February 28, 2008

Socialist Workers Party Running A Candidate Just As Eligible As John McCain

The New York Times big scoop today is, basically, something that's been floating around on stupid Internet messageboards for a while now. (The NYT -- and others -- for some reason think the Internet is real life, and so Matt Drudge and McCain_SuX_6969 get to influence the media.) Anyway, apparently John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone, which makes him ineligible to be president.

As you know, I'm a bit interested in ineligible candidates (aka "criminals"); I paid a bit of attention to Larry West's ultimately doomed campaign for mayor. And, as such, it's nice to know I'll be able to joke about another (Walnuts!) one in the presidential.

But that doesn't mean he's the only ineligible candidate! In addition to McCain, the presidential race also has Socialist Workers Party candidate Róger Calero. The SWP candidate visited Temple recently, and PW's über-talented Cassidy Hartmann talked with him for her MTV political thing.

Calero was born in Nicaragua, though. While the U.S. had invaded and taken the Panama Canal Zone at the time of McCain's birth (1786), by Calero's time Uncle Sam was content simply to destabilize these countries in more clandestine ways. And while he is of age to run for president, the Constitution forbids him from actually being elected. He can still get on some states' ballots, though (but not Pennsylvania, where it is impossible).

One might think Calero could at least have an army of hilarious online followers, but dedication to the Socialist cause is a little lacking these days. (The illegal presidential candidate summed up Temple the way you could sum up pretty much every school: "Temple is generally a liberal school, but not that liberal in the sense of revolutionary politics.")

But with smaller numbers, it appears the supporters of our fair Socialist candidate are a bit more realistic than fans of a certain other candidate with socialist supporters. Gordon Barnes (at left in photo) brought Calero to Temple, and here's what he said: "We realize Róger’s not going to win." Now if only Ron Paul's supporters could get that. Or, for that matter, John McCain's.

The Candidate for Change? It’s All Relative. [Think MTV]

Posted by D-Mac on February 28, 2008 12:25 PM
Posted to 2008 Presidential Election , 2008 Presidential Primaries , Barack Obama , Ineligible Candidates , John McCain , PW , Ron Paul , Róger Calero