Keith John Ferguson

 

Keith John Ferguson, ca1961 -

VP candidate for Citizens Freedom Party (2016)

Running mate with nominee: Mark Blair Graham (b. 1960)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Mark Blair Graham of Okeechobee, Fla. filed with the FEC as a write-in for US President on the unfortunate date of Apr. 1, 2015. Graham had previously made an Independent bid for President in 2008 but withdrew in order to run as one of Frank McEnulty's 9 different running-mates in the New American Independent Party. In 2012 he also ran for President but withdrew from the race, he said, due to family death.

By 2016 Graham was involved in something called the Citizens Freedom Party. His June 3, 2016 Facebook announced--

The Citizens Freedom Party has nominated there choice for President and Vice President for the 2016 election,The nomination for President is Mark B Graham of Florida and  for Vice President is Keith John Ferguson from Minnesota.

Ferguson had been the nominee of the Citizens Party of the United States in 2012, a group that may or may not have been the ancestor of the Citizens Freedom Party. Ferguson's 2012 platform--

1. We will re-create the comprehensive employment and training act called ( ceta ) program; We will target new jobs to employ the unemployed; and focus on economically depressed communities. The intentis to provide the unemployed with marketable skills needed to find premanent employment.  The frist time used was 1973 to train workers and high school students in the summer for the jobs of the future.

2. We will re-imagine the workforce development act (wia) to integrate region training systems in order to retool America's workforce and transform regional economies. And providing high-wage jobs opportunities for workers. Congress should pass it now, to put America back to work.
 
3. We will permit unemployed American's to tap their retirement accounts without incurring a ten percent penalty for early withdrawals. To allow them to have some extra funds to pay their bills.

4.We will Renegotiate all trade agreements, beginning with NAFTA, A revitalization of the U.S. economy requires the U.S. to withdraw from NAFTA and all other trade agreements at once.

5. We will Craft a national industrial policy to stop the outsourcing of American job and to secure America's future and economic base.

6. We will stop allowing U.S. companies to receive tax benefits for sending jobs overseas allowing America to become unemployed. The exodus of U.S. jobs will stop.

7. We will stop China's unfair currency manipulation. The U.S. must put an end to this injustice by leveling the playing fied by levying a tax on Chinese imports,we need a tougher trade policy on China.

8. We will  Enact strong " Buy America" Legislation that all fedral, state and local government's must buy American first.

9. We will make wall street pay back main street through a financial transaction tax the funds would be use for infrastructure projects.

10. We will stop employers from using a job applicant's credit rating as a basis for employment. Buy the Equal Employment for all Act, HR 3149 it with be passed.

11. We will close all but ten military bases over seas, and end the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. Then we will use the funds from those closed bases to build a larger military rapid deployment force, this will put American's back to work building the equipment. And the funds would also be used for much needed infrastructure projects.

12. We will have an incentive tax breaks if you buy American, this will come off your gross income. You can read about the plan on the group National Self Reliance.

13. We will freeze all federal pay for 4 years, this includes all of Congress and the President but not the military.

14. We will increase veterans benefits, so that our veterans have full access to medical and mental health coverage. And their spouses and their children will have mental health coverage for life, if they have post traumatic stress disorder that was caused by living a military life.

15. We will increase military pay to what they deserve, to a modest pay so they can take care of their familys.  

16. We will feeze all foreign guest worker programs, until all American workers are employed. Or until we have a 1.5 % unemployment rate.

17. We will stop illegal immigration by hiring up to 5,000 border patrol agents. And we will also use the national guard, until we have enough border patrol agents trained.

18. We will place a fine on employers who are caught hiring illegal labor. The fine would start about about $1000.00 per worker.  

19. I believe that no health insurance company should make a large profit off a citizen of the United States of America. This will be looked at to see what we can do about it.

20. We will have basic healthcare and mental healthcare for all the citizens of the United States of America. Which would be a preventive type healthcare and mental healthcare . Which will include up to 12 office visits per year of basic care, and up to 20 hrs per year of mental healthcare, and would include full physical exams every year starting at birth.

