Warren Griffin III

 

Warren Griffin III, November 10, 1970 (Long Beach, Calif.) -  

VP candidate for Independent (2016)
 
Running-mate with nominee: Brady C. Olson (b. ca2000)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

A candidate using the name "Deez Nuts" filed as an Independent for US President with the FEC in July 2015. Shortly after, it was revealed the true identity of this politician was 15-year old Brady Olson of Wallingford, Iowa.

Olson's campaign was given a boost when Public Policy Polling included Deez Nuts in surveys and the joke candidate did surprisingly well. Deez Nuts came to represent the multitude of choices for protest votes.  

The Deez Nuts campaign website indicated that the nomination from several parties would be welcome--

    Political Party Nominations I Am Considering Running For

    American Populist Party
    Citizens Party
    Independence Party
    Justice Party
    Moderate Party
    Modern Whig Party
    Reform Party
    Rent Is Too Damn High Party

The official Deez Nuts platform was actually quite sober in tone in contrast to the silly name of the standard bearer--

Illegal Immigration -- I believe that anyone who is found as an illegal immigrant in this country must be deported back to their country of origin, with the lone exception of being a minor.

Federal Budget & Government Spending -- I believe that the US Government should not be allowed to spend more than it makes from tax revenue. The reason we are in a budget crisis is because the two main parties refuse to compromise on this issue. Every federal official in either Congress, President, or the Cabinet, should immediately have their salary cut in half.  Once the budget is balanced, those salaries may slowly rise. If the budget returns negative, salaries go back to where they started.

Abortion & Same-Sex Marriage -- I feel that as equal human beings that we should be allowed to choose how to live our lives without being discriminated by one another. At the same time however, I also understand that people believe that Christian religion outweighs government policy. But America is no longer mainly Christian. It is Christian, Jewish, Islam, Hebrew, and many others.

Foreign Policy -- I support the work that John Kerry and the State Department did with the Iran nuclear deal, considering it took nearly two years to reach this point. Everyone wants a better deal, but that's the whole point of negotiating. Look at your wants, then their wants, and meet in the middle. Now is the time  being respected instead of feared by other nations. I also feel that we need to stop being a world watchdog and limit our positions in international conflicts.

Energy -- I support cutting subsidies to oil companies and giving tax incentives to individuals and corporations that implement green technology and renewable energy sources into their communities. I also support giving grants to communities for the purpose of installing municipal wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, and rooftop solar panels.

The Economy -- I support giving corporations tax incentives for the sole purpose of creating jobs IN America TO Americans FOR Americans. This will in turn stimulate the economy and make us more self-sufficient instead of relying on products from foreign countries.

Territorial Voting Rights -- I support giving citizens in our American territories voting rights. I also support giving American Samoan citizens automatic US citizenship. I would give Puerto Rico 3 electoral votes since Puerto Rico is bigger than many states. Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas all get 2 since they are smaller, but still incorporated territories. Finally, American Samoa would only get 1 since it is still considered an "unincorporated" territory. This would bring the total of electoral votes from 538 to 548. I also support giving all 5 territories plus Washington, D.C. 1 seat in the House of Representatives instead of non-voting delegates. This would bring seats in the House from 435 to 441.

The term "Deez Nuts" apparently traces back to a skit performed by rapper Warren G. (Warren Griffen III) in 1992 for Dr. Dre's The Chronic album. Feline Presidential candidate Limberbutt McCubbins, who was Olson's original inspiration for also filing as a flippant candidate, was the first choice as a running-mate for Deez Nuts. But it seems the cat turned him down, but no problem-- Deez Nuts' campaign was enthusiastically endorsed by Warren G., who offered himself as the VP. Olson had a Facebook entry on Aug. 21, 2015 that picked up the offer and ran with it, "The Nuts/G ticket?  - Would be an honor to have Warren as vice prez!"

Warren G. has his own political agenda, including education and prison reform, "These people going to jail for life for bullshit. You maybe stole a bag of chips (on your third strike) and get jail for life. Let's start providing better schools so they can learn and get a job so they don't have to steal."

