Roseanne Barr, spurned by Greens, running for president as 'socialist'
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Thomas Fitzgerald covers politics and political animals under the big tent.
Roseanne Barr, spurned by Greens, running for president as 'socialist'
Sam Wood
Roseanne Barr — comedian, macadamia nut farmer, and golden-throated chanteuse of the “Star Spangled Banner” — is doing what several other Mormons have set out to do this election season. She's running for president.
Stop laughing. She’s dead serious.
Until last month, Barr had pinned her hopes on becoming the Green Party candidate and went so far as to try to recruit Willie Nelson as her running mate.
But that was not to be. Barr, 59, placed a distant second at the Green convention to Harvard-educated physician Jill Stein.
For a brief moment, speculation had Barr running as Stein’s Veep. Stein, looking for someone a little more mainstream, chose Philadelphia activist Cheri Honkala.
Spurned by the Greens, Barr shopped around and found the Peace and Freedom Party. They nominated her last week along with antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan (In previous years the Peace and Freedom Party’s presidential nominees have been Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver, comedian Dick Gregory, Benjamin “Dr.” Spock, jailed Native American activist Leonard Peltier, and peripatetic pol Ralph Nader).
The P&F Party describes itself as California's Feminist Socialist Political Party and “opposes capitalism, imperialism, racism, sexism and elitism.” Though she has no chance to win, she told CNN's Piers Morgan that she hopes to make "socialist solutions part of the narrative."
Answering a Green Party questionnaire earlier this year, Barr says the issues closest to her heart were obliterating the two party system (she calls them the “two-headed beast”); ending corporate personhood; preventing the exportation of jobs to “countries with immoral, inadequate and nonexistent labor laws;” shutting down all U.S. military bases worldwide, and legalizing marijuana.
On her Peace and Freedom platform she also says she also will recognize Palestine, forgive all student loans, and allow third-parties the right to ballot access in all 50 states.
What’s wrong with the two-party system?
“They blame each other for the fact that neither one of them has any real solutions,” she said on CNN. “They know they don’t have to because they got it all sewn up."
Barr is one of several third-party candidates running for president this year.
Along with Stein of the Green Party, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is representing the Libertarians, former Va. Congressman Virgil Goode is at the top of the conservative Constitution Party ballot, James Harris is the nominee for the Socialist Workers Party, and former radio talk show host Stewart Alexander is heading the ticket for the Socialist Party USA.
It’s unclear, however, if Barr will appear on any ballot. Unlike the Greens and the Libertarians, the Peace and Freedom party has not qualified in any state.
— Sam Wood
As a Socialist? I thought that Barry Choomgang was the card carrying Socialist in the race.— DarnelX- Spurned by the Greens, Barr shopped around and found the Peace and Freedom Party. They nominated her last week along with antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan (In previous years the Peace and Freedom Party’s presidential nominees have been Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver, comedian Dick Gregory, Benjamin “Dr.” Spock, jailed Native American activist Leonard Peltier, and peripatetic pol Ralph Nader).
The P&F Party describes itself as California's Feminist Socialist Political Party and “opposes capitalism, imperialism, racism, sexism and elitism.” Though she has no chance to win, she told CNN's Piers Morgan that she hopes to make "socialist solutions part of the narrative."
Thats one hell of a group of people, except maybe Ralph Nader who had some good ideas.
Cindy Sheenan ---- LOL!!!!— towelie - She picked the wrong year to run. If she runs in 2016, the left will probably make sure she gets to the DNC convention. She may not be qualifies but she's famous and a Hollywood actress.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- We already have a narcissistic socialist as president; do we need a new one? She is equally as qualified as the fraud in office now, but outside of screeching and obesity, what does she bring to the job?
BTW: in 8 years of the Bush administration, 630 Americans died in Afghanistan. In less than 4 years of the Nobel peace Prize recipient, over 1200 Americans have died. Where is Cindy Sheehan now? Where is the toady MSM on that story?— Cazptain Philadelphia - She's a PIG— attila
- I don't care whether this witch is left or right, Rep or Dem, she wished cancer on people who disagree with her. She is inhuman pile of festering garbage!— Nihilist
Lets have an encore of her singing the National Anthem.— HappyBob- who cares. this is so not newsworthy
— jcakes - Missing from this article are the following: Philadelphia Activist Cheri Honkala is a WELFARE RIGHTS activist; and, a student loan is just that - a LOAN. It would be nice (for the borrowers) if it was just "forgiven", but how about the institutions that lent it to them? They would not survive if they just gave away billions of dollars to students without it being repaid. And, if they did, needless to say, they would make up for it somehow. (P.S. - I do not represent any particular party or institution.)— dee99999
- in the words of Roseanne herself, i hope her supporters get cancer. of course i'm not serious.— palmyra21
- Can't wait to see her grab her crotch and spit during her inaugural speech. Some things you will never live down, Roseanne. However, I do support Tom Arnold for Secretary of State. I hold baited breath to hear of your next cabinet appointments.— Paulo
- She's a viable alternative for 'progressives' not satisfied with Obama's corporatism. Many thanks to Big Tent for promoting her.— b,ill atkins
- I like her & the platform. Down with corporation loving, bank/millionare protecting, imperialist mules & elephants. Keep voting for the same clowns is the reason that nothing changes.— ClarkU
- I hope she draws many odumma votes from the dems.— Afogtrkr
- Obama and Romney are both terrible for the future of this country. Don't act like Rosanne Barr is any worse. Carrot Top might as well run.— NeastfillerD
You can reach Tom Fitzgerald at 215-854-2718 or tfitzgerald@phillynews.com.
Reach Thomas at tfitzgerald@phillynews.com.
