopting an annual, regularized increase in the personal exemption to the federal income tax of $1,000 or more, and the additional application of said personal exemption to all FICA/Social Security taxes paid by employees and employers.

Jay finished with 2,425 (0.00%) reported popular votes but no doubt his tally was much higher since many states do not segregate write-in votes. He was on the ballot in Colorado, Florida, and Tennessee but also a registered write-in in 17 other states.

Although Tom Knapp was the official national BTP VP nominee he was initially on the ballot only in Tennessee with Jay. According to the BTP campaign webpage, Knapp was also considered the write-in VP in Alabama, Delaware, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming but it seems the ticket was not registered in some of them. In addition, Knapp was running in Missouri as a Libertarian for the US House.

After Florida BTP VP John Wayne Smith resigned from the race in Oct. 2008 during a major Party meltdown, Knapp stepped in to fill the void and commented--

It is my understanding that once Mr. Smith resigned as chair of the Florida BTP and destroyed the Florida BTP's Facebook group, which had fortunately been archived and will be resurrected, Mr. Jay decided to seek a substitution of myself for Mr. Smith on the Florida BTP's ticket. I don't know how much effect such a substitution will have (the ballots have presumably already been printed, but the Secretary of State's web site candidate listings my be changed), but I have accepted Mr. Jay's invitation to be the substitute VP candidate.

Including Florida, the combined reported popular vote of the Jay/Knapp ticket was 1,807 (0.00%).

Election history:
2000 - US House of Representatives (Mo.) (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2002 - Missouri House of Representatives (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2008 - US House of Representatives (Mo.) (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2012 - Libertarian Party nomination for US President - dropped out
2016 - Reform Party of the United States nomination for US Vice-President - defeated
2020 - Libertarian Party nomination for US Vice-President - defeated

Other occupations: Marine reservist (infantry NCO in the 1991 Gulf war), Libertarian Party Judicial Committee, author, pundit, blogger, media coordinator and analyist for the Center for a Stateless Society, food service, retail, factory worker, Selective Service Board

Notes:
Winner of the 2008 Congressional race was Todd Akin.
Supported Ross Perot in 1992.
Knapp has wondered if he was one of the few former US Marines to run for VP. Others up to 2008 include: James Roosevelt II (Democrats of America Inc., 1988), Merritt Barton Curtis (Texas Constitution Party, 1960), Jon Adam Greenspon (Independent, 2008), Billy Earl Gilmore (Peoples Party, 1988),  Billy Marvin Davis (Independent, 1984), Rolland Ernest Fisher (Prohibition Party, 1968), and Darrell Lane Castle (Constitution Party, 2008)
On Apr. 29, 2020, after announcing he was seeking the Libertarian Party VP slot, Knapp revealed himself to be a fellow VP trivia lover when he noted: "Guinness Book of World Records busk: So far as I know, I'm the first person to seek the vice-presidential nominations of three different political parties (exclusively, as opposed to fusion propositions) in three different election cycles." He just might be right.

John Wayne Smith

 

John Wayne Smith, July 13, 1945 (Leesburg, Fla.) - December 11, 2014 (Florida)

VP candidate for Boston Tea Party (2008)

Running mate with nominee: Charles Jay (b. 1960)
Popular vote: 795 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

As the short-lived Personal Choice Party began to fade from their 2004 run with the Charles Jay/Marilyn Chambers Taylor ticket, another new party also offering a home for disgruntled Libertarians sprang up. Thomas L. Knapp created the Boston Tea Party and explained once in an interview many years later, "I founded the Boston Tea Party in 2006 when there was a fairly serious schism in the Libertarian Party. I saw people preparing to leave the LP, and decided that it was important to give them a place to go that they might come back from (as a matter of fact, at our first convention, I proposed that the BTP become a caucus within the LP rather than a separate party, but I got voted down) ... Hey, we had some fun, got our message out as best we could, and gave libertarians who couldn't stomach Barr/Root 2008 a ticket to vote for. I don't regret any of that. It wasn't until 2010 that I gave up on voting and electoral politics, and I still have friends who are involved."

Charles Jay resurfaced in 2008 as a Presidential candidate, but this time for the Boston Tea Party. Knapp became the official running-mate but Jay had several alternative VPs: Barry Hess, Dan Sallis Jr., John Wayne Smith, Thomas J. Marino, and Marilyn Chambers Taylor. The party also endorsed the rogue Libertarian ticket of Phillies and Bennett in New Hampshire.

The platform of the party was quite short:

Platform of the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.

However, they also had something called a "Program," which was basically a platform--

Program of the Boston Tea Party

Program of the Boston Tea Party
Adopted in Convention, October 26th, 2008

[Note: The Boston Tea Party's 2008-2010 program consists of the Campaign For Liberty's four points, endorsed by US Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and presidential candidates Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party), Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), Ralph Nader (Independent), Bob Barr (Libertarian Party) and Charles Jay, the Boston Tea Party's 2008 presidential nominee.]

1. Foreign Policy: The Iraq War must end as quickly as possible with removal of all our soldiers from the region. We must initiate the return of our soldiers from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle East. We must cease the war propaganda, threats of a blockade and plans for attacks on Iran, nor should we re-ignite the cold war with Russia over Georgia. We must be willing to talk to all countries and offer friendship and trade and travel to all who are willing. We must take off the table the threat of a nuclear first strike against all nations.

2. Privacy: We must protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons under US jurisdiction. We must repeal or radically change the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the FISA legislation. We must reject the notion and practice of torture, elimination of habeas corpus, secret tribunals, and secret prisons. We must deny immunity for corporations that spy willingly on the people for the benefit of the government. We must reject the unitary presidency, the illegal use of signing statements and excessive use of executive orders.
 
3. The National Debt: We believe that there should be no increase in the national debt. The burden of debt placed on the next generation is unjust and already threatening our economy and the value of our dollar. We must pay our bills as we go along and not unfairly place this burden on a future generation.

4. The Federal Reserve: We seek a thorough investigation, evaluation and audit of the Federal Reserve System and its cozy relationships with the banking, corporate, and other financial institutions. The arbitrary power to create money and credit out of thin air behind closed doors for the benefit of commercial interests must be ended. There should be no taxpayer bailouts of corporations and no corporate subsidies. Corporations should be aggressively prosecuted for their crimes and frauds.