Olson offered a political prediction on Feb. 9, 2016--

My prediction:
Cruz VS Sanders for the presidency.
If Cruz runs with Trump as VP he will win.
If Sanders runs with Clinton as VP he will win.
If Biden runs he beats all.

OK, so he was four years too early.

By Election Day Olson was called "the former candidate" in the press. As he explained on Facebook, Nov. 9, 2016, "I almost became a felon! In August (Just after PPP released a poll showing that Green Party candidate Jill Stein was trailing me in Texas) The Federal Election Commission sent me a letter calling for me to withdraw from the race. '...may pursue or refer action for false filing.' So I withdrew. Hey, I almost lost voting rights before I could vote! Well, next up I will run for Congress — when I am eligible — in 2024! Sky is the limit after that!" In the event of their victory, there would have been a Constitutional problem with Olson being not even half the required age to assume office.

2016 was a record Presidential election cycle for the number of outrageous candidates filing with the FEC, with Deez Nuts being among the most prominent in that category. The Aug. 18, 2016 FEC press release stated--

FEC Adopts Interim Verification Procedure for Filings Containing Possibly False or Fictitious Information

WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission today announced an interim procedure staff will follow to verify information in filings from the 2016 election cycle that appear to be unlawfully false or fictitious. The new procedure comes in response to an increase this election cycle in the filing of registration and statement of candidacy forms (FEC Forms 1 and 2) that provide patently false candidate or treasurer names, questionable contact or bank information, or material that does not relate to campaign finance, such as drawings, essays and personal court records.

The Commission has authorized staff to send verification letters to filers listing fictional characters, obscene language, sexual references, celebrities (where there is no indication that the named celebrity submitted the filing), animals, or similarly implausible entries as the name or contact information of the candidate or committee. These letters will:

    notify the filer of the potential penalties for false filings with a federal agency;
    note the seemingly false information (candidate name, contact information, etc.) that was filed on the relevant Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) or Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2);
    direct the filer to file a letter either confirming or withdrawing the filing, or to file an amended Form 1 or 2, within 30 days of the date of the verification letter;
    indicate that withdrawing the filing or failing to respond to the verification letter will lead to the Form 1 or 2 being removed from the searchable candidate/committee filings database on the Commission’s website; and
    note that removal of the filing from the Commission’s searchable database does not waive the Commission’s authority to pursue or refer action for false filing under 52 U.S.C. Section 30109(a) or otherwise report such filings under 52 U.S. C. Section 30107(a)(9).

A staff working group will devise and recommend a prospective solution for the Commission’s consideration and implementation in conjunction with the Reports Analysis Division’s Review and Referral Procedures approval process for the 2017-2018 election cycle.

Election history: none

Other occupations: rapper, record producer, owner of Sniffin Griffins BBQ  

Notes:
CBS News ranked the Deez Nuts campaign as the 14th "Wildest Moment" of the 2016 Presidential election season.

Luis Javier Rodriguez

 

Luis Javier Rodriguez, July 9, 1954 (El Paso, Tex.) -

VP candidate for Justice Party (aka Independent aka Independent Party of Connecticut aka Natural Law Party aka Oregon Progressive Party aka New Mexico Independent Party aka Nonaffiliated) (2012)

Running mate with nominee: Ross Carl Anderson (b. 1951)
Popular vote: 43,123 (0.03%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Ross Carl "Rocky" Anderson served as the Mayor of Salt Lake City 2000-2008 and was perhaps one of the most politically liberal politicians to come out of Utah in recent history. A Democrat, he operated to the Left of his party and had the distinction of being one of the few major city mayors to call for the impeachment of President George W. Bush. By 2011 he was disappointed with the Democratic Party and was key in forming the Justice Party, using it as a springboard for his run for the Presidency.  

In July 2012, Anderson found an "Always Running"-mate in Luis J. Rodriguez.

