Harry M. Kieve, October 12, 1924 (Honolulu, Hawaii) - April 3, 2004 (New York, NY)
VP candidate for Middle Class Party (aka National Middle Class Party) (1980)
Running mate with nominee: Kurt John Max Lynen (b. 1916)
Popular vote: 3,694 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Campaigning as he drove around his old Chevy Nova, automotive parts clerk and machinist Kurt Lynen of Dayton, NJ (here we go again with the Garden State!) had a populist message that was more about class war than it was about Left-Right ideology.
Lynen told a reporter: "If this country is supposed to be of the people, they're not making it of the people ... The elitist and the rich are the only ones to get people elected to the presidency, and they do it only to look out for their own selfish interests ... They should all be thrown in the back seat with tape put over their mouths."
His platform supported capital punishment, nationalizing the oil companies, freeing the Iran hostages with a giant military operation, and have the Cabinet represent all ethnic groups.
When asked what political figures he admired, Lynen observed that "President Richard Nixon will go down in history as being a fine president."
His running mate was Harry M. Kieve of New York, NY. When I see a duo called Lynen (Lenin)/Kieve (Kiev) red flags go up (get it?) and I start to suspect some kind of hoax especially since class struggle is highlighted in the electioneering as the Cold War was still raging. But it does appear both gentlemen actually existed in real life. Aside from lending his name to the ticket Kieve does not seem to have played any role in the campaign.
Lynen actually received more press coverage in his native Vermont than he did in New Jersey, the only state where he was on the ballot. The Middle Class Party ticket placed 7th out of 13 with 0.12%, behind the Right to Life Party but ahead of the Communist Party USA.
Election history: none
Other occupations: ?
Buried: ?
Notes:
Was an "Army brat."
I am reasonably sure I have the right Harry Kieve, but cannot 100% confirm.
