Deez Nuts (politician)

Deez Nuts
Campaign U.S. presidential election, 2016
Candidate Deez Nuts
Affiliation Independent[1]
Headquarters Wallingford, Iowa
Key people Brady C. Olson
Website
www.elect-deez-nuts.com

Deez Nuts (real name Brady C. Olson) is a satirical candidate running in the 2016 United States presidential election. His form to run for office was filed with the Federal Election Commission in late July 2015.[2] In polls conducted by Public Policy Polling in Iowa, Minnesota and North Carolina in mid-August 2015, he polled at 8, 8 and 9 percent respectively, garnering the attention of the media.[3][4] On October 11, 2015, Deez Nuts announced on his Facebook page his intention to run for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, citing his eligibility despite not being a member of the House itself and the scarcity of candidates.

Nuts' bid for the presidency drew attention to the number of questionable candidates who had filed to run for office.[5][6][7] Jim Williams, an analyst at Public Policy Polling, the organization that had conducted the poll in North Carolina, noted to The Guardian that, due to a fringe of the population with a penchant towards anti-establishment candidates, "You could call [the third party candidate] anything, and they would get their 7% or 8%."[8]

It was revealed on August 19, 2015, that "Deez Nuts" is 15-year-old Brady C. Olson of Wallingford, Iowa. He stated, in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, that he created the practical joke "half-trying to break the two-party system, half-frustration with the front-runners." In addition, Olson also endorsed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination, and Ohio Governor John Kasich for the Republican nomination.[9] Olson, according to Section 1 of Article Two of the United States Constitution,[10] does not meet the minimum age requirement of 35 years at the time of inauguration to be able to serve as president if elected following the 2016 elections.

Political platform

Brady Olson, the person behind Deez Nuts, has expressed libertarian views.[11]

Economic

Deez Nuts believes that Congress should not be able to spend more than it takes in through taxes. In order to reinforce the importance of a balanced budget, Nuts believes that, in the short term, Congress, the President, and the Cabinet should have their salaries slashed in half until the budget is balanced, after which the salaries may slowly rise until they normalize. Nuts believes the salaries should be cut once again if the budget becomes unbalanced.

Nuts also believes that tax incentives are crucial to offer to corporations in order to keep jobs in the United States, as opposed to outsourcing. Nuts envisions a more self-sufficient United States in the future, not reliant on foreign imports.[12]

Environmental

Nuts supports cutting subsidies to oil companies and giving tax incentives to individuals and corporations implementing renewable energy and "green" technology—in particular, he supports grants to communities installing municipal wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, and rooftop solar panels. Nuts has not yet expressed an opinion on nuclear power.[12]

Immigration

He considers all adult illegal immigrants violators of the law, believing they should be deported to their country of origin. He has added that the lone exception to this is minors; however, he has not stated the punishment to minors, or the minor's family.[12]

Social

Deez Nuts is opposed to the belief that the United States is a Christian nation, and believes in legal abortion and same-sex marriage on the basis that each person should be allowed to make his or her own decisions.[12]

Voting rights

Deez Nuts believes that residents of American overseas territories deserve voting rights. He has expressed the need for the people of American Samoa to become citizens of the United States in earnest and receive one electoral vote, due to its status as an unincorporated territory. Nuts would give Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas two electoral votes and give Puerto Rico three electoral votes, bringing the total number of electoral votes to 548 from 538. Nuts also believes that all five territories and Washington, D.C. should each have their own one fully functional seat (as opposed to a non-voting delegate) in the House of Representatives, bringing the seats in the House to 441 from 435.[12]

Endorsements

Deez Nuts has been endorsed by the man behind the original 'Deez Nuts' skit, hip-hop artist Warren G.[13] Ice T also endorses Deez Nuts.[14]

Deez Nuts endorses Bernie Sanders[15] and John Kasich for the respective 2016 Democratic and Republican presidential nominations.[16]

References

  1. Woolf, Nicky (August 20, 2015). ""I have so many websites" Donald "All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me" Trump beware: political apprentice Deez Nuts is top-polling independent". The Guardian. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  2. Details for Candidate ID : P60009198, Federal Election Commission.
  3. (19 Aug 2015). Presidential Sensation Deez Nuts Is a 15-Year-Old Iowa Farm Boy, The Daily Beast
  4. Jensen, Tom. " "I have so many websites" Donald "All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me" Trump grows lead in NC; GOP leads most match ups." Public Policy Polling. Ed. Dean Debnam. Public Policy Polling, 19 Aug. 2015. Web. 22 Aug. 2015. <http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2015/08/trump-grows-lead-in-nc-gop-leads-most-match-ups.html>.
  5. Kaplan, Rebecca (July 28, 2015). Deez Nuts is running for president, CBS News
  6. Fang, Marina (August 4, 2015). 'Deez Nuts' And 'Sydneys Voluptuous Buttocks' Are Running For President, Because Why Not, Huffington Post
  7. Fuller, Jaime (August 19, 2015). Poll Numbers Improving for 15-Year-Old Presidential Candidate 'Deez Nuts', New York
  8. Berenson, Tessa (August 20, 2015). "Meet the 15-Year Old Presidential Candidate Who is Polling 9%". TIME. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  9. Dickinson, Tim (August 20, 2015). "Meet 'Deez Nuts,' the Teen Presidential Candidate Punking America". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  10. "Constitution of the United States, Article 2, Section 1". Retrieved 2015-08-21. ... neither shall any Person be eligible to [the office of President of the United States of America] who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years ....
  11. Soave, Robby (August 20, 2015). "2016 Presidential Candidate Deez Nuts Is (Are?) Libertarian". Hit and Run Blog. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Deez Nuts for President 2016 Platform". Deez Nuts 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  13. Collins, Ben (August 20, 2015). "Warren G Endorses Deez Nuts for President". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  14. "Ice-T Said Everything Tapper Couldn’t During #CNNDebate Live-Tweets". mediaite.com. 17 September 2015.
  15. "Deez Nuts endorses Sanders in Dem primary". TheHill. 2015-08-22. Retrieved 2015-08-29.
  16. Updated 8:02 PM ET, Sat August 22, 2015 (2015-08-22). "'Deez Nuts' backs Sanders, Kasich for nominations - CNNPolitics.com". Cnn.com. Retrieved 2015-08-29.

External links

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