21. Social security is intended for the protection against social recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and other social programs. And we will restore social security to its full intent with the funds from the limiting of our foreign aid.

22. Peer Education System is a structure of older students teaching younger students what they had just learnd. With the guidance of their teacher all students will learn just like they did in the one room schoolhouse.

23. We will have a War tax to pay for the cost of War before we go to War, all corporations and companies and citizens will pay that tax, maybe it will stop America from getting involved in those Wars.

24. We will prohibit the government from taking money from the Social Security fund, and it will be used for Social Security purposes only.

25. We will have a national jobs bank, that will match up prospective employees with employers, and it will provide a means for those with disabilities to find employment they can still do.

26. We will look at the unfair housing opportunities for post-secondary students, so that they can have housing at a fair market price. Also it will be added to the federal housing act.

27. Reform foreign aide.

28. Reform America's tax system.

Ferguson continued his Presidential quest after the 2012 election. He posted an announcement on the Party website that muddies the waters for researchers like me--

Comment by Keith John Ferguson on December 5, 2014 at 9:25am
Just to let all Citizens of the C party, that I Keith John Ferguson and Mark B Graham have Joined Forces as one in 2016, I as Prez, Mark as Vic Prez.

It would appear that by 2016 the positions had flipped. One problem here is that a lot of potential sources about that campaign have been wiped clean. Ballotpedia managed to archive portions of Graham's platform in May, 2015--

Education
"My policy on Education is that over crowding in each classroom across this great nation could be eliminated with hiring of more teachers."

Higher education
"As far as Higher Education each college needs to cut there tuition by a percent each year so students are not forced to leave school because they are not able to afford tuition even with grants. I also want to see a money voucer [sic] to incoming college students. We must make more grants for tuition to decrease of student loans."

Energy and environment
"America must achieve energy independence either it is domestic oil or natural gas, wind, and solar power should be a top priority...I am very concerned with global climate change. We must quickly work to cut vehicle emissions."

Immigration
"We must greatly reduce the number of approved H1B and L1 visas that allow U.S. Companies to hire foreign workers in America...Also we need to beef up Boarder Patrol with man power and euiqment [sic]."

Social security
"Privatizing Social Security would not solve the funding issues that Social Security faces."

Marijuana
"I am in favor of legalizing of Medical Marijuana and belive [sic] it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions."

Graham/Ferguson were not registered as write-ins in any state and no votes were reported.

Election history:
2012 - US President (Citizens Party of the United States) - defeated
2016 - Citizens Party of the United States nomination for President - party collapsed?

Other occupations: ?

Notes:
Ferguson supported Trump in 2020.
Graham, who ran for President in 2020, was arrested on Nov. 24, 2020 and charged with six counts of possession of child pornography, which later increased to 523 charges.

Jon Stewart

 

Jon Stewart, November 28, 1962 (New York, N.Y.) -

VP candidate for Independent (2012)

Running mate with nominee: Charles Earl Harvey (b. 1940)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

It was only a matter of time before some obscure Presidential candidate appointed Jon Stewart, the host of the wildly popular political satire program The Daily Show as their running-mate. In 2012 it happened.

Charles Earl Harvey of Littleton, N.C. announced in a Mar. 3, 2011 Youtube that he was running for President of the United States and two days later indicated his choice for a running-mate was Jon Stewart. He also said in that week that Stephen Colbert was his selection for Press Secretary. In one video Harvey implied God was his campaign manager. On his campaign website Harvey listed former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA), and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) as other potential running-mates but Stewart seemed to have been first in line. There is no record I can find of any of these possible VPs responding to Mr. Harvey.

On his webpage [note: all following quotes are transcribed as written], Harvey wrote--

Stewart is very intelligent, and very politically aware both nationally and Globally. He could handle pressure at any level. And has more commonsense than 85% of those in Congress. Steward knows what is going on in America and the World and what should be done. We had one Comedian in the Oval Office for Two terms.

As for himself, Harvey provided this autobiography--

Charles Earl Harvey.