Past Programs

2006-2008 Program
Adopted in Convention, August 21st, 2006

1. The Boston Tea Party calls for a complete and unconditional withdrawal of US troops from, and a cessation of US military operations against or within, Iraq.

2. The Boston Tea Party supports repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act.

3. The Boston Tea Party calls for an end to the federal prohibition of marijuana and hemp.

4. The Boston Tea Party calls for the immediate repeal of the REAL ID Act and any and all National ID plans.

5. The Boston Tea Party calls for legislation adopting an annual, regularized increase in the personal exemption to the federal income tax of $1,000 or more, and the additional application of said personal exemption to all FICA/Social Security taxes paid by employees and employers.

Jay finished with 2,425 (0.00%) reported popular votes but no doubt his tally was much higher since many states do not segregate write-in votes. He was on the ballot in Colorado, Florida, and Tennessee but also a registered write-in in 17 other states.

Jay's running-mate in Florida was John Wayne Smith, a former Republican who joined the Libertarian Party in 1974. A perennial candidate, Smith made these admissions on his website during his 2006 run for Governor--

I have never been an angel and claim my mistakes as well as my successes. I have been divorced 3 times, fathered 4 children, and raised many more. I have been arrested for bigamy once (adjudication withheld-$502 in court cost). My only other arrest has been for civil disobedience, too many times to tell. I spent 6 months in the Marion County Jail for refusing to buy a taxicab permit. I declared bankruptcy in 1978 and have over the years refused to pay some bills that I thought were unjust. I have made my share of mistakes and have tried to learn from all of them. I hope I have.

Smith was a polarizing activist who always seemed to be involved in major political drama and as such had strong supporters and major detractors. It is safe to say the BTP would not have been on the Florida ballot without Smith's efforts. On the other hand, one comment made on the Independent Political Report website summed up the view of Smith's critics--

Florida Libertarian
September 13, 2013 at 10:05
Look somebody HAS to say this. I have known John Wayne Smith for years and he is unstable and violent. He keeps leaving the LP to start new political parties…..the American Libertarian Party in 2006 and the Boston Tea Party in 2008. They eventually kick him out and he comes running back to the LP and plays nice for a while before going on the attack again. He screamed at the audience and called them “a bunch of retards” at a debate with Wyllie. He was kicked out of the convention last year because he threatened to KILL the treasurer and secretary. Anybody who supports this guy either doesn’t know him……or is just as insane as he is. I’m not giving my name because I don’t want him to come after me. This guy is NOT a Libertarian!

Social media accounts and Youtube channels were even established to attack Smith as a "fake Libertarian." Meanwhile, following Smith's death in 2014, a John Wayne Smith Society was formed on Facebook that is highly critical of the Florida Libertarian Party so a legacy of controversy lives on.

One of the sparks igniting the inferno that would burn down the Boston Tea Party started with John Wayne Smith. In Oct. 2008 a voter in Florida named Dagny Barnes alleged that Smith, her father, had sexually molested her when she was a child (as far as I can determine this never translated into a formal legal case). The way this information was handled revealed a party with some major internal differences in communication style and expectations of transparency within the leadership ranks. By Election Day the Presidential candidate and National Chair were insulting each other in public, the Florida chapter had voted to disaffiliate, and John Wayne Smith stepped down as the running-mate.

In his farewell statement in a Yahoo group on Oct. 19, Smith wrote--

In my haste to get even with Bob Barr, it seems that I have stumbled into a den of fools.

Folks I quit, I never liked the idea of being a running mate with Charles Jay and never liked him from the start. He is not half the man Bob Barr is and that is not very much. Charles Jay is a fool and should not receive any more support from the Boston Tea Party.

I did put many hours into campaigning for us. I sent out over 15,000 Emails and made a number of telephone calls just so we could bleed votes from Barr. I was a fool and admit it.

I joined the BTP because Tom Knapp ask me to. I am resigning as chair of the Florida affiliate to the BTP as of the time you read this e mail.

November 5th I will change my registration and inform the state that I am no longer affiliated with the BTP.

I am shutting down this list. The ballots have been printed and cannot be undone.

So, Charles Jay, you do not have any real experience or knowledge to be President of the US. Your ego is more than your substance. Of all the mistakes I have made in my life teaming up with you is just about the worst.

Thomas Knapp, who was the official Vice-Presidential nominee of the national Party, commented on a BTP website--

It is my understanding that once Mr. Smith resigned as chair of the Florida BTP and destroyed the Florida BTP's Facebook group, which had fortunately been archived and will be resurrected, Mr. Jay decided to seek a substitution of myself for Mr. Smith on the Florida BTP's ticket. I don't know how much effect such a substitution will have (the ballots have presumably already been printed, but the Secretary of State's web site candidate listings my be changed), but I have accepted Mr. Jay's invitation to be the substitute VP candidate.

The Jay/Smith/(Knapp) ticket finished 9th out of 13 + 1 write-in ticket in Florida with 0.01% of the popular vote.

If the Jay/Smith ticket had won enough Electoral votes to claim the White House, there would have been a Constitutional problem since they were residents of the same state.

Election history:
1969 - Leesburg City Commission, Fla. - defeated
1970 - Leesburg City Commission, Fla. - defeated
1983 - Ocala City Commission, Fla. - defeated
1985 - Mayor of Ocala, Fla. - defeated
1986 - Florida House of Representatives (No Party Affiliation) - defeated
2000 - Florida House of Representatives (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2002 - Governor of Florida (Independent) - defeated
2001 - Leesburg City Commission, Fla. - defeated
2004 - Florida House of Representatives (Libertarian) - defeated
2006 - Governor of Florida (No Party Affiliation) - defeated
2010 - Governor of Florida (Libertarian) - failed to make the ballot
2012 - Boston Tea Party nomination for US President - defeated
2014 - Governor of Florida (Libertarian) - failed to make the ballot

Other occupations: US Army, construction, transportation, awning installer, CEO of 1000 Planets Inc.

Buried: ?

Notes:
Was a write-in in the 1986 election.
Winner of the 2002 election was Jeb Bush.
Winner of the 2006 election was Charlie Crist.

