Independent American Party Out to Defend Constitution, Fulfill Prophecy

FRIEDBAUM: "I saw that the last scheduled debate just happened to be 40 days from when I began my fast. Ever since I read the Bible and saw what Moses did on Mt. Sinai, I wondered, could I do that? Would it bring me any closer to God? So I said what the heck, let's do that."

For the gregarious and devout Friedbaum this is a mixture of principle and pragmatism. Sure, he believes the hunger strike will draw him closer to God, but he also knows it's one of the ways to get the press to pay attention to him and to the Independent American party.

FRIEDBAUM: "We believe that the founding fathers were inspired by God in bringing forth the Constitution, and we seek to return to the original intent of the founding fathers in establishing this country."

This is the notion upon which the Independent American party has been built-- a return to what members say is the original intention of the country's founders when they drafted the Constitution-- a de-centralized, limited federal government with strong, independent states.

MAGELBY: "They believe in original intent in the Constitution and they take that quite literally."

David Magleby is a professor of political science at Brigham Young University.

MAGELBY: "So Mr. Friedbaum for instance when he ran against Mr. Cannon talked about having no federal income tax. He would reverse that and go back to the federal government just relying on tarriffs. So it's a very different perspective on government than most contemporary Americans or Utahns would envision."

The Independent American party platform, would, in fact, revoke the 16th amendent and end the direct taxation of personal income. It would repeal all gun laws. It would remove the country from the United Nations, from the World Trade Organization, from GATT and NAFTA. Gubernatorial candidate Jeremy Friedbaum has also found in the U.S. Constitution guidance to running the state. Take the issue of education, for example. Friedbaum doesn't believe the government should be involved.

FRIEDBAUM: "The communist manifesto-- one of its planks was that that the government would control education and offer it free to everybody."

Friedbaum notes that when the U.S. Constitution was drafted, education was a job for parents and communities. He believes American leaders never intended the government to have a role in educating youth. Friedbaum wouldn't completely dismantle the state's education system, but he wants to give parents another option.

FRIEDBAUM: "What I'm proposing is to take two-thirds of the money that we spend on educating our children... you can fill out a form, say, 'I choose to take my child out of the government school system. I'm going to educate them myself. I'm going to keep it in a separate account and I'm going to keep records for every penny I spend so if ever called upon to prove that this money went directly for my child's education I can.' That's it. That's the only government subsidy."

Friedbaum has also proposed turning over all the federal land within Utah's boundaries to state control.

FRIEDBAUM: "Seventy-two percent of Utah is controlled by the federal government and less than 30 percent is under our control. And I want to challenge that in court and I want to bring all the land in Utah except for military bvases and the federal buildings back under control of Utah."

Based on his interpretation of the Constitution, each county would get one Senate seat, there would be no asset forfeiture without due process and no fluoridation in municipal water systems. It's a vision he believes he shares with not only the nation's founding fathers, but with Utah's as well.

FRIEDBAUM: "They had this prophetic vision that Utah would be a refuge that as the world got more and more corrupt that we would follow Constitutional law here and protect our freedoms and people would come from all over the country for our law and our peace and our safety. And that's my goal that this would be a refuge, a moral refuge."

Friedbaum's vision isn't new to Utah politics. In fact, what is today the Independent American party has appeared in a number of different incarnations in Utah. Observers have traced the constitutionalist philosophy back to former Mormon Church leader Ezra Taft Benson and ultra-conservative Cleon Skousen, who wrote about the communist threat during the 50s. BYU professor David Magleby sees elements of the party in Alabama governor George Wallace's 1968 presidential campaign. Wallace campaigned in Utah, where his call for state's rights resonated with the conservative political fringe. Midvale resident Carlton Bowen wasn't born during any of that, but a few years ago he discovered the writings of Benson and Skousen and he found himself out of place in the Republican party.

BOWEN: "I found that the political views that I've always held, which have always been less government and absolutely for the Constitution, that I was just shocked at how in Utah those principles had seemingly been abandoned."

Bowen is a 32-year-old software engineer, and a former chairman of the Utah chapter of the Young Republicans. Bowen even ran for Congress as a Republican. But he believes the party no longer represents his values, that it's no longer connected to the Constitution, that it's not conservative enough for his tastes.

BOWEN: "I just think its important to stand up for what we believe in and stand up for the right thing. And to the extent that I see that not being done I felt like I should challenge the seat and to do it myself."

Bowen is running as an Independent American for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Orrin Hatch. He bases his political philosophy on his moral world view. And he embraces the morals found in his new party's platfrom: opposition to abortion rights, and support for prayer in public places. Bowen believes the Constitution was inspired by God and that Orrin Hatch has gone astray.

BOWEN: "Hatch voted for the federal funding of local police, he voted to ban a certain class of weapons which hadn't been banned before, so he voted for gun control, and I've just seen it continue on since then."

Bowen, Friedbaum and the other 25 candidates for the Independent American party on Utah's ballot aren't far from the positions taken by the right wing of the state's GOP. In fact, Gayle Ruzicka of the Eagle Forum fully supports the Independent American party platform. But she's also a pragmatist, and spends much of her time drawing party members back to the fold.

RUZICKA: "I respect their frustrations, many of them who have felt they haven't been accepted within the Republican party, and so this is their decision. But all they really can accomplish doing it this way is a forum for their message, and there's nothing wrong with that but they're not going to get elected."

Ruzicka is trying to consolidate a base she believes can be a force in Utah politics, but she knows they have to stick together.

RUZICKA: "People have to quite giving up and running to another party. They need to stay in there and join together. And we can make a difference, and we see that happen often."

But BYU political scientist David Magleby doesn't believe mainstream Utah Republicans have anything to worry about from its right wing, or from the Independent American party for that matter.

MAGELBY: "No, I don't think it's a threat to the Republican party any more than the Greens party is a threat to the Democrats. These parties attract idealogical purists who have a particular point of view about an issue or a subset of issues. And they are not going to attract mainstream support in most cases. Utah and the nation are characterized by centrist, pragmatic citizens who care more about getting things done for their families and for their communities than they do which party's doing it."

But none of that can shake the confidence or, better said, the faith of Jeremy Friedbaum. His political beliefs are forged out of his religious convictions. After being defeated in the Republican primary against Congressman Chris Cannon in 1998, Friedbaum discovered a prophecy of Mormon founder Joseph Smith. It was contained in the journal of one of Smith's bodyguards.

FRIEDBAUM: "And you have Joseph Smith talking about the coming of two great parties the Democrat and the Republican parties-- and this was more than a decade before the Republican party was formed-- and the way they would fight and bring disaster upon this country and how out of this would come an Independent American party and, boy, that was the kicker for me. I mean, if I can be involved in this party of destiny, I want to do it."

In 1998 Independent American party candidates got 50-thousand votes in Utah, and Friedbaum believes that number will grow as the right feels increasingly alienated by the national Republican party.

FRIEDBAUM: "You know, there's some people that believe that you have to give the Republican party every chance. If in this election I can prove that the Independent American party is a valid option for these people-- you know, when that happens, the constitutional conservatives will rush out of the Republican party like breaking a fish tank. They'll all just come flowing to us."

Independent American gubernatorial candidate Jeremy Friedbaum. Incidentally, Friedbaum has eight more days on his hunger strike.

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