The Unknow man From The "Middle-Class," That can. The powers to be ("Upper-Class" and The "Big-Six"Media Corporations) refuseses to give any media coverage because he is not from the "Upper-Class." He would make a great President for the people. He survived being abandoned, abused as a child in every way you can imagine. He is a recovering alcoholic 32 years, and knows what is like to live on the streets and to go hungry. Here is his house, please compare it to Mitt Romney's house as well as the other "upper-class Wealthy presidential Candidates, and ask yourself who do you think would most likely help the "Middle-Class" that live on "Main Street USA, not "Wall Street."
                                                       
He would stop earmarks and have clean bills. He would close tax loop holes for the wealthy. He would have American corporations be charged for offshore banking, Outsourcing jobs and manufacturing, If he could not stop it by implementing new laws. He would not use Military intervention in conflicts that are not a direct threat to Americans. He would cut the Military Budget for new weapons and put it towards servicemen and their families and Veterans benefits.

He would close down the Department of Education. He would withdrawal military out Muslim nations. He would work on Americas challenges above. Think about it, a first "middle-class" President, from a tough life always picking himself up, and trying again and again, and accepts responsibilities for his actions, without blaming others. The "Upper-Class" would never want a man like Charles Harvey as president, his belief and values is best said by George Bernard Shaw, "I have to live for others and not for myself: that's "middle-class" morality."

Harvey's campaign attempted to use the Citizens Party of the United States (not related to Barry Commoner's party) but to little avail.

His stand on the issues--

ABORTION

I believe God gave us free will to choose as American provides that freedom. I am Pro Life However, I am not God, and the decision about a woman’s body is hers to make. It is her Body and between her and her God. "You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother's eye."  American King James Version  

AFGHANISTAN

It is a Muslim Nation and, help should come from all other Muslim Nations. I would hire a covert, Special Opersation teams, to seek out the bin laden and other leader to capture or kill all the terrorist that attack America.

BUDGET

We need to cut defense spending by 50%, and NASA by 60% and stop the Billions of Dollars Politicians are spending on Pork/Ear-marks each year that is Billions and Billion of Dollars. 2011 Budget has over 6000 Ear-Marks well over $40 Billion Dollars. Also, we need to put a moratorium for 10 years of giving money to countries except for natural disasters. Never cut any programs that assist Americans in health, housing, food and employment.

BUSINESS AND LABOR

American businesses doing too much outsourcing jobs and manufacturing. GE is a good example of doing both and laying off American workers and did not even pay taxes on a 14 Billion Dollar profit.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

We say we want punishment, However! Putting a person killing a person by lethal injection is very short time of punishment. Punishment is a person live in a cage for the rest of his or hers life. If, I had a choice I would choose death over living life in a prison. Killing the criminal does not help the person they harmed. Many times we have killed innocent people.

CHINA

What’s the Question? They are financially better off than America, and we work for them by paying one million Dollars a day in interest alone on our loans from them.

CIVIL LIBERTIES

I believe The United States of America should concern themselves with these rights here in our own country and not the worlds. Believing Rights or freedoms given to the people by the First Amendment to the Constitution ...

CUBA

No Missiles and over 50 years of punishment, should be long enough, lets open trade and tourism with them. Let us not let a minority group in Miami that oppose Opening relationships control the United States commerce.

DEFICIT

We Americans have dug a hole for ourselves. We have interfered with Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya at a cost of thousands of lived and Billions and Billions of dollars. We allowed Banks to buy, and sell bad paper, and it cost us billions of dollars to bail them out. Oh, and then they gave Million Dollar bonuses to their executives. We failed to regulate the greedy little kids.

ECONOMY

What economy? The government spends too much money bailing out Banks. Banks allowed Americans buy homes that they could not afford. Banks gave loans on weak credit. Politicians are bleeding the tax payers with Tens of Thousand of ear- marks for their states.
Raising the budget for Military defense and Space exploration. Outsource jobs and manufacturing to other countries is insane.

EDUCATION

It is not about money it is about quality. U.S. teens 29Th in science worldwide ... Education, in Science, think about it. It is now and the future of the world. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s 2007 “Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study” (TIMSS), the U.S. trails behind the following countries in average mathematics scores: Singapore Taiwan Japan Republic of Korea Hong Kong Sweden Netherlands Hungary Slovenia ...

