Politics & Government

Third Party Presidential Candidate Comes to Morristown

Rocky Anderson, of the Justice Party, to speak at Morristown Unitarian Fellowship on Sunday.

The country will need to make a choice for President of the United States this November. While for most, that choice will be one of two, at least one other candidate wants people to know those are not voters only choices.

Rocky Anderson, who served as the Democrat Mayor of Salt Lake City from 2000 to 2008, is running for President under the recently-formed Justice Party. at the , in Morris Township. It is one of only two New Jersey appearances for the candidate, .

Anderson, 61, said he decided to form the Justice Party in 2011 with about a dozen other like-minded people because, "I think it doesn't bear any resemblance to what the Democrat party was when I called myself a Democrat.

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"I've been very disappointed to the point of disgust with the Democrat party for a number of years," Anderson said, citing its timidity during the Bush Administration, and the continuation of certain human and civil rights abuses from that era into the Obama Administration.

"I could not stand by without doing everything I could to help develop the voices of descent and to build a major organization and also build coalitions to bring about major changes in this country," the candidate from Utah said.

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Among the issues Anderson is campaigning on is, according to his biography, the promotion of the public interest through the defeat of "the systemic corruption that has caused massive failures in public policy," an immediate end to on-going wars, "essential health care coverage" for all citizens and an end to "the stranglehold on our government by the military-industrial complex."

The New Jersey chapter of the Justice Party, formed earlier this year and based in Collingswood, Camden County, was created to "promote candidates that adhere to or believe in progressive principles," said Tim O'Neill, the fledging party's treasurer.

O'Neill said the two-party system of Republicans and Democrats was broken. "It is basically run because of the money involved," he said. "It is no longer representing the interests of the people."

Of Anderson, and his Vice Presidential running mate, Los Angeles-based writer and activist Luis Rodriguez, O'Neill said they "will represent the 99 percent.

"But the mainstream media just will not give [them] the airtime to allow [them] to get [their] message to the people," he said. "All you hear is about Romney and Obama, and people think that is the only choice they have."

Despite many not knowing who Anderson is or that he is running for the highest office in the land, the former mayor said the Justice Party is moving in the right direction.

"This election was a good time to raise awareness, to let people know there are real options and the power we can have if we come together and collaborate," he said. "This shouldn't be about another political party where people try to obtain power. It should be about empowering engaged citizens and pushing for change. That's the only way real change comes about in this country."

Should the Justice Party continue to grow, Anderson said he did not know if he would be the chosen presidential candidate again in four years. But, that was not the point of him running. "The whole idea of this campaign and founding of the Justice Party was to create a lasting, powerful political movement.

"The people aren't going to give up. If those in government know that, then they will end up jumping on board."


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