Barry Joel Hess II

 

Barry Joel Hess II, January 29, 1957 (Garden City, Mich.) -

VP candidate for Boston Tea Party (2008)

Running mate with nominee: Charles Jay (b. 1960)
Popular vote: 16 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

As the short-lived Personal Choice Party began to fade from their 2004 run with the Charles Jay/Marilyn Chambers Taylor ticket, another new party also offering a home for disgruntled Libertarians sprang up. Thomas L. Knapp created the Boston Tea Party and explained once in an interview many years later, "I founded the Boston Tea Party in 2006 when there was a fairly serious schism in the Libertarian Party. I saw people preparing to leave the LP, and decided that it was important to give them a place to go that they might come back from (as a matter of fact, at our first convention, I proposed that the BTP become a caucus within the LP rather than a separate party, but I got voted down) ... Hey, we had some fun, got our message out as best we could, and gave libertarians who couldn't stomach Barr/Root 2008 a ticket to vote for. I don't regret any of that. It wasn't until 2010 that I gave up on voting and electoral politics, and I still have friends who are involved."

Charles Jay resurfaced in 2008 as a Presidential candidate, but this time for the Boston Tea Party. Knapp became the official running-mate but Jay had several alternative VPs: Barry Hess, Dan Sallis Jr., John Wayne Smith, Thomas J. Marino, and Marilyn Chambers Taylor. The party also endorsed the rogue Libertarian ticket of Phillies and Bennett in New Hampshire.

The platform of the party was quite short:

Platform of the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.

However, they also had something called a "Program," which was basically a platform--

Program of the Boston Tea Party

Program of the Boston Tea Party
Adopted in Convention, October 26th, 2008

[Note: The Boston Tea Party's 2008-2010 program consists of the Campaign For Liberty's four points, endorsed by US Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and presidential candidates Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party), Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), Ralph Nader (Independent), Bob Barr (Libertarian Party) and Charles Jay, the Boston Tea Party's 2008 presidential nominee.]

1. Foreign Policy: The Iraq War must end as quickly as possible with removal of all our soldiers from the region. We must initiate the return of our soldiers from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle East. We must cease the war propaganda, threats of a blockade and plans for attacks on Iran, nor should we re-ignite the cold war with Russia over Georgia. We must be willing to talk to all countries and offer friendship and trade and travel to all who are willing. We must take off the table the threat of a nuclear first strike against all nations.

2. Privacy: We must protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons under US jurisdiction. We must repeal or radically change the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the FISA legislation. We must reject the notion and practice of torture, elimination of habeas corpus, secret tribunals, and secret prisons. We must deny immunity for corporations that spy willingly on the people for the benefit of the government. We must reject the unitary presidency, the illegal use of signing statements and excessive use of executive orders.
 
3. The National Debt: We believe that there should be no increase in the national debt. The burden of debt placed on the next generation is unjust and already threatening our economy and the value of our dollar. We must pay our bills as we go along and not unfairly place this burden on a future generation.

4. The Federal Reserve: We seek a thorough investigation, evaluation and audit of the Federal Reserve System and its cozy relationships with the banking, corporate, and other financial institutions. The arbitrary power to create money and credit out of thin air behind closed doors for the benefit of commercial interests must be ended. There should be no taxpayer bailouts of corporations and no corporate subsidies. Corporations should be aggressively prosecuted for their crimes and frauds.

Past Programs

2006-2008 Program
Adopted in Convention, August 21st, 2006

1. The Boston Tea Party calls for a complete and unconditional withdrawal of US troops from, and a cessation of US military operations against or within, Iraq.

2. The Boston Tea Party supports repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act.

3. The Boston Tea Party calls for an end to the federal prohibition of marijuana and hemp.

4. The Boston Tea Party calls for the immediate repeal of the REAL ID Act and any and all National ID plans.

5. The Boston Tea Party calls for legislation adopting an annual, regularized increase in the personal exemption to the federal income tax of $1,000 or more, and the additional application of said personal exemption to all FICA/Social Security taxes paid by employees and employers.

Jay finished with 2,425 (0.00%) reported popular votes but no doubt his tally was much higher since many states do not segregate write-in votes. He was on the ballot in Colorado, Florida, and Tennessee but also a registered write-in in 17 other states. According to BTP websites, his running-mate for Arizona was Barry Hess.

A prominent figure in the Arizona Libertarian Party, Hess had made his second attempt for the Party's Presidential nomination in 2008. In April of that year he offered his opinion of the major party figures running for the White House: "Obama can say nothing better than anyone I've met." He said Hillary Clinton was "delusional," and "[Think about] waking up [that] groggy old lady at 3 o'clock in the morning for an emergency." He called Arizona US Sen. John McCain a "maniac," adding, "He's certifiably nuts, as far as I'm concerned." Hess supported Ron Paul for President at one point in the year.

The Jay/Hess ticket received 16 write-in votes in Arizona.

Election history:
2000 - Libertarian Party nomination for US President - defeated
2000 - Libertarian Party nomination for US Vice-President - defeated
2000 - US Senate (Ariz.) (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2002 - Governor of Arizona (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2006 - Governor of Arizona (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2008 - Libertarian Party nomination for US President - defeated
2010 - Governor of Arizona (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2014 - Governor of Arizona (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2018 - Governor of Arizona (Libertarian Party) - withdrew
2018 - US Senate (Ariz.) (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2020 - US Senate (Ariz.) (Libertarian Party) - pending

Other occupations: bridge construction, travel business, insurance investigator, currency speculator, writer, voice actor

Notes:
Was a write-in in the 2018 US Senate election.

Daniel Virgil Sallis Jr.

 

Daniel Virgil Sallis Jr., July 17, 1961 -

VP candidate for Boston Tea Party (2008)

Running mate with nominee: Charles Jay (b. 1960)
Popular vote: 598 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

As the short-lived Personal Choice Party began to fade from their 2004 run with the Charles Jay/Marilyn Chambers Taylor ticket, another new party also offering a home for disgruntled Libertarians sprang up. Thomas L. Knapp created the Boston Tea Party and explained once in an interview many years later, "I founded the Boston Tea Party in 2006 when there was a fairly serious schism in the Libertarian Party. I saw people preparing to leave the LP, and decided that it was important to give them a place to go that they might come back from (as a matter of fact, at our first convention, I proposed that the BTP become a caucus within the LP rather than a separate party, but I got voted down) ... Hey, we had some fun, got our message out as best we could, and gave libertarians who couldn't stomach Barr/Root 2008 a ticket to vote for. I don't regret any of that. It wasn't until 2010 that I gave up on voting and electoral politics, and I still have friends who are involved."

