Appearing before a dozen members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance, David McReynolds, the Socialist Party U.S.A. candidate for president, admitted his chances of winning the election are not good.
But just being in the race, McReynolds said, allows him the opportunity to address issues that he believes are worthy of the national spotlight but are neglected by major candidates.
The 70-year-old New York City resident is not only an outsider because of his socialistic views on government, society and the economy. McReynolds is the first openly gay candidate who is also open about his past resistance to the military draft and his use of marijuana, which he supports legalizing.
Tuesday’s visit to the LGBTA office was just one stop on McReynolds’ tour of Oregon. He will make several more stops Wednesday in Eugene before leaving for Ashland.
Mary Bankhead, LGBTA member and a sophomore majoring in English, said McReynolds’ supporters came to the alliance and asked if the candidate could speak with members. Because McReynolds is a strong supporter of gay rights, Bankhead said the group was interested in what he had to say, but is “always interested in learning about candidates and national issues.”
McReynolds said he hoped his national exposure in the race will make people start to see socialism as a viable alternative to capitalism, even though many people view his ideas as radical. However, the core of his message includes more conventional goals, including universal health care coverage, reduced military spending and more personal freedom, he said.
McReynolds’ platform includes universal health coverage and a managed health care system in which hospitals are non-profit. He said the Democratic candidate Al Gore and the Republican hopeful George W. Bush have addressed the issue but are not as eager as he is to change the current system.
He also wants to cut the current military budget by half, abolish the Central Intelligence Agency, eliminate nuclear arsenals and reduce the number of prisons.
“This country has the highest prison population in the world,” he said. “There is a corporate drive to put people into prison.”
Oregon’s Socialist party has a strong voice despite its small size, said Eugene resident Karl Scog, a retired lawyer and current treasurer for the Oregon State Socialist party. He said the Lane County chapter of the party has about 220 members and is active despite “many people being afraid of the S-word.”