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A paratransit operator by profession, Gildersleeve, 55, is a devout Christian from San Jose who identifies politically as something called a "Christocrat." His website identifies him as pro-life and anti-gay marriage— but he also claims that he'll ignore those beliefs and vote with California's liberal majority if he finds himself in the US Senate.VICE: You call yourself a Christocrat—what does that mean exactly?
Tim Gildersleeve: I view that as someone who recognizes Jesus Christ as rightful ruler of Planet Earth. I do believe he's gonna return and that one day he will rule, in some form, and bring peace to the planet.If Jesus returns, would he run for president or just, like, assume control?
That's open to debate. I believe we'll enter into a time of real chaos, a time of crisis. When we look at our economic system, consumerism is a doomed-to-fail philosophy. We have a $19 trillion [national] debt, seventy percent consumer spending. This is unsustainable.Plus, with ISIS, which I think we've dealt with wrong, we could see more of the San Bernardino situation happening in our country. It'll be a time of chaos, and then he will return, and what is discussed in Matthew 25, where he separates the sheep from the goats, will happen. There will be a judgment of evil. I'm glad I'm not the one making that decision, because I don't wanna judge people.
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In spite of what I want, I will go with what the voters want. Californians seem to like the current abortion laws. I'm not gonna work to change that. I might have my personal views, but I'm representing Californians. When I disagree with my boss, I still do what he says! I can't force people to be pro-life. I'm not going to try to. I state my view, but I'm there to represent the people.Who will you be voting for in the presidential race?
In June, I'm voting for Bernie Sanders. He's very honest. In November, if it's Clinton and Trump, I will be voting for a third party, of which I don't know yet.Gail Lightfoot, Libertarian Party
Lightfoot, 78, is a charter member of the Libertarian Party, and she has made a career out of running for office on the party's ticket. She and her husband also produce a weekly public-access television show in San Louis Obispo County that features various readings and musings on libertarian ideas, including a line-by-line reading of the US Constitution.VICE: You've spent quite a bit of time seeking public office. What drove you to get involved in politics?
Gail Lightfoot: I got involved in politics with the Barry Goldwater campaign in 1964. I've been active in the Libertarian Party since 1980. I've run for Congress on three occasions, and then I ran for secretary of state. The first time I ran was '96. I was state chair of the Libertarian Party then. In between then, and up until now, I've been running for US Senate. But this year, with the open seat, that's why we have thirty-four candidates. There's a lot of competition.
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There