Alexander Snitker
Encyclopedia
Alexander Snitker was the Libertarian Party
candidate in the 2010 Florida U.S. Senate election
for the seat being vacated by Republican
George LeMieux
. He was the first Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate to appear on the ballot in Florida's history.
to Patricia and Dennis Snitker and lived on the family farm until age 5. He moved to New Port Richey, Florida
when he was 8 years old where he later graduated from Gulf High School
. While in high school he was a member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
. During this time he commanded the school's drill team. While attending high school he also trained and taught Isshin-ryū
karate
in which he achieved a black belt
.
He then served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was deployed in Haiti
and Norway
, and served aboard the USS Tortuga
. He is married to Kelly Snitker, and has a young son. He worked for AXSA Document Solutions until July 2010, when he left his job to campaign full time.
in the Orlando Tea Party Straw Poll in February 2010, where he placed ahead of both Charlie Crist
, the incumbent Republican Governor, and Democrat front runner Kendrick Meek
. Though he has received little mainstream media coverage, he has a larger following on the Internet than most of his major party competitors according to Alexa Internet
. He is endorsed by former U.S. Senate candidate Dennis Bradley, The Tenth Amendment
Center, Liberty Candidates, 912 Candidates, Retake Congress.
He is a proponent of a Constitutionally-limited federal government, individual liberty, and a non-interventionist
foreign policy, and is a proponent of citizen and states rights
. His specific proposals include the repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment
(income tax) in favor of the FairTax
, a national sales tax on end-user goods and services. He also proposes a balanced budget amendment, term limit
s for Congressmen, and eliminating Congressional perks and pensions.
, Democrat, and Charlie Crist
, no party affiliation, both publicly supported Snitker's inclusion in the debates. However, GOP candidate Marco Rubio
declined to comment on the issue.
The organizers of these debates, all major media outlets, cited his lack of support in the polls as the reason for Snitker's exclusion. Since the pollsters would not place his name on the polls, he had no opportunity to meet the criteria to be included in the debates. This apparent Catch-22 has been called the "Snitker Paradox" by some in the media.
1340 AM in Tampa Bay and 1350 AM in Dade City/Zypherhills for a call-in political talk show.. After the election, Snitker partnered with Adrian Wyllie
, the Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Florida, to form the 1787 Radio Network, which has become known for original reporting on state-wide governmental corruption and hard-hitting interviews with high-profile guests, such as U.S. Congressmen and Presidential Candidates. The program is now syndicated, and can be heard in four states.
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
candidate in the 2010 Florida U.S. Senate election
United States Senate election in Florida, 2010
-Polling:-Results:-Background:Upon Senator Martinez's announcement that he would not run for reelection, early speculation surrounded former Governor Jeb Bush. It was thought that if Bush decided to run, other potential Republican candidates would allow Bush to run uncontested...
for the seat being vacated by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
George LeMieux
George LeMieux
George Stephen LeMieux is a former United States Senator from Florida. He was Chairman of the Florida-based law firm of Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, P.A. and served as Chief of Staff to Governor Charlie Crist, was former Deputy Florida Attorney General, and is credited with spearheading Crist's...
. He was the first Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate to appear on the ballot in Florida's history.
Background
Snitker was born Waukon, IowaWaukon, Iowa
Waukon is a city in Makee Township,Allamakee County, Iowa, United States, and the county seat of Allamakee County. The population was 4,131 at the 2000 census. It is home to the annual .-History:...
to Patricia and Dennis Snitker and lived on the family farm until age 5. He moved to New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
when he was 8 years old where he later graduated from Gulf High School
Gulf High School (Florida)
Gulf High School is a four-year public high school in New Port Richey, Florida. It is part of the Pasco County School System in Pasco County, Florida. It is the first high school in western Pasco County and the second school in Pasco County to offer the International Baccalaureate Program, the...
. While in high school he was a member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
. During this time he commanded the school's drill team. While attending high school he also trained and taught Isshin-ryū
Isshin-ryu
is a style of Okinawan karate founded by Tatsuo Shimabuku and named by him on 15 January 1956. Isshin-Ryū karate is largely a synthesis of Shorin-ryū karate, Gojū-ryū karate, and kobudō. The name means, literally, "one heart method"...
karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
in which he achieved a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
.