A resident of California in 2012, Rodriguez had an early history of running with gangs and brief periods of incarceration but also desiring to get pursue an academic education where he developed both political and literary interests. By the time Anderson selected him as his VP, Rodriguez had become a well known poet and activist. I first became aware of him through his book Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. (1993) which was quite popular with the students I worked with in that era. Although not exactly a household name, Rodriguez enjoyed name recognition among the voter base Anderson was trying to reach.

Anderson's platform was encapsulated in his Washington State Voters Pamphlet statement--

Statement: My campaign is about deeply shared values, focused on achieving greater economic, social, and environmental justice for all. Instead of falling in line with the dominant parties that have created a militarist and corporatist government for sale to the highest bidders, we are calling for people to aspire to a government that is genuinely of, by, and for the people.

Peace and prosperity require (1) proven pre-school and secondary educational opportunities so that everyone has a chance to excel; (2) the chance for everyone to obtain a college or technical education without crushing debt, just as our forebears committed to secondary education for all; (3) returning outsourced jobs to the U.S and putting millions of people to work in a WPA-like initiative; (4) equal rights under the law, regardless of race, religion, and sexual orientation; (5) a restorative criminal justice system that focuses on problem-solving, rather than on punishment and retribution (including an end to the disastrous "war on drugs"); (6) a Medicare-for-all system that will provide essential healthcare for everyone, be less expensive, and provide better medical outcomes; and (7) responsible environmental stewardship, including protection of the climate through utilization of clean energy sources.

My foreign policy will promote peace and respect for human rights, not the empire-building wars of aggression supported by both major parties. I will promote long-term U.S. security and build better relationships with other nations by ending the immoral drone killings that have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, the assassinations of U.S. citizens without any semblance of due process, and the claim of authority to indefinitely detain even U.S. citizens without charges, trial, legal assistance, or right of habeas corpus. I will dismantle the imperial presidency and restore a government in harmony with fundamental U.S. values and our Constitution.

Anderson occupied a place on the political spectrum that was too liberal for mainstream Democrats, but too central for some other progressive groups and he found himself frequently competing with the Green Party for voters. In some cases it appeared his experience as an elected executive robbed him of the "outsider" status that often can be an advantage with disaffected voters, plus the Justice Party was not exactly created as the result of a massive grassroots movement.

Anderson was able to partner with some existing political parties and gain ballot access through them such as the Oregon Progressive Party, the Independent Party of Connecticut, the Natural Law Party in Michigan, and the New Mexico Independent Party. In some ways Anderson was able to rely on groups that had supported and organized for Ralph Nader's 2008 campaign. Nader himself fell short of an endorsement, but he "supported" Anderson. Anderson had actually won the Peace and Freedom Party primary in California, but removed himself from consideration before their convention.

Anderson/Rodriguez were on the ballot in 15 states and write-ins in 16 others, placing 7th nationally. Their strongest results were in Utah (0.52%), Idaho and Vermont (0.38% each), Connecticut (0.35%), Oregon (0.19%), Washington (0.16%), New Mexico (0.15%), Michigan and Tennessee (0.11% each), Rhode Island (0.09%), Louisiana and Minnesota (0.07% each), Colorado and New Jersey (0.05% each).

In 2016 the Justice Party endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries.

Election history:
1977 - Los Angeles Unified School Board (Nonpartisan) - defeated
2014 - Governor of California (Green Party of the United States) - defeated

Other occupations: bus driver, truck driver, construction worker, factory worker, welder, poet, novelist, journalist, 2014-2016 Los Angeles Poet Laureate, editor, typesetter, publisher, lecturer, National Committee of the League of Revolutionaries for a New America, teacher, steering committee of the National Poor Peoples Campaign, co-founder of the Network for Revolutionary Change

Notes:
2014 opponents included Jerry Brown (winner) and Cindy Sheehan.
Both parents were Mexican born.
In his 1977 election Rodriguez was identified as being a member of the Communist Labor Party of North America.