PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2000 - OFFICIAL CANDIDATES

Richard Hale seems like a nice guy, a really, really nice guy. That fact alone probably guarantees that he stands about as much chance as Mr. Rogers in the political arena. Another definite handicap is his strong religious focus that will keep him at arms-length from mainstream voters.

For reasons which aren't entirely clear, much of his website's content is focused on the injustices of the Kosovo conflict and Clinton's inept handling of the situation. Hale's political philosophies definitely fall at the conservative end of the political spectrum, but we'd call him a conservative with a social conscience. For example, he favors a strong defense system, but unlike hard-line conservatves, he also supports the United Nations Security Council.

He has some practical planks in his platform, among them a proposition to create a lottery to help fund Social Security, a 12% tax cut for incomes under $1 million and a value-added tax for non-essential luxury purchases.

We found it difficult to get a grip on some of his other political positions, however, because he has a tendency to wrap sensitive issues in murky rhetoric: "However, any person, group, or faction petitioning and attempting to prevail upon the government for legislation which would necessarily respect and acknowledge their lifestyle, thereby granting to them rights and privileges consistent with institutions existing in perpetuity as doctrines of the Holy Scriptures and the "Church", will not be given said special attention (without exception), such that the requested legislation would, by any interpretation, impose upon the Framer's intended protection of the Constitution, and more specifically, the First Amendment."

All in all, Richard Hale seems better suited to man the helm at the Sunday School or the PTA, rather than the ship of state, but we like him anyway. Genuine nice guys are few and far between.

- RA