Alex Snitker presents himself as Florida’s first Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate. He is one of Florida’s “912 Candidates” (a group The Florida Independent first covered last week), and he’s taken the Tenth Amendment Center pledge. Both projects have links to the tea party; the 912 Project is strongly promoted by Glenn Beck.
Tenth Amendment Center Pledge — which other state candidates and state Sen. Cary Baker, R-Eustis, chair of the Committee on General Government Appropriations, have taken — has 10 affirmations and 10 promises. Those who take the pledge affirm “political authority is derived from the People,” and promise to always vote “in favor of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this State.”
The TAC defines itself as “a national think tank that works to preserve and protect the principles of strictly limited government through information, education, and activism.” The TAC promotes grassroots projects like the 10th Amendment Nullification Movement, “an effort to push back against unconstitutional federal laws and regulations on a state level.”
When asked about current Nullification efforts, Snitker says, “Nullification of federal laws that infringe on state rights is not a bad thing. It depends on how far they want to take it. I’m not in support of seceding.”
Snitker uses the Nullification Movement’s proposed Health Care Freedom Act — which “effectively prohibit[s] the enactment of any new government-run healthcare programs within the state” — as an example.
“The federal health care reform is mandating people to buy private insurance; that is unconstitutional. The Republicans do the same thing. I am against the PATRIOT Act because it infringes on individual rights. We need to allow the states to do what is constitutionally correct.”
According to Snitker that includes immigration reform. “If the federal government fails, the states should not sit by; having illegal immigrants is a problem,” he says. “I have no issue with S.B. 1070; it enforces the law and is a cry for help from Arizona. Florida should put an Arizona-type immigration law together and enforce it, but this law is a Band-Aid and won’t fix the problem.
“The federal government’s legalization process incentivizes illegal immigration,” he adds, “but this is not a party issue. Obama promised change but nothing has happened.”
Snitker tells The Florida Independent some steps that could contribute to solving the immigration problem: “Secure the borders, you can only get in if you go through the legal process, enforce existing laws against corporations that hire illegals, and streamline the legalization process.”
“The two-party system brought us to where we are. So I can win because people are begging to hear what I have to say.”
At a recent Florida Press Association and Florida Society of News Editors forum with candidates Sink, McCollum, Crist, Rubio, Meek, and Greene the Libertarian candidate grabbed the mic to protest not being included. “It’s unbelievable that you’re not going to let me speak!” he shouted, calling out media reps for not supporting his right to be included.
The forum organizers told Snitker they selected candidates that had polled above 10 percent in “respectable” polls.
“I have a love-hate relationship with the media,” Snitker says. “They look at money as the only factor to measure candidates. … If media cover all the candidates on the ballot the elections would be more balanced.”
“A lot of people are voting for Crist against Rubio. A lot of people vote for Rubio because they don’t like Crist. Meek voters just don’t vote Republican. But nobody seems to be voting for something. I’m running against Meek, Crist, Rubio — three corrupt politicians — and will take tea party, moderate, Democrat, Republican, independent, Libertarian voters.”
When asked about how he’ll get his message out, Snitker says, “I will utilize media that won’t cost money. It will take a massive grassroots effort but we already have 150 to 200 volunteers. I know that isn’t a lot in a state this big but we keep the people that come to us.”
