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VP candidate for New American Independent Party (2008)
Running mate with nominee: Frank Edward McEnulty (b. 1956)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Frank McEnulty, a California estate agent filed with the FEC for President in Feb. 2007 as an independent but that did not prevent him from entering the Republican primaries, at least in Arizona. On Mar. 11, 2008 he gained the nomination of the newborn New American Independent Party. Shortly after his nomination, he was in Alaska seeking the endorsement of the Alaska Independence Party alongside members of the American Independence Party and was identified by Alaskan media as a member of the AIP. It does get confusing, doesn't it? He was also a contender for the Reform Party nomination but lost out to Ted Weill, so he became the running-mate July 2008.
It was erroneously reported on some outlets that McEnulty announced he was going to drop his own Presidential campaign in order to campaign full time as the Reform Party VP. McEnulty was definitely running under both banners. It is not unheard of for a candidate to be running for President on one ticket and be the VP on another in the same election. William Jenner in 1956 is one example that springs to mind, and Dick Gregory in 1968 although McEnulty's case was more deliberate.
McEnulty's statement on the matter:
At the Reform Party Convention, held recently in Dallas, TX, I was selected to be their Vice Presidential Candidate to run on the ticket with Ted Weill, the Presidential candidate. I am honored to accept this nomination and see this as an important step in uniting the various third party groups around the country into a stronger, more effective voice.
To that end, I am continuing my independent run for president in the other states in which the Reform Party does not have ballot access. I firmly believe the answer for a better America is in a strong, viable third party that will address the views and needs of the Moderate Majority Americans being ignored by the Democrats and Republicans.
I want to reiterate that I am still the New American Independent Party Presidential candidate for the 2008 election and have discussed this strategy at length with Michael Thompson the Chairman of the NAIP. We are continuing our ballot access efforts and hope that this latest development will help our message to be heard in more states. Thank you for your continued support.
The NAIP was formed in 2004 with an eye to the middle class as a political base. Although the Party attempted to hold the center, it generally came off appearing to be sort of a Libertarian-lite, preaching the gospel of a small federal government, more local control, fiscal conservatism, personal responsibility, less government intrusion into personal lives, and an end to political party tribalism. McEnulty himself was a great admirer of Reagan and a NRA supporter.
In Feb. 2008 McEnulty told an interviewer about his parameters for a VP selection--
I will be looking for someone who is smart, wants what is best for all Americans, is a moderate, a fiscal conservative and will put forth the time and effort to run in a real campaign. I also believe that my running mate needs to be a business person because the government is a business and needs to run more like one. I’m not worried about being outsiders in the Washington scene, because I believe that gridlock is good for the following reason. If there is gridlock, then only legislation that makes sense for all Americans and benefits the vast majority of all Americans will get passed. We’ve got hundreds of thousands of laws. We don’t need new ones every day.
For reasons that are not clear, McEnulty had 9 different running-mates. He made the ballot only in Colorado, and attempted to be a registered write-in in the remainder.
One such running-mate was Samuel B. Hoff of Dover, Del. Dr. Hoff (pronounced "Huff") had declared his Presidential intentions with the FEC in Jan. 2007 when he filed as an Independent. Using the slogan "Don't Hesitate: Vote Hoff President in '08" he ran partly as an educational lesson for his political science students at Delaware State. He was also strongly opposed to the 2-term limit for Presidents.
Hoff has run for President in every election since 1988. In his debut campaign (when he was actually under the required age of 35 in order to serve if elected) he ran for the Democratic nomination, but in all subsequent electioneering efforts he filed as an Independent.
The McEnulty/Hoff ticket apparently never made the ballot or were registered as write-ins in any state. They were considered the official team for Hoff's home state of Delaware.
The New American Independent Party changed their name to the Citizens Party of the United States by the 2012 election.
Election history:
1988 - Democratic nomination for US President - defeated
1992 - US President (Independent) - defeated
1996 - US President (Independent) - defeated
1997 - Dover, Del. City Council - defeated
2000 - US President (Independent) - defeated
2001 - Dover, Del. City Council - defeated
2004 - US President (Independent) - defeated
2008 - US President (Independent) - defeated
2012 - US President (Independent) - defeated
2016 - US President (Independent) - defeated
2020 - US President (Independent) - pending
Other occupations: political science professor, author, political commentator, columnist
Notes:
Other Hoff campaign slogans through the years: If You've Had Enough, Vote Hoff For President -- Get Aroused, Vote Hoff in 2000 -- No Need To Delve: Hoff For President In Twelve -- There's No In Between: Vote Hoff President in '16 -- For Times O'plenty, Vote Hoff President in '20.
