Weill in 2012?

Written by Dennis "DJ" Mikolay Sunday, 25 October 2009 17:23

Columns - Third Party Voices

Ted Weill is a man with a mission: to promote the ideals of an America controlled by the people! Weill, a Mississippian and a World War II veteran, believes the government should be subservient to its people. He dreams of a government free of special interest and corporate control, and has spent the last two decades working to make his vision a reality.

Weill is a member of the Reform Party of the United States, founded by billionaire H. Ross Perot during his 1996 presidential campaign. Perot first arrived on the scene in 1992 when he ran for president as an independent. During his two campaigns, Perot argued the dangers of NAFTA, and with pie charts in hand, warned of an impending economic crisis. He also claimed that there would someday be a "giant sucking sound" as American jobs were exported to cheaper countries.

The mainstream media laughed and labeled Perot a paranoid, old eccentric. But now, some seventeen years later, most of Perot's prophecies have come true.

While Perot himself dropped out of the political arena over a decade ago, the Reform Party lives on, promoting the ideals he touted during his campaigns. It was this unique message that had attracted Weill to third party politics.

"My reason for joining the third party movement was to save my country from special interests," said Weill, who ran for Senate on the Reform Party ticket in 1996.

Weill's campaign won about two percent of the vote, which is impressive for a third party candidate.

Weill's political philosophy is in harmony with that of the Reform Party, which promotes a balanced budget, a fair tax system, Congressional term limits, and electronic voting paper trails. Weill is himself also an opponent of Barack Obama's health care plan, which he believes will cost American lives.

"Only a worthless skunk would propose murdering millions of good Americans," said Weill.

Weill was also critical of President George W. Bush, so much so, that he actually wanted to run against him! In 2004, Weill campaigned for the Reform Party's presidential nomination, but ultimately bowed out in favor of Ralph Nader.

"I backed off in favor of Ralph Nader," said Weill, "I had followed Nader for many years, and knew him to be one of the most dedicated men [in politics] to the principles of [an] America by the people, for the people, and of the people."

Nader ultimately won the party's nomination, and with Weill's blessing, the consumer advocate made his third bid for the White House.

By the 2008 election, a number of lawsuits had thrust the Reform Party into a political limbo. The various legal woes all but killed the Reform Party on a national level, and severely limited its ballot access. The Reform Party briefly gained national headlines after the Associated Press erroneously reported they had endorsed John McCain for president.

In actuality, amidst the party's many setbacks and woes, Ted Weill finally earned their nomination.

"I was the Reform Party's candidate," said Weill. "But [The Reform Party] was finishing up a court battle. I had one week to campaign before November fourth."

With only a week to campaign, Weill's ballot access was limited to a single state.

Today, the Reform Party's legal woes are finally coming to a close, and the party has launched a massive rebuilding process. The hope is that by 2012 the Reform Party will once again be a viable political force.

"Young voters should join The Reform Party and use 'common sense' to rebuild what the two party system has destroyed," said Weill.

If the Reform Party does manage to regain the influence it had in the 1990s, one must wonder what influence its presidential candidate will have?

Perhaps America will be ready for a third party president.

Today, Weill resides in Tylertown, Mississippi. That doesn't mean, however, that he wouldn't like to move to Pennsylvania Avenue. When asked about his past presidential campaigns,Weill commented: "I look forward to it in 2012."