Charles Jay resurfaced in 2008 as a Presidential candidate, but this time for the Boston Tea Party. Knapp became the official running-mate but Jay had several alternative VPs: Barry Hess, Dan Sallis Jr., John Wayne Smith, Thomas J. Marino, and Marilyn Chambers Taylor. The party also endorsed the rogue Libertarian ticket of Phillies and Bennett in New Hampshire.

The platform of the party was quite short:

Platform of the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.

However, they also had something called a "Program," which was basically a platform--

Program of the Boston Tea Party

Program of the Boston Tea Party
Adopted in Convention, October 26th, 2008

[Note: The Boston Tea Party's 2008-2010 program consists of the Campaign For Liberty's four points, endorsed by US Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and presidential candidates Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party), Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), Ralph Nader (Independent), Bob Barr (Libertarian Party) and Charles Jay, the Boston Tea Party's 2008 presidential nominee.]

1. Foreign Policy: The Iraq War must end as quickly as possible with removal of all our soldiers from the region. We must initiate the return of our soldiers from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle East. We must cease the war propaganda, threats of a blockade and plans for attacks on Iran, nor should we re-ignite the cold war with Russia over Georgia. We must be willing to talk to all countries and offer friendship and trade and travel to all who are willing. We must take off the table the threat of a nuclear first strike against all nations.

2. Privacy: We must protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons under US jurisdiction. We must repeal or radically change the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the FISA legislation. We must reject the notion and practice of torture, elimination of habeas corpus, secret tribunals, and secret prisons. We must deny immunity for corporations that spy willingly on the people for the benefit of the government. We must reject the unitary presidency, the illegal use of signing statements and excessive use of executive orders.
 
3. The National Debt: We believe that there should be no increase in the national debt. The burden of debt placed on the next generation is unjust and already threatening our economy and the value of our dollar. We must pay our bills as we go along and not unfairly place this burden on a future generation.

4. The Federal Reserve: We seek a thorough investigation, evaluation and audit of the Federal Reserve System and its cozy relationships with the banking, corporate, and other financial institutions. The arbitrary power to create money and credit out of thin air behind closed doors for the benefit of commercial interests must be ended. There should be no taxpayer bailouts of corporations and no corporate subsidies. Corporations should be aggressively prosecuted for their crimes and frauds.

Past Programs

2006-2008 Program
Adopted in Convention, August 21st, 2006

1. The Boston Tea Party calls for a complete and unconditional withdrawal of US troops from, and a cessation of US military operations against or within, Iraq.

2. The Boston Tea Party supports repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act.

3. The Boston Tea Party calls for an end to the federal prohibition of marijuana and hemp.

4. The Boston Tea Party calls for the immediate repeal of the REAL ID Act and any and all National ID plans.

5. The Boston Tea Party calls for legislation adopting an annual, regularized increase in the personal exemption to the federal income tax of $1,000 or more, and the additional application of said personal exemption to all FICA/Social Security taxes paid by employees and employers.

Jay finished with 2,425 (0.00%) reported popular votes but no doubt his tally was much higher since many states do not segregate write-in votes. He was on the ballot in Colorado, Florida, and Tennessee but also a registered write-in in 17 other states.

Dan "Kilo" Sallis of Littleton was the VP choice for Colorado, submitted on June 17, 2008. He had attended the Libertarian Party convention and to say he was disappointed with the nomination of Barr for President is putting it mildly. In his blog entry on the day of the nomination we read a bit of foreshadowing--

Libertarians choose Lawyer Barr as Presidential Candidate: Choice leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many libertarians.

The libertarians choose former U.S. attorney, Bob Barr, as their presidential candidate at the national convention today in Denver. As the results were displayed on the convention floor there were strong boos heard among from the anti-Barr contingent.

While Barr was making his acceptance speech, Jim Davidson was organizing a “Boston tea Party” where delegates would choose an alternative presidential candidate. Within minutes Davidson had printed several hundred flyers and was distributing them to the delegates. When I asked delegates about their plans to attend the event the vast majority said they would attend the event. The event is set for tonight (May, 25th, 2008) at 6:30 PM and the Buckhorn Exchange restaurant at 1000 Osage Street in Denver. The flyer says, “Serious, radical, libertarians only.”

The Jay/Sallis ticket finished 9th out of 16 on the Colorado ballot with 0.02% of the popular vote.

Election history:
2010 - Governor of Colorado (Libertarian) - primary - defeated

Other occupations: messenger service, exporter, software developer

Notes:
Licensed pilot.

Thomas J. Marino

 

Thomas J. Marino

VP candidate for Boston Tea Party (2008)

Running mate with nominee: Charles Jay (b. 1960)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

As the short-lived Personal Choice Party began to fade from their 2004 run with the Charles Jay/Marilyn Chambers Taylor ticket, another new party also offering a home for disgruntled Libertarians sprang up. Thomas L. Knapp created the Boston Tea Party and explained once in an interview many years later, "I founded the Boston Tea Party in 2006 when there was a fairly serious schism in the Libertarian Party. I saw people preparing to leave the LP, and decided that it was important to give them a place to go that they might come back from (as a matter of fact, at our first convention, I proposed that the BTP become a caucus within the LP rather than a separate party, but I got voted down) ... Hey, we had some fun, got our message out as best we could, and gave libertarians who couldn't stomach Barr/Root 2008 a ticket to vote for. I don't regret any of that. It wasn't until 2010 that I gave up on voting and electoral politics, and I still have friends who are involved."

Charles Jay resurfaced in 2008 as a Presidential candidate, but this time for the Boston Tea Party. Knapp became the official running-mate but Jay had several alternative VPs: Barry Hess, Dan Sallis Jr., John Wayne Smith, Thomas J. Marino, and Marilyn Chambers Taylor. The party also endorsed the rogue Libertarian ticket of Phillies and Bennett in New Hampshire.

The platform of the party was quite short:

Platform of the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.

However, they also had something called a "Program," which was basically a platform--

Program of the Boston Tea Party

Program of the Boston Tea Party
Adopted in Convention, October 26th, 2008

[Note: The Boston Tea Party's 2008-2010 program consists of the Campaign For Liberty's four points, endorsed by US Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and presidential candidates Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party), Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), Ralph Nader (Independent), Bob Barr (Libertarian Party) and Charles Jay, the Boston Tea Party's 2008 presidential nominee.]

