The National Reform Party Secretary, Nicholas Hensley, has been making the rounds. His recent interviews have been highly rated by his peers, and were well received by anti-establishment activists. After some consideration, we have decided to post a sample interview on the National Website.
What is the Reform Party?
The Reform Party is a moderate, centrist and populist party that is neither liberal nor conservative. It sits in the middle of the political spectrum as opposition to the Democrats and Republicans. It was formed in 1995 by followers of Ross Perot. Perot won 19 percent of the vote in the 1992 election.
It was founded on the basis that the political establishment was corrupt. It seeks to reform government by getting special interest money out of politics, and limiting the power of lobbyists. We also want to ending the practice of gerrymandering, and open ballots for third parties and independents. As far as ethics reform, we want to force lawmakers to adhere to a set of laws – not just a set of rules.
Before the Republicans passed their Contract with America, the Reform Party already proposed a balanced budget amendment. We want to reform the government’s accounting system, stop the practice of keeping some items off the books, and create a plan to get America back into the black in the next four years.
Economically we want to reform trade deals, so that the manufacturing sector becomes a job creator for the working and middle classes. Even though we advocate for tax and regulatory reform on the manufacturing sector, those issues are minor compared to the need for stop trade by reforming NAFTA, CAFTA and the WTO
Does the Reform Party Run Candidates?
Yes. The Reform Party is a party, not an issues PAC. The prime mission of any party is to run candidates for office.
In most states the Reform Party runs its own candidates, and endorses candidates for nonpartisan offices. In states, like New York, were fusion voting exists the state Reform Party affiliate can choose to cross endorse any candidate of its choosing. When a Reform Party affiliate cross endorses a candidate, it’s usually because the candidate is the best candidate for the job.
Does the Reform Party have any officeholders?
The Reform Party does have officeholders. Eight current officeholders are either members of the Reform Party, or won their election primarily on the Reform Party line. Last year we doubled the number of offices we held nationwide by picking up four offices in New York. Outside of those eight officeholders, more than 238 fusion candidates won with their margin of victory coming from votes on the Reform Party line.
Does the Reform Party have any political influence?
Yes. Recently our organizers teamed up with other political activists to help defeat the Transpacific Partnership. Even though we are a small party, we did play a role in fighting against the TPP, and released a number of press releases and social media ads against it.
We do get asked questions for news articles, and from time to time, a Reform Party officer is quoted in the paper.
Our fusion line in New York gives us a lot of local political influence in that state. Thousands of people ask for their endorsement every year, and only a select number receive it. Outside of New York, a number of independent and nonpartisan officeholders won their elections with the aid of Reform Party endorsements.
Over the years, a number of Reform Party members have gained appointments to public offices as well.
Does the Reform Party have a Presidential Candidate?
For President of the United States, the Reform Party is backing Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente. Currently he is on the ballot in about twenty five states, and realistically could be on the ballot in as many as forty two states.
Born in 1954, at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, Roque De La Fuente earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics from Instituto Patria and graduated Magna Cum Laude. He studied business administration and accounting at Anahuac University and the University of San Diego. He acquired twenty eight car dealerships in the United States and Mexico before selling twenty seven of them. He has experience developing commercial real estate across the United States and Latin America. During the Mexican financial crisis in the 1980s, he setup a number of financial exchanges to ease the economic turmoil.
In office, one of his primary goals will be to create a fluid new economy, and produce the opportunities that pay union wages rather than minimum wages. To sum up his vision, I will quote Henry Ford, “There is one rule for the industrialist and that is: Make the best quality of goods possible at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible.”
What is the Reform Party’s stance on Trade?
The recent free trade agreement with Korea shows the effects of free trade with Pacific Nations. Two years after the United States signed a free trade agreement with the nation of South Korea, America’s trade deficit with South Korea has doubled.
In 1992, the Ross Perot campaign, a direct precursor to the Reform Party, campaigned against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). According to government statistics America’s trade deficits have increased due to free trade in other regions. The same data shows that since the start of free trade agreements with NAFTA in 1992, America’s trade deficit rose from 39.2 billion dollars to 559.8 billion in 2011, or an increase of over 1428 percent.
Before the start of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the United States had trade surpluses with most nations involved. Now the United States has trade deficits with all of the nations involved with that treaty except for Panama.
Since the United States trade deficit started in 1975, the number of Americans employed in the manufacturing sector has decreased. Since the 1970s, the number of Americans employed in the manufacturing sector has dropped from twenty five percent of the population to ten percent in 2010. As these manufacturing jobs were outsourced overseas, many found work in the service industry, which pays less, and the American dream was put out of reach for many.
What is the Reform Party’s view on social issues?
The Reform Party does not take a view on social issues, but allows its state affiliates and candidates to take their own views. The reason why is that on a federal level, there has been no legislative progress towards any of the social issues. These issues have been decided on local and state levels, or by judicial action. On the federal level, these issues are only manipulated for votes.
What is the Reform Party’s stance on Electoral Reform?
Minor parties have been shut out of the political process. The political establishment has made fifty state ballot access for competition near impossible, and has rigged elections with the gerrymander. While doing so it has government rule to the special interests in turn for campaign donations. The Reform Party wants to open the ballot, remove special interest money from politics, and ban gerrymandering.
Is voting for a third party is a wasted vote?
In the last thirty years independents and minor parties have won every type of race except for the Presidential race. Minor party and independent candidates have been elected to governorships, senate seats, and congressional seats. The Vermont Progressive Party is living proof that a minor party can take on and establish itself as a contender for state offices. Between the Libertarians, Greens and Reform Parties, we hold hundreds of county and municipal offices.
