Socialist Workers Party

Background: The Socialist Worker's Party (SWP) is literally what its title is: a party devoted to the working class. It is fed up with a government which (allegedly) is in the pockets of the upper-class, leading to the undermining of the everyday paycheck and the effectiveness of unions. Realizing how much an average middle-class goes through, the Socialist Workers have called for increases in salary, legislation which reduces the work week, and the elimination of cuts in take- home pay.

Presidential Candidate: Roger Calero

The Socialist Worker's candidate for president in 2004, Calero is one who has experienced America from its lowest points. A Nicaragua native, he emigrated to the United States in 1985, joining the SWP in 1993. A former meatpacker in Iowa and Minnesota, he is a supporter of strikes to make working conditions for dangerous occupations (meatpackers, construction workers, coal miners). Calero is also against U.S. interventionism, opposing the Iraqi war from its beginning and believing that the United States should bring home all overseas troops.

Opinion: Calero has almost no shot, even among other alternative party candidates. For starters, he is not even a U.S. citizen, which the Constitution requires the President to be. While he is a political journalist, he has absolutely firsthand political experience. Although he has taken part in protests against issues such as the intervention in Iraq and immagration restrictions, his antics actually did lead to an arrest in 2004 and a near-deportation. While he has no chance at the White House, he could possible help the two front-runners, John McCain (Republican) or Barack Obama (Democrat) with securing immigrant and minority voters.

C.S.