​North Dakota Libertarian runs for Congress

With all the dissatisfaction we are seeing over whether to vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, and people upset at the two-party system, it’s important to highlight the alternatives to those in our own state.

Businessman Jack Seaman is running for Congress against the incumbent Republican Congressman Kevin Cramer in North Dakota for the second straight time. This time around however, the Libertarian presidential candidate is polling nationally at some of the highest levels ever. Could it mean Seaman has a chance? We will see, but first read on to learn more about his positions in an HPR interview.

High Plains Reader: First off, tell me a little about yourself and why you are running?

Jack Seaman: I own and operate MinDak Gold Exchange here in downtown Fargo, the precious metals dealer. I ran in 2014 and am running again in 2016 because I think that our government needs to change, and the only way to do that is by getting different people to run for office and get elected.

HPR: Talk a little about the differences between you and your opponents, the incumbent Congressman Kevin Cramer and the Democrat challenger Chase Iron Eyes. How would you be different from them if elected?

JS: First and foremost, I would consider myself a fiscal conservative which is something that Kevin and his party have claimed to be for years now but the facts show different. Kevin has voted for budgets that have sent us an additional $2 trillion dollars in debt since taking office. Currently, the federal debt stands just under $20 trillion dollars and it seems that very few in Washington are willing to make the hard choices necessary to try and rein that in. So that’s your biggest difference between me and Kevin Cramer.

Honestly, Chris, I don’t know much about Mr. Iron Eyes. He lacks positions or takes on the issues on his website that I am aware of, and I haven’t had a chance to debate with him yet. So I really don’t know where he stands on the issues. I can just assume that as a Democrat, he’s probably going to want to install more tax-and-spend policies that the Democrat party is known for.

HPR: One of the other things that traditionally is said about Libertarians is that they are socially liberal, would you fall in line with that?

JS: Yeah, I think we are socially tolerant is a better way of putting it. We’re fiscally conservative, socially tolerant, that covers a wide range of people and issues. I think a lot of people are Libertarian, they simply don’t know it yet.

HPR: I’ve heard you talk a lot on your Facebook page about some of the foreign engagements that we’ve been involved in the last few years. What is your take on foreign policy and where we are at currently especially in relation to what Congressman Cramer supports?

JS: This is an issue that does indeed separate me. The Libertarian stance on foreign policy is one of non-interventionism. Now unfortunately a lot of times that gets confused as isolationist. We don’t propose that we are isolationist at all. We simply don’t feel that we need to intervene all over the globe playing global military offense and getting ourselves involved in all kinds of conflicts and civil wars and religious wars and regime overthrows. We believe in a strong national defense. I as North Dakota’s Congressman would want the USA to be the strongest military in the world, no question about it. But you can still be the strongest military in the world and practice national defense rather than global offense which ultimately costs us trillions and trillions of dollars.

HPR: Another thing traditionally you hear about Libertarians is that they want to end the war on drugs. What is your take on that?

JS: Libertarians do not support the war on drugs. We recognize that it’s a complete failed policy that has done nothing to reduce drug use in our country and it’s absolutely crippling our society, filling our prisons with nonviolent drug offenders and it’s costing taxpayers again trillions of dollars. It’s proven over the course of its 50-year history that it’s completely ineffective and I don’t support it.

HPR: I think another thing people say is can you win, especially in relation to the presidential race. A lot of people are unhappy with the two major party-nominated candidates and the traditional thing is to vote the lesser of two evils. What do you say to that?

JS: I say that anyone who votes for the lesser of two evils still gets evil. There’s no vote that’s more thrown away than a vote for the lesser of two evils. The only true well-placed vote is based on heart and conscience not on outcome predictability. I think a person’s vote is a treasure and it’s something that they should not give away lightly. When a person makes a decision to vote for somebody that they don’t think is a good candidate for the job, but they are giving it to them anyway because they are making a prediction on how the race is going to turn out, then that is the definition of throwing your vote away.

HPR: I guess how do you get to that next level where you do have Libertarians winning. Obviously, you’ve run before, you can obviously tell there’s some frustration with the two-party system in the country and there are some advantages that they have. You look at the presidential debates and a Libertarian candidate needing a certain percentage in the polls to get into those. How do you get to the next level where you are actually winning some races, and maybe get some members in Congress and other offices?

JS: I think we just have to continue to do what it is that we do, and that is to speak honestly and openly and get our ideas out there, get them in front of the public and ultimately, the public will decide. You are exactly right, the country is screaming for something more than the offerings of a two party system and they are screaming for it so loudly that they are actually considering electing Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton President of the United States, which is just absolutely crazy to me. Libertarians will have some success if we continue to campaign on the policies of our party and the platform of our party and put together everyday citizen candidates that aren’t career politicians that want to be a representative in our government the way our constitution intended them to be.

HPR: Final question, you mentioned Donald Trump. Your opponent Congressman Cramer endorsed Donald Trump back in March. I assume you are endorsing the Libertarian Presidential candidate, Gary Johnson?

JS: That’s correct. I am endorsing the Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson. I’ve tried to make it publicly known that I disagree with Kevin’s endorsement of Donald Trump, and I think it’s a disservice to the voters of North Dakota.

You can learn more about Jack’s campaign by going to his website http://www.jackfornd.com/