Checking in with third party and independent candidates in Iowa races

Thank you, Ben.

I appreciate being here with you.

Your website says you're not running against the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, you're running against the two-party system.

What does that mean?

I believe both parties have been equally complicit in the corruption of our republic, especially since Citizens United, uh, where candidates, uh, and elected officials, uh, belonging to both parties are now serving the will of their, uh, mega donors, uh, the political action committees, super PACs, uh, that are funding their campaigns.

Our, our Republicans and Democrats in Congress are doing their bidding, uh, rather than, uh, representing the people who elected them.

You're a Libertarian.

Um, Libertarian Party, I think I've heard, believes the government should stay out of both our pocketbooks and our bedrooms [laughs] in a broad brushstroke description there.

What is your brand of libertarianism?

Yeah.

Well, I'm, I'm a really, a, a believer in the Constitution and the rule of law.

I believe that the Libertarian Party stands for the Constitution, the rule of law, and the natural rights, uh, that we established our Constitution to protect.

And I'm a true libertarian vis-a-vis the national government.

I think the national government should have a very limited role in our lives.

Uh, I think there's a, a greater role for state and local governments.

Uh, so in that respect, maybe I'm not truly an ideological libertarian.

Uh, but I definitely believe, uh, that there should be a very limited role, uh, for our national government under our Constitution.

Thomas, you call yourself also a populist.

How do those go together, libertarian and populism?

Because I'm running to represent the people.

Our government at both the national level in Washington, DC, and the state level here in Iowa is now working for the economic elites in our society and not for, uh, everyday Iowans.

Uh, this is most evident, as you know, we have this hazardous liquid pipeline, uh, project here in Iowa.

A company called Summit Carbon Solutions, uh, is planning to build a network of hazardous liquid pipelines through our state, and to use eminent domain to take property from unwilling landowners along the pipeline's proposed route.

Uh, and although 78% of Iowans are opposed, uh, to this project, our state legislators in Des Moines, our members of Congress in Washington, DC, are doing nothing, uh, to stop it or to address the concerns of the people of Iowa.

And it really shows, uh, for whom our legislators are working.

Thank you, Ben.

I appreciate being here with you.

Your website says you're not running against the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, you're running against the two-party system.

What does that mean?

I believe both parties have been equally complicit in the corruption of our republic, especially since Citizens United, uh, where candidates, uh, and elected officials, uh, belonging to both parties are now serving the will of their, uh, mega donors, uh, the political action committees, super PACs, uh, that are funding their campaigns.

Our, our Republicans and Democrats in Congress are doing their bidding, uh, rather than, uh, representing the people who elected them.

You're a Libertarian.

Um, Libertarian Party, I think I've heard, believes the government should stay out of both our pocketbooks and our bedrooms [laughs] in a broad brushstroke description there.

What is your brand of libertarianism?

Yeah.

Well, I'm, I'm a really, a, a believer in the Constitution and the rule of law.

I believe that the Libertarian Party stands for the Constitution, the rule of law, and the natural rights, uh, that we established our Constitution to protect.

And I'm a true libertarian vis-a-vis the national government.

I think the national government should have a very limited role in our lives.

Uh, I think there's a, a greater role for state and local governments.

Uh, so in that respect, maybe I'm not truly an ideological libertarian.

Uh, but I definitely believe, uh, that there should be a very limited role, uh, for our national government under our Constitution.

Thomas, you call yourself also a populist.

How do those go together, libertarian and populism?

Because I'm running to represent the people.

Our government at both the national level in Washington, DC, and the state level here in Iowa is now working for the economic elites in our society and not for, uh, everyday Iowans.

Uh, this is most evident, as you know, we have this hazardous liquid pipeline, uh, project here in Iowa.

A company called Summit Carbon Solutions, uh, is planning to build a network of hazardous liquid pipelines through our state, and to use eminent domain to take property from unwilling landowners along the pipeline's proposed route.

Uh, and although 78% of Iowans are opposed, uh, to this project, our state legislators in Des Moines, our members of Congress in Washington, DC, are doing nothing, uh, to stop it or to address the concerns of the people of Iowa.

And it really shows, uh, for whom our legislators are working.