Candidate: Steve Adams

Every presidential race is full of names we’ve never heard of. Even though these people realize that it’s a difficult position to win, they still feel as though they’ll be the one to beat the odds. Stephen Adams, a Kentucky software designer, is one of those people.

Adams is running as an Independent candidate, under the motto “Common Sense for Uncommon Times”. So far he has 502 supporters, according to his campaign site. The information I’ve gathered below have come from his official campaign site, his YouTube posts, and email correspondence.

Military
Adams believes America should have a “strong, but limited” military. Our top priority will be protecting America, although when it’s needed, wars should be fought with “overwhelming force, multiple options, [and a] clear exit strategy”. Secrecy needs to be increased, meaning journalism/photographs would have to be limited. When asked about a draft, Adams responded that there is no need for one right now. I also asked him whether or not women would be included (since for one reason or another people think this a controversial issue), and they would drafted alongside the men.

As for the war we’re in now, and one that we might be thrown into before 2008, Adams feels that we need to leave Iraq now, handing control to the Iraqis. “Take away that protection and the Iraqi people must step up and deal with threats to their nations instead of fighting amongst themselves.” With Iran, if they really are trying to obtain nuclear weapons, we have the right to invade, although he favors “air strikes and covert operations” to an all-out military strike. Iran and North Korea should never be able to develop WMDs, as they’re a threat to us and other nations.

Our veterans deserve our "highest respect and support", and adequate funding needs to come from a balanced budget to provide our troops with everything they need, from military protection to care for wounded soldiers.

Government
Adams supports a FairTax system in place of income tax, a plan that uses sale tax for government funding. He plans to reduce government spending across the board.

He supports line item vetoes, as he feels that most bills include riders that can change the outcome of the bill’s passage. Line item vetoes are the only way to stop riders.

Gerrymandering isn’t a word you usually hear thrown around in big election campaigns, but Adams plans to eliminate it.

Separation of church and state should remain in place, as it’s part of the US Constitution.

The Electoral College needs to be eliminated as it’s outdated and was created as a “safeguard against the common man”.

Illegal aliens should never be tolerated, and no amnesty should ever be made. Borders need to be as secure as possible. He’ll employ fences, better technology, and increased manpower to achieve this. Also, by using a FairTax system, illegal immigrants will be taxed.

I asked Adams about two laws that are important to me personally, AETA (the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act) and the US PATRIOT Act. He feels that most of AETA is redundant as most aspects of it are already in place, and that the judicial branch will take care of the parts of the PATRIOT Act that are unconstitutional.

Social/Equality/Environment
Marriage should be between a man and a woman. He feels that morality should not play a part in the argument surrounding same-sex marriage. His main reason against same-sex marriage is confusion; some states endorse it, some don’t, creating legal problems. It’s also trouble for companies, as some give benefits to same-sex spouses and some do not. When I asked him whether or not he thought nationwide legalization would be an acceptable option, he said that he was personally against it but would consider it “for the good of the country”.

Healthcare should not be in the government’s hand due to their poor handling of everything else. A free market medical institution will naturally improve healthcare. Medicare and Medicaid should remain in place.

Adams is very strongly pro-life. The only time abortion should be an option is in life threatening emergencies. He believes that the “right to someone’s life is greater than that of someone’s choice”, even in cases of incest or rape.

Children are being taught to take tests, not to learn. He says that he doesn’t have all the answers at the moment, but implies that something needs to be changed in the US education system.

He supports capital punishment, as he feels that some people will never be able to be rehabilitated and as long as they’re alive they are a threat to others.

We need to end America’s dependence on foreign oil, and instead support alternative energy, decreasing international threats from the Middle East and increasing sustainability. He favors the use of electric cars over those run by ethanol.

Favors “reasonable gun control”, such as background checks and waiting periods.

Adams feels that the person most fit for a job should be the one to receive it. He does not support Affirmative Action, but wants any employment discrimination needs to be ended immediately. He says that affirmative action isn’t always effective in ending work-place discrimination, as it can still be a huge factor in determining who gets the job.

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Electability (on a scale of 0-5): 0. Many people may agree with his policies, but seeing as Adams will have to rely mostly on write-in votes, his chances for the US presidency are slim.

My Analysis I feel as though he’s given everything a lot of thought, but he doesn’t always have a clear solution to problems. He's also lacking political experience. No matter how informed a candidate is, many people feel more comfortable with an experienced politician.

Further Information:

Official campaign site

Official Blog

YouTube profile