ENERGY

We have the capabilities to developed an alternate fuel to substitute oil within 5 to 10 years. Oil Companies and a few hundred billionaires want us depended on oil. That is why our Government supports Muslim nations with lots of oil. We can heat and cool all building through, Solar, Water, and Nuclear Power Plants.

ENVIRONMENT

A question for me? A question you all know, we are destroying every aspect of the environment. We do not care. If, we did then we as individuals would do their part.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

US main problem in this area of foreign affairs is the fact we get involved in to many affairs and act as we are in charge of the World’ We need to attend to the internal affairs of American for the next ten years.

QUANTANAMO

Keep it open for military war, criminals and give them due process by military courts.

GUN CONTROL

It is a right and should follow strong guidelines before issuing a permit or selling guns. 30 day waiting period unless a person needs it for work. Through background checks.

HEALTH CARE

Spend more on health care and less on weapons and space exploration, Political ear-marks. Stop funding other countries. Lets take care of our elderly, disables and mothers with children that need help. We can trip the fat off of Medicare and Medicaid but not the essentials.

IMMIGRATION

I would like to close all but 3 of the 42 board crossing and allow only essential
Transportation approved my the US Government such has government vehicles and import and exports Give immunity to those that turn themselves in and go through the process of being a citizen and paying taxes. We never can or ever will get the Millions and Millions that are here illegally now. Triple the side of border patrol. Remember, that the majority of illegal drugs comes from the South and American are the largest purchasers of illegal drugs. This will reduce drugs and illegal aliens coming across our southern border. Also, cut down the murders on the American side of the border. People want to visit Mexico they will have to find another way of getting there, by air or ship, or boat.

IRAN

Ignore them till they are a direct threat to US or our allies. Again it is Muslim nations, not American or Christian.

IRAQ

Get out stay out and never interfere again with a Muslim nation.

ISRAEL

Negations on not expanding and if they do not agree cut off funding.

[MARIJUANA]

We worry about marijuana that has no record of killing any person. Still America spends billions on fighting it. No, I do not smoke MARIJUANA.

But, we love keeping alcohol legal that kills, cripple people in the tens of thousands every year. We could collect lots of revenue from taxing it if we make it legal. We, have liquor stores, and some State operated liquor stores, so open marijuana stores, and collect taxes.

MINIMUM WAGE

We should increase the minimum wage according to inflation. We give raises to middle and upper class that are not working for minimum wages why not to the people that are doing jobs many do not want to take.

NATIONAL SECURITY

We are on over kill over budget and need to work smarter.

NORTH KOREA

Take a satellite look over all of North Korea, the lights are out. Then look at South Korea at night it is all bright. If they fire missiles then worry, mean while back to the USA problems.

PALESTINE ISSUES

I checked with Gods Bible, and it said his son use to hang out with Palestinians. I hear Both God and his son thinks they are human and deserve to live like humans, and share the Holy land. Maybe if God and his son made the North Pole Holly ice things would cool down.

POVERTY

We cannot fight poverty in American if politician spend billions of dollars every year on earmarks, as well has been over funding Defense and NASA for the last ten years; and giving money to other nations.

PRESCRITION DRUGS

We all know they are much do high and buying the price has to be high is for research has little merit. If American want to buy prescriptions drugs from Canada so be it. We have had American die by bad prescription given to them by doctors and pharmacist here in the US. Now ask if the pharmaceutical companies want us to buy from Canada, You know their answer.

SAME SEX ISSUES

What goes on behind closed doors is their business. But changing the laws of marriage for less than 3% of the American population that goes back over 6000 years for a few people, is very self-centered and self serving. And, please to give me that ant-gay rhetorical comeback when a person oppose Gay issues ...

SOCIAL SECURITY

Guarantee the fund will be there and do not borrow from it. If our Government needs to borrow money, get it from the politicians ear-marks and the many billionaires in American, Like GE that made billions in profits they can load our Government money with low-interest rate. Do not go to China and Japan. American went to war against Japan, now we borrow from them only coming in second to China. America is loosing the economical war with China.

