Third-party presidential candidate visits Utah

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    By Jacob Crosby

    Reform Party presidential candidate Pat Buchanan campaigned in Salt Lake City on Oct. 30.

    Buchanan said his conservative message is ideal for the people of Utah.

    “I come here to give a conservative message to a conservative state, and I think it will resonate,” Buchanan said.

    Buchanan addressed supporters and granted media interviews at the Salt Lake City International Airport.

    “Our message is that there is only one conservative candidate in this race who will stand up and fight for conservative values and not apologize for these views,” Buchanan said.

    Buchanan said he split from the Republican Party a few years ago because Republicans have become silent on too many important issues.

    “The Republican Party has been gradually moving away from ‘right to life’ and has become largely silent on this issue,” Buchanan said. “On issues like the assault on the Boy Scouts and the recognition of gay marriage, they have been silent.”

    He said Republican Presidential Candidate George Bush agrees with President Clinton on things like the World Trade Organization and China’s Most Favored Nation trading status.

    “On too many issues, it has become a Clinton-party,” Buchanan said. “We need a party that puts our own nation and our own people first.”

    Buchanan said his first order of business as President would be to appoint pro-life Supreme Court justices.

    “I would appoint pro-life justices to the Supreme Court who will respect our religious heritage and not trash that heritage,” he said.

    Buchanan also said he would give the budget surplus back to the American people through tax cuts, bring U.S. soldiers home from places where they should not be stationed and defend the borders from a flood of illegal immigration.

    “It is the duty of the government of the United States to protect the national interests of the United States, not to do what is best for the global economy, or the new world order, or the United Nations,” he said.

    Buchanan said he supports Initiative A which would make English Utah’s official language.

    “The English language is something that defines us and holds us together,” he said.

    “If we become a nation of linguistic ghettos that do not understand each other and cannot communicate with each other, then the United States of America will come apart.”

    Keith Ridgway, chairman of the Reform Party’s Utah chapter, said Buchanan would be doing much better nationally if the mainstream media would present fair coverage of the election.

    “The mainstream media has ignored other national candidates and given the illusion of only two candidates in this election,” Ridgway said.

    “Pat is good, wise, honest and a strong supporter of the Constitution. He deserves to be heard.”

    Buchanan said he rejects the notion that voting for him takes away votes from Gov. Bush and helps Vice-President Al Gore.

    “That sort of language suggests that Mr. Bush owns all these votes that have not even been cast,” Buchanan said. “Any votes I receive will be because people believe in my message.”

    K. B. Forbes, communications director for the Buchanan campaign, said Buchanan will visit 21 U.S. cities before Election Day.

    “Pat will campaign in cities where his ads are running and where we think he has the best chance,” Forbes said.

    Forbes said the campaign is currently running $10 million worth of television ads in over 24 states and 209 major television markets.

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