Independent Paul Chehade Joins Race for Prez

I received an e-mail today from Paul Chehade, who has registered his candidacy to run for president as an independent. As a registered independent myself, I have to take seriously any candidate from my party — except Ross Perot or Joe Leiberman. So I’m taking a good look at Paul Chehade to see exactly what he brings to the table.

His website is your standard red, white and blue flaggy background with a very serious and sincere — and moist — looking Paul Chehade staring very seriously and sincerely out from the page over the headline, IN GOD WE TRUST. Beneath that is a pyramid made up of words that are elements of his platform. I can almost see Paul working with a bunch of words written on little rectangles of paper, arranging and rearranging them until he got his pyramid just so. The pyramid rests on UNDERSTANDING, SPIRIT, EDUCATION, MERCY, FAIRNESS, and extends to FAITH at the pinnacle.

It’s when you get deeper than the landing page that you begin to notice Chehade’s unique communications style. Here’s how he describes himself:

Paul Chehade was born in Wilmington, Delaware on October 26, 1965. He is a political truth and righteous seeker, successful business entrepreneur, humanitarian rights activist and ideologist, polyglot, musician, writer; was and has sophisticated his character by a plan of virtues, which he believes in and continues to practice in order to develop his uprightness which it is the foundation for his solid moral.

As far as what Chehade does for a living, he’s a little cagey about it, though it sounds like he does good works, I think:

Paul Chehade is the Chairman of the Board of a diversity group of corporations since 1999, which are dedicated totally to serve the ill-timed humans, regardless of a person’s religion, race, ethnicity, or gender, as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people, helping communities worldwide.

He sums up his descriptive page with this boldfaced enigmatic epigram: Ethical junction making choices easy. I actually think I understand what he means, as only an independent can truly grok another independent.

At the core of his platform is this nugget of insight:

The hard reality is that both major parties, that have controlled our country for so many presidencies, continuously fail to bring prosperity and undermine our most sacred rights, the freedom to live with dignity and peace in our hearts.

As he implements that basic part of his platform, however, he begins to sound as if he is leaving the traditional core beliefs of independency and is moving toward a kind of socialist independitude:

As an example of our political platform, we will push for a law that protects our low income senior citizens from paying taxes on their homestead and secure their basic needs are met.

We will protect the rights of our men and women in uniform, especially the ones that fought for our country to protect our rights and freedom. We will guarantee that, at their return, they will have secure jobs and their families will be guaranteed that their basic needs will be covered.

Chehade is, if nothing else, a problem-solver. He looks at the problem of illegal immigration and his solution is to make all illegals citizens, so we can collect taxes from them. Problem with porous borders? Call in the armed forces, and posse comitatus be damned. He doesn’t like the new healthcare law because it will bankrupt the nation and because government shouldn’t force people to buy insurance. Instead, government should provide free insurance to low-income people and affordable insurance to everyone else.

Chehade believes everything we need is here, and “will start to give priority to our American Continent.” We don’t need to look overseas for goods or raw materials. We can rebuild our manufacturing and restore “Made in America.”

He ends his platform with this exhortation: “I only ask all Americans with solid values that love this country like I do to help me restore the faith and principles of our founder fathers and return this nation to be admired again as a great nation.”

On the left-hand side of the website is a list of “issues” that Chehade deals with individually, in alphabetical order. Starting at the top with A for abortion, we get right to the heart of the issue — he’s pro-life. But understanding that abortion is indeed a complicated issue, Chehade provides a complicated response:

If the mother would like to keep her baby, we will provide the support from our country. If she does not want to, then our country will provide the biological father the right to keep the baby while providing to the mother with proper financial and medical assistance until the baby is born. If neither one would like to have the baby, then they can give the unborn to “those who can not” have kids being supported by those like me who believe in life.

If the mother was rapped, “it is not her fault”. And we will provide her with proper psychological assistance from our professionals in the field. She will have “as a mother” the choice to keep or not her baby. If she wants to keep the matter completely confidential, then a Government program in a most private manner will enter into motion and will keep the baby for her, releasing her from any obligation with the baby. Our doctors will treat her medically in any circumstance until the unborn is born. If she does not want confidentiality and does not wish to keep her baby, then the right to her parents to keep the baby is an option followed by those who would like to adopt the baby.

If for medical reasons the life of the mother is in danger, then our doctors will do their best to keep the unborn alive keeping her as a main source of life “if that is what the mother decides!!!”. However, if her love for the unborn is not compasionate enough, then she will have the right to terminate with her son/daughter’s life signing a written statement understanding exactly what she is signing with full freedom. No questions asked. If the mother is not in a condition to mentally decide, then the biological father of the unborn will decide for her. If the baby is dead before being born by all means, she can safely be helped by our licensed professionals in the field.

He believes capital punishment should be abolished: “The death penalty is unjust – if you’re rich you get away and if you’re poor you’re more likely to be convicted and killed.”

On the minimum wage: “The minimum wage is too low but that’s not new to anyone. Unfortunately it’s called minimum for a reason. It’s the least amount they are allowed to pay you. It really should be more.” (Editor’s note: It would still, however, be the minimum wage.)

Strangely, on the topic of “Olderly People,” Chehade has no opinion.

On “Same Sex Issues,” Chehade says: “I believe there is no reason to discriminate against anyone because of their sexualorientation (sic).”

On “War to Drugs,” Chehade again is silent, though on the question of legalization of pot, he says, “I think that legalizing marijuana would increase drug problems and crime. I believe that strong anti-drug laws are needed.”

As you can see, Paul Chehade is a man of many parts. He’s not your father’s independent. He brings a certain panache to the campaign, and I for one, as a registered independent, plan to keep an eye on him. He stands up for the ill-timed humans, if not the olderly, and that says something.