STEM CELL RESEACH

Yes, Yes! Do not waste what can be use for the betterment of mankind.

TAXES

Well taxes, at this time are lower that the 30% it was for the last ten years. But it is really not equally fair. When you think that 1% of the population has more money that 92% of the people, and 2% of the population make $200,000 to $250,000 a year, don’T you think they can pay maybe another 3% Remember 72% of the American population are middle class making under 50,000 a year. How about putting higher luxury taxes on all the very expensive things that only the rich and famous can afford.

TRADE ISSUES

Our Government caused the problem. We allowed too much outsourcing manufacturing. Then we import products made for American company back to the us that could have been made here in American by our workers and exporting our made product to other countries and American buying American made products. Right now Americans buy 9 out of 10 products made in other countries.

Note: I would like to stop all imports on all vehicles that use oil based fuel. You would see miracles in alternate fuels for vehicles. And American would become competitive.

Harvey listed what he considered 20 major problems with America and followed it with some interesting observations on his competition. He basically endorsed Obama for a second term as a backup plan--

The presidential candidates for 2012 are really a joke that I'm afraid that many take them serious. As a retired clinical therapists that spent years diagnosing and profiling people, I can see right through the candidates. I am not talking about the obvious dumb things they say, but their personality, strengths, and weaknesses.

Herman Cain
All about Him. Who does he admire? Himself. Supper-Ego. Out of touch. Thinks all black play the race card. If a person does not have a job it is their own fault. His knowledge base is Pizza, he even sings a song "imagine a world without Pizza. Cain speaks rhetorical *BS, what he thinks people want to hear. He has Two personalities. The one you see in the media, and the one you do not see. If he says something people do not like, he will say he was joking. Loves to live the high life and hang out with the "big dogs."

Mitt Romney
Mr. Flip Flop on many issues. He is like a Republican Flag that goes in the direction the wind is blowing. So out of touch with "middle-class" he has never ever been near a middle-class life. All talk. He is a man in a empty expensive suit. His favorite quote , " We live in the greatest country on earth" Send him the 20 things that are not so beautiful about America I listed above.

Michele Bachmann
Her strength is following, but she would need to be told how and what to do. .Not a leader. Thinks God makes Huricanes to get Americas attention. Thinks the earth is only a few thousand years old. She said, ''Carbon dioxide is portrayed as harmful. However there isn't even one study that can be produced that show that carbon dioxide is a harmful gas.'' She also said. "But we also know that the very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States."That would make our founders living a very long time since they wrote those documents in 1776, and slavery officially ended in.1865, and they were not springs chickens at the time of the writing the Constitution.

Ron Paul
A very honest man, I respect, however! He has extstream and radical ideas on the function of Government. The people formed a government through election to guide and help America prosperous and safe. Not sure if any of the 20 problems I listed are on his list to do.

Gary Johnson.
A proven track record, Born in the "middle-class" and in touch with the people.

Jon Huntsman
From the rich and for the rich, I believe he would not change or solve any of the 20 problems listed above.

Newt Gingrich
Hangs with top Dogs, Loves media attention. Great giving lectures if you interpretor. "middle-class" can expect nothing from him from him.

President Obama.
Very presidential and intelligent and I think he would give us results in his second term. He has been blocked on all things to help the middle class from the Republicans. Obama only received backing from the Republicans if it was for the wealthy like, "Wall-Street. So less Republicans would help him accomplish more. If you do not pick me, then give him a second chance.

Harvey apparently did not gain ballot access or become a registered write-in in any state. It is unknown if Jon Stewart ever knew he was on this ticket.

Election history: none

Other occupations: high school soccer coach, caterer, busboy, shelf stocker, bartender, comedian, actor, author, television host, film director  

Notes:
Birth name was Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, legally changed it in 2001.
Jon Stewart in my VHS/DVD collection: Evan Almighty, Adjustment Bureau. I confess I tossed out Death to Smoochy which I now regret just because it is so bizarre.