1. Foreign Policy: The Iraq War must end as quickly as possible with removal of all our soldiers from the region. We must initiate the return of our soldiers from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle East. We must cease the war propaganda, threats of a blockade and plans for attacks on Iran, nor should we re-ignite the cold war with Russia over Georgia. We must be willing to talk to all countries and offer friendship and trade and travel to all who are willing. We must take off the table the threat of a nuclear first strike against all nations.

2. Privacy: We must protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons under US jurisdiction. We must repeal or radically change the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the FISA legislation. We must reject the notion and practice of torture, elimination of habeas corpus, secret tribunals, and secret prisons. We must deny immunity for corporations that spy willingly on the people for the benefit of the government. We must reject the unitary presidency, the illegal use of signing statements and excessive use of executive orders.
 
3. The National Debt: We believe that there should be no increase in the national debt. The burden of debt placed on the next generation is unjust and already threatening our economy and the value of our dollar. We must pay our bills as we go along and not unfairly place this burden on a future generation.

4. The Federal Reserve: We seek a thorough investigation, evaluation and audit of the Federal Reserve System and its cozy relationships with the banking, corporate, and other financial institutions. The arbitrary power to create money and credit out of thin air behind closed doors for the benefit of commercial interests must be ended. There should be no taxpayer bailouts of corporations and no corporate subsidies. Corporations should be aggressively prosecuted for their crimes and frauds.

Past Programs

2006-2008 Program
Adopted in Convention, August 21st, 2006

1. The Boston Tea Party calls for a complete and unconditional withdrawal of US troops from, and a cessation of US military operations against or within, Iraq.

2. The Boston Tea Party supports repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act.

3. The Boston Tea Party calls for an end to the federal prohibition of marijuana and hemp.

4. The Boston Tea Party calls for the immediate repeal of the REAL ID Act and any and all National ID plans.

5. The Boston Tea Party calls for legislation adopting an annual, regularized increase in the personal exemption to the federal income tax of $1,000 or more, and the additional application of said personal exemption to all FICA/Social Security taxes paid by employees and employers.

Jay finished with 2,425 (0.00%) reported popular votes but no doubt his tally was much higher since many states do not segregate write-in votes. He was on the ballot in Colorado, Florida, and Tennessee but also a registered write-in in 17 other states. According to BTP websites, his running-mate for Alaska and Washington was Thomas J. Marino, who seemed to run sort of a stealth campaign. The Washington State Secretary of State listed Jay as a registered write-in, but no Vice-Presidential choice was listed.

Election history: none

Other occupations: ?

Notes:
Another mystery VP.

Alden H. Link

 

Alden H. Link, May 13, 1930 (New York, NY) -

VP candidate for Objectivist Party (2008, 2012)

Running mate with nominee (2008, 2012): Thomas Robert Stevens (1956-2019)
Popular vote (2008): 755 (0.00%)
Popular vote (2012): 4,091 (0.00%)
Electoral vote (2008, 2012): 0/538

The campaign (2008):

Tom Stevens said he founded the Objectivist Party on Feb. 2, 2008, the birthday of the Party's muse and inspiration, Ayn Rand. An attorney, blogger, and reviewer of plays, Stevens had arrived at creating his party after a political journey that started with being a "reform Democrat," then very active Republican, then Libertarian, and Boston Tea Party, frequently with overlapping membership. He appeared to be a contentious character who had difficulty working within a party framework. In his Republican days he was actually indicted on a charge of employing a hit man to kill a rival Republican. The charges were dropped.

Stevens filed with the FEC for US President on June 14, 2008 under the Objectivist Party.

Alden Link of Newburgh, NY, the VP nominee, had originally filed with the FEC for US President as a Republican on Jan. 13, 2007. He had actually been campaigning since 2006 and had approached both the Republican and Libertarian parties but failed to generate much enthusiasm. In the case of the latter party, he had made a bid for the Presidential nomination. He was still running as an independent, according to his website, when he became the Objectivist Party running-mate at age 78. Like Stevens, Link had started his political activity as a Democrat.

Link's webpage included a thumbnail version of his platform--

Alden Link Stands For:

• Achieving Energy Independence
• Respecting Personal Choice
• Shrinking The Size Of Government
• Defending America
• Ending Illegal Immigration
• Exploring The Universe
• Fighting For Gay Rights

His pet issue was an enthusiastic support for expanding nuclear power as a way to achieve energy independence from oil. While campaigning in Iowa in Aug. 2006, Link proposed a government tax penalty on people deemed to be obese, which seemed to contradict his "respecting personal choice" plank.

Reporter Tim Logan of the Times Herald-Record described Link in an article on July 23, 2006--

Link is a longtime Newburgh businessman and developer. He's got thick machinist's hands, a nasal Brooklyn accent and the kind of twinkle in his eye that makes you wonder, just for a second, whether this is all a joke. He has no party, no campaign staff, no name recognition and, despite being one of the very first declared candidates for the 2008 presidential election, no real chance of actually being elected.

The Objectivist Party didn't really have an issue specific platform that I could find, but there was a "Statatement of Principles" based on Stevens' interpretation of Ayn Rand's writings--

I. INDIVIDUALS HAVE A RIGHT TO LIFE

All human beings have an individual right to life and are born with freedoms based upon this right. These freedoms include one's right to free thought, free action and the freedom to keep what is produced. It is the role of government to protect these rights, but to never encroach upon them. Living in society benefits man only if that society recognizes and protects these rights and freedoms.

II. INDIVIDUALS HAVE A RIGHT TO THEIR OWN THOUGHTS

All human beings have a right to their own thoughts and have the potential to use reason to realize their rational self-interest and to live productive lives. It is the role of government to protect an individual's right to think or act against the initiation of force by others.

III. INDIVIDUALS HAVE A RIGHT TO THEIR OWN PROPERTY

All human beings have a right to their own property and to keep what they produce. This includes the right and responsibility to decide what to do with all that is created. All individuals have a right to trade freely with others. No government should interfere with any transaction or trade between individuals.

IV. INDIVIDUALS HAVE A RIGHT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES

All human beings have the right to protect themselves from any initiation of force against their rights or liberties. To enhance this individual right, citizens entrust to their government the right to protect them from domestic and foreign threats. As a result, it is a proper role of government to protect a nation's borders and to protect a nation's citizens from other people and/or governments.