He then served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was deployed in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and served aboard the USS Tortuga
USS Tortuga
Two Dock Landing Ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Tortuga, after the Dry Tortugas, islands off Florida.* The first was commissioned in 1945, in action during the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and decommissioned in 1970....
. He is married to Kelly Snitker, and has a young son. He worked for AXSA Document Solutions until July 2010, when he left his job to campaign full time.
2010 United States Senate race
Snitker placed second behind Republican Marco RubioMarco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ....
in the Orlando Tea Party Straw Poll in February 2010, where he placed ahead of both Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
, the incumbent Republican Governor, and Democrat front runner Kendrick Meek
Kendrick Meek
Kendrick Brett Meek is an American politician who was the U.S. Representative for from 2003 to 2011. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 Senate election for the seat of Mel Martinez, but he lost in a three way race to Republican Marco Rubio along with Independent Charlie Crist.-Early life,...
. Though he has received little mainstream media coverage, he has a larger following on the Internet than most of his major party competitors according to Alexa Internet
Alexa Internet
Alexa Internet, Inc. is a California-based subsidiary company of Amazon.com that is known for its toolbar and Web site. Once installed, the toolbar collects data on browsing behavior which is transmitted to the Web site where it is stored and analyzed and is the basis for the company's Web traffic...
. He is endorsed by former U.S. Senate candidate Dennis Bradley, The Tenth Amendment
Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, 1791...
Center, Liberty Candidates, 912 Candidates, Retake Congress.
He is a proponent of a Constitutionally-limited federal government, individual liberty, and a non-interventionist
Non-interventionism
Nonintervention or non-interventionism is a foreign policy which holds that political rulers should avoid alliances with other nations, but still retain diplomacy, and avoid all wars not related to direct self-defense...
foreign policy, and is a proponent of citizen and states rights
States' rights
States' rights in U.S. politics refers to political powers reserved for the U.S. state governments rather than the federal government. It is often considered a loaded term because of its use in opposition to federally mandated racial desegregation...
. His specific proposals include the repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment
Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution allows the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on Census results...
(income tax) in favor of the FairTax
FairTax
The FairTax is a tax reform proposal for the federal government of the United States that would replace all federal taxes on personal and corporate income with a single broad national consumption tax on retail sales. The Fair Tax Act would apply a tax once at the point of purchase on all new goods...
, a national sales tax on end-user goods and services. He also proposes a balanced budget amendment, term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s for Congressmen, and eliminating Congressional perks and pensions.
Exclusion from debates
During his 2010 U.S. Senate campaign, Snitker was excluded from all seven of the televised debates between the three major candidates. Rivals Kendrick MeekKendrick Meek
Kendrick Brett Meek is an American politician who was the U.S. Representative for from 2003 to 2011. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 Senate election for the seat of Mel Martinez, but he lost in a three way race to Republican Marco Rubio along with Independent Charlie Crist.-Early life,...
, Democrat, and Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
, no party affiliation, both publicly supported Snitker's inclusion in the debates. However, GOP candidate Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ....
declined to comment on the issue.
The organizers of these debates, all major media outlets, cited his lack of support in the polls as the reason for Snitker's exclusion. Since the pollsters would not place his name on the polls, he had no opportunity to meet the criteria to be included in the debates. This apparent Catch-22 has been called the "Snitker Paradox" by some in the media.
Radio program
In response to his exclusion from the mainstream media, Snitker purchased a two-hour time slot every Friday on radio stations WTANWTAN
WTAN is a radio station broadcasting a mixed talk radio / adult standards format. Licensed to Clearwater, Florida, USA, it serves the Tampa Bay area. The station is currently owned by Radio World Inc...
1340 AM in Tampa Bay and 1350 AM in Dade City/Zypherhills for a call-in political talk show.. After the election, Snitker partnered with Adrian Wyllie
Adrian Wyllie
Adrian Wyllie, born in 1970, is the Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Florida. Wyllie is also a host of a syndicated AM radio program that focuses on libertarian issues...
, the Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Florida, to form the 1787 Radio Network, which has become known for original reporting on state-wide governmental corruption and hard-hitting interviews with high-profile guests, such as U.S. Congressmen and Presidential Candidates. The program is now syndicated, and can be heard in four states.