On the ballot only in Colorado and Florida, the Stevens/Link ticket placed 11th in both states out of 16 and 14 respectively. In the event of their victory there would have been a Constitutional problem since both candidates seemed to be residents of the same state although at some point Link had an additional residence in Florida.

The campaign (2012):

Stevens and Link were nominated for a second run for the White House. The Objectivist Party convention took place in a couple St. Louis restaurants (one of them in a casino) in May, 2010.

Stevens founded the Personal Freedom Party on June 6, 2010, designed initially for the New York political scene. The platform included--

Legalization of Marijuana
Decriminalization of Prostitution
Legalization of Gambling
Lowering of the Voting Age
Legalization of Gay Marriage
Elimination of Excessive Taxation
Elimination of Excessive Regulation

A press release stated--

The Personal Freedom Party's main objective is to run a full slate of statewide candidates in 2014 and to obtain 50,000 votes for its gubernatorial nominee so the party can obtain "minor party" status under the election law of New York State.

On his personal blog Stevens posted, "On December 1, 2010, Alden Link was appointed Vice-Chair of the Personal Freedom Party. Alden Link is currently Chair of Hudson River Valley Libertarians (covering Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia & Greene counties in New York State). Hudson River Valley Libertarians is a chartered chapter of Empire State Libertarians."

However, Stevens filed for US President with the FEC on June 5, 2011 under the Objectivist Party rather than the Personal Freedom Party. Link, now 82, filled in as the running-mate for a second time.

At the same time Stevens was running for President he was also the campaign manager for Libertarian Presidential hopeful Carl Person. Stevens was let go from that position on Dec. 13, 2011 for various reasons including Person's disapproval of Stevens' support for decriminalization of bestiality. According to Stevens, Person was displeased when the Zoosexual community were alleged to have rallied around the slogan:

What can you do
If you're a Zoo?
Support Carl Person
He'll fight for you!

On Jan. 27, 2012, the NY branch of the Objectivist Party required the resignation of their treasurer after he revealed himself to be an unapologetic Christian. Dallwyn Merck (aka Allan Robert Hamilton) a member of the Governing Board made the comment--

Two incidents involving “conspicuous displays of ignorance” led to the Governing Board’s unanimous acceptance of the resignation of Ron Ramo as OPNY Treasurer. The first was his public statement that he could not attend an event of the Objectivist Party of New York because he would be “in church” at the time. The second was a blast text message he sent out to friends reading, “May the peace and love of God that abides in this Christmas season be with you in the New Year and the rest of your life”. Attempts to get assurances such incidences would not occur in the future were unsuccessful.

The Objectivist Party applies no litmus test with respect to who may join the party. Individuals who consider themselves nominally Christian or who have a general belief in God are welcome because the path to Objectivism is a journey and every person must travel it at their own pace. However, when an individual agrees to serve as an officer in one of the affiliates of the Objectivist Party, it sends the wrong message if that person engages in public displays of devotion to supernatural beings and/or belief in superstitions.

As our country rises above faith to embrace science and reason, the Objectivist Party is perfectly situated to lead our nation into a bright new future grounded in enlightened self-interest and purposeful living. Officers in affiliates of the Objectivist Party must reject mysticism and be an inspiration for all who look to the party to be an effective influence on cultural remnants that keep us tied to our past.

Some critics wondered if the Party was actually engaged in some kind of weird performance art, a rumor that Stevens himself seemed to encourage in comments made on the Independent Political Report--

Dr. Tom Stevens
February 1, 2012 at 23:40

I do love performance art. In fact, I view most people’s lives as performance art.

Two little know facts about me to encourage further speculation.

First, I was Baird Jones’ attorney (Baird Jones the party giver and performance art curator).

Second, I was the attorney who represented Baird Jones in his lawsuit to have the New York State law banning midget bowling overturned as being unconstitutional.

Of course, that was in a past life.

Dr. Tom Stevens
February 2, 2012 at 14:18

The usual practice was to strap a midget to a skateboard and roll him into bowling pins.

However, Baird Jones usually let the midget steer himself guided by a celebrity into plastic bowling pins. Little Mike Anderson was never harmed even though he had brittle bone disease.

Once again on the ballot only in Colorado and Florida, the ticket fared even worse in the former but in the Sunshine State they finished 6th out of 12 with 0.05% of the vote.
 
Election history:
1977 - White Plains, NY City Council - defeated
2008 - Republican nomination for US President - withdrew
2008 - US President (Independent) - withdrew
2008 - Libertarian Party nomination for US President - defeated
2010 - Lt. Governor of New York (Libertarian Party) - defeated

Other occupations: US Army, engineering, residential housing developer, manufacturer of wheat grass juicers

Notes:
Link has a pilot's license.

Christopher Bennett

 

Christopher Bennett, August 30, 1972 (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) -

VP candidate for Libertarian Party of New Hampshire (aka Libertarian Party aka Boston Tea Party) (2008)

Running mate with nominee: George David Joseph Phillies (b. 1947)
Popular vote: 531 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

George Phillies of Massachusetts is a physics professor noted for his studies of light scattering, soaps, and polymer solutions. He is also an author of science fiction stories and is interested in game theory. In 1988 he left the Republican Party, "I am not a social conservative. When George Bush attached himself to the 'Christian Right' he took the Republican Party his way and I went my way." Phillies found a home with the Libertarian Party and by 2000 had already served as the State Director and ran for the US Senate and House as the LP nominee.

By the 2008 election season Phillies, after making several unsuccessful attempts to attain the office of the LP National Chair, shifted his efforts to winning the nomination for President. In the LP selecting the position of Vice-President is more autonomous than in the major parties which results in interesting potential alliances and proposed tickets being formed long before the convention. Such was the case when Phillies announced his VP choice was Karen Kwiatkowski. But that declaration was short-lived as Kwiatkowski reconsidered the situation and kept her options open.

Meanwhile, third parties are forced to file "stand-in" candidates for President in some states before the official party nominations in order to meet bureaucratic deadlines and get around laws that were designed to discourage those who do not adhere to the two-party system. Usually the "stand-in" will step aside after the party qualifies for the ballot and the official nominee is selected but in some cases the hosting state will not allow that change. Massachusetts and New Hampshire selected Phillies as their choice in the course of their LP primaries and his was naturally the name they filed. His running mate was Chris Bennett of Illinois, who was also the VP for stand-in Debra Aaron in his home state.

About two weeks prior to the LP convention, former Rep. Bob Barr announced he was running for the nomination. Barr had previously served as a Republican from Georgia in the US House and had joined the LP in 2006. His conservative voting credentials included a very un-Libertarian track record especially in regard to supporting the War on Drugs, he authored the anti-Gay Defense of Marriage Act, he voted for the Patriot Act, voted for the Iraq Resolution, and once attempted to ban Wiccans from the military. Although the candidate had claimed to have changed his stripes, many Libertarians were not convinced, considered him a carpetbagger, and decided to walk away after Barr obtained the nomination.

Phillies was out after the third ballot (and declined to endorse anyone), Barr was in after the sixth ballot. Some of the more purist LP refugees migrated to the newly formed Boston Tea Party, which in turn endorsed Phillies in New Hampshire where he already was grandfathered on the ballot as a "stand-in."

There are mixed messages in the news sources of the time about Phillies' attitude. The Aug. 9, 2008 Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported in part--

    George D. J. Phillies is a reluctant candidate. Actually, he says he's not a candidate at all.

    The Worcester man, a physics professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, is so unwilling to stand for office in November's election that he is taking part in a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts against Secretary of State William F. Galvin's office seeking to be removed from the ballot as the Libertarian Party's standard-bearer for president.

    Mr. Phillies, 60, says that while his party's state committee chose him as its nominee here, he told state election officials in Mr. Galvin's office last spring that if he did not win the national nomination at the party's convention in Denver last May, he would want the winner to substitute for his place on the state ballot ...

    After the May 25 convention, Mr. Phillies asked the Secretary of State's office if he could substitute the names of Mr. Barr and Mr. Barr's running mate, New York businessman Wayne A. Root, for his name. But in June, election division officials denied the request….

    Mr. Phillies is not a big fan of Mr. Barr, even though he says he plans to vote for him and supports him as his party's nominee ...

But at the same time a Boston Tea Party press release stated--

With the disintegrating Libertarian Party conducting a lackluster campaign on behalf of national nominee Bob Barr, Phillies chose to continue running an active effort of his own.

'Freedom-lovers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire will not be deprived of the opportunity to support a libertarian presidential ticket so long as I have the ability to offer them that opportunity,' says Phillies, 61, of Worcester.

And the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire website merely stated: "There is some confusion regarding the Libertarian Presidential Candidate. George Phillies is the LPNH candidate chosen at convention in November of 2007. Bob Barr is the national LP candidate chosen at convention in May 2008."

Phillies' campaign website continued to represent him as an active candidate up to Election Day where he was identified as "New Hampshire Libertarian Presidential candidate George Phillies." Apparently the national party attempted and failed to remove Phillies from the New Hampshire ballot so the end result was that Granite State voters had two Libertarians to choose from.

In 2008 Chris Bennett, Phillies' VP, graduated as an older student from the University of Illinois Springfield with a BA in Economics and Political Science. In 2007 he expressed a desire to be the LP VP nominee. Bennett stood out in the LP for three distinct reasons: 1. He literally stood out due to his height, 6 ft. 9 in. ; 2. He was pro-life in a pro-choice party ; 3. He was African American in a very white party.

On Oct. 15, 2007 Bennett told the Springfield State Journal-Register how he converted from a Democrat to a Libertarian--

Bennett was soft-spoken as he explained in an interview how he realized, after working on Bill Clinton’s primary campaign in 1992, that he didn’t really believe in Clinton’s platform.

“I just didn’t like how he wanted more government in more stuff,” Bennett said. “I didn’t like government having more control over the health-care situation, as Hillary tried to do and she’s proposing to do now.”

So, Bennett said, “I went soul searching.”

“The Republicans didn’t feel right,” he said. “They never really do reach out to minorities or a lot of women. And the Democrats, it just seems like they were taking the black vote for granted. So I decided ‘I’m going to search for another party.’”

Bennett had seen a Libertarian Party convention on C-SPAN. The convention included an African-American candidate for the presidential nomination, Richard Boddie.

“He was saying stuff that I really agreed with,” said Bennett, who is black.

Bennett now has been a Libertarian activist for more than 15 years, including working as scheduling coordinator during the late Aaron Russo’s 2004 attempt to be the Libertarian nominee for president.  

As a result of the Barr nomination Bennett left the LP. He subsequently made a failed bid for the VP position with the Boston Tea Party. In leaving the LP Bennett included in his statement--

Let's face it, there is a purge going on. Those in control of the LP want the party to be more conservative and less libertarian. You know leaving the party to rot isn't such a bad idea. If you want to run as a real libertarian, do it as an Independent or the Boston Tea Party. I will still support real Libertarian candidates. Stop supporting National! Without your funds they can't survive. If you really feel compelled to stay in the LP, do it within your state and local organizations. Don't let National run your ballot access drives and do not let them contribute a dime to those efforts.

Bennett was considering running for BTP National Chair, but in Oct. 2008 the Party basically imploded over a variety of issues. He released this statement on Oct. 20--

I hereby withdrawal my name from being a candidate for Chair and resign my position on the NAT-COM. I hereby remove any affiliation from the BTP, it's endorsed candidates and any other capacity hereon to this. I feel friendships are more valuable than petty party politics and will do better achieving my goals elsewhere. I also withdrawal my support of the Jay/Knapp ticket. I realized that life was much better beforehand and at 36 I have better things to do than to just bounce from party to party to party searching for the right mix. Thanks for the wonderful roller coaster ride! Can I puke now? [sic]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/btpnc-talk/message/217

 
The Phillies/Bennett ticket finished with 531 votes in New Hampshire (0.07%) as opposed to the Barr/Root tally of 2,217 votes (0.31%). Ron Paul's write-in votes added up to 1,092 (0.15%) in that state.    

Election history:
2008 - Libertarian Party nomination for Vice-President - defeated
2008 - Boston Tea Party nomination for Vice-President - defeated

Other occupations: cook, campaign consultant

Notes:
Phillies "also has the largest collection of board war games in the world."

Marilyn Ann Taylor

Marilyn Ann Taylor, April 22, 1952 (Providence, R.I.) – April 12, 2009 (Santa Clarita, Calif.)

VP candidate for Personal Choice Party (2004)
VP candidate for Boston Tea Party (2008)

Running mate with nominee (2004, 2008): Charles Jay (b. 1960)
Popular vote (2004): 946 (0.00%)
Popular vote (2008): 1 (0.00%)
Electoral vote (2004, 2008): 0/538

The campaign (2004):

The short-lived Personal Choice Party was based in Utah, founded and supported apparently by disgruntled ex-members of the Libertarian Party who felt the former had become too regimented and, well, not very libertarian.

Charles Jay, a sports consultant, broadcaster, columnist, boxing promoter and manager, had earlier been associated with the Libertarian Party and had made a bid for their 2004 VP nomination. After that fell through he was asked to head the ticket for the new Personal Choice Party.

Jay's choice for a running-mate was Marilyn Taylor, better known as Marilyn Chambers the star of adult moves such as Behind the Green Door (1972). "Marilyn was the only person I ever seriously considered," Jay told the press, " ... I felt that Marilyn brought some publicity value to the ticket, but what a lot of people don't understand is that even though I'm sure it wasn't her primary motivation at the time, Marilyn, through her participation in adult films, has done more to advance the First Amendment right of free speech than any other candidate in this presidential race. From that perspective, she is a very strong symbolic presence."

Chambers herself was surprised to be asked on the ticket, but seemed to adjust to campaigning. She told the New York Press, "The candidates with the Personal Choice Party have the freedom to comprise their own platforms, and mine is built on the right to have your own personal choices. Americans are supposed to have the constitutional right to partake in whatever activities they want to, without restrictions. That's not quite how the country's being run."

Later in the campaign, when asked how people reacted to Chambers on the ticket, Jay's response could be viewed as prescient, "It really depends on how old you are. Many of the younger people have no idea even though she still regularly appears on television, on Cinemax, Showtime, and occasionally on HBO. She was not a Pop culture icon while they were growing up. But, for Baby Boomers, certainly she is very well-known. And, it really is a source of amusement. There's been very few people who tell me they don't take the campaign seriously because she's involved, because a lot of people don't take politics seriously. They see Jesse Ventura elected Governor of Minnesota. They see Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected Governor of California. So, nothing is really outside the realm of possibility. Nothing it seems is too extreme in politics. That is probably a factor in that."

On the ballot in Utah only, the Jay/Taylor ticket finished 6th out of 7 with 0.10% of the vote in the Beehive State.

The campaign (2008):

As the Personal Choice Party began to fade, another new party also offering a home for disgruntled Libertarians sprang up. Thomas L. Knapp created the Boston Tea Party and explained once in an interview many years later, "I founded the Boston Tea Party in 2006 when there was a fairly serious schism in the Libertarian Party. I saw people preparing to leave the LP, and decided that it was important to give them a place to go that they might come back from (as a matter of fact, at our first convention, I proposed that the BTP become a caucus within the LP rather than a separate party, but I got voted down) ... Hey, we had some fun, got our message out as best we could, and gave libertarians who couldn't stomach Barr/Root 2008 a ticket to vote for. I don't regret any of that. It wasn't until 2010 that I gave up on voting and electoral politics, and I still have friends who are involved."

Charles Jay resurfaced in 2008 as a Presidential candidate, but this time for the Boston Tea Party. Apparently Knapp became the official running-mate but Jay had several alternative VPs: Barry Hess, Dan Sallis Jr., John Wayne Smith, Thomas J. Marino, and Marilyn Chambers Taylor.

The platform of the party was quite short:

Platform of the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.

However, they also had something called a "Program," which was basically a platform--

Program of the Boston Tea Party

Program of the Boston Tea Party
Adopted in Convention, October 26th, 2008

[Note: The Boston Tea Party's 2008-2010 program consists of the Campaign For Liberty's four points, endorsed by US Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and presidential candidates Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party), Cynthia McKinney (Green Party), Ralph Nader (Independent), Bob Barr (Libertarian Party) and Charles Jay, the Boston Tea Party's 2008 presidential nominee.]

1. Foreign Policy: The Iraq War must end as quickly as possible with removal of all our soldiers from the region. We must initiate the return of our soldiers from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle East. We must cease the war propaganda, threats of a blockade and plans for attacks on Iran, nor should we re-ignite the cold war with Russia over Georgia. We must be willing to talk to all countries and offer friendship and trade and travel to all who are willing. We must take off the table the threat of a nuclear first strike against all nations.

2. Privacy: We must protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons under US jurisdiction. We must repeal or radically change the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the FISA legislation. We must reject the notion and practice of torture, elimination of habeas corpus, secret tribunals, and secret prisons. We must deny immunity for corporations that spy willingly on the people for the benefit of the government. We must reject the unitary presidency, the illegal use of signing statements and excessive use of executive orders.
 
3. The National Debt: We believe that there should be no increase in the national debt. The burden of debt placed on the next generation is unjust and already threatening our economy and the value of our dollar. We must pay our bills as we go along and not unfairly place this burden on a future generation.

4. The Federal Reserve: We seek a thorough investigation, evaluation and audit of the Federal Reserve System and its cozy relationships with the banking, corporate, and other financial institutions. The arbitrary power to create money and credit out of thin air behind closed doors for the benefit of commercial interests must be ended. There should be no taxpayer bailouts of corporations and no corporate subsidies. Corporations should be aggressively prosecuted for their crimes and frauds.

Past Programs

2006-2008 Program
Adopted in Convention, August 21st, 2006

1. The Boston Tea Party calls for a complete and unconditional withdrawal of US troops from, and a cessation of US military operations against or within, Iraq.

2. The Boston Tea Party supports repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act.

3. The Boston Tea Party calls for an end to the federal prohibition of marijuana and hemp.

4. The Boston Tea Party calls for the immediate repeal of the REAL ID Act and any and all National ID plans.

5. The Boston Tea Party calls for legislation adopting an annual, regularized increase in the personal exemption to the federal income tax of $1,000 or more, and the additional application of said personal exemption to all FICA/Social Security taxes paid by employees and employers.

According to the Party website voters were encouraged to write-in a ticket of Jay and Taylor/Chambers in states where they found write-in votes were not allowed or the system was too Byzantine to easily register: i.e. Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah. "Jay and Taylor" did receive a single write-in vote in Utah, but since they were not registered elsewhere, no other votes were reported.

Election history: none

Other occupations: actress, model, porn star, singer, exotic dancer, author

Buried: "Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea, Specifically: Ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean from the beach at Surfer Point Park, Ventura, California."--Findagrave

Notes:
The first third party VP I have found who was born in Rhode Island.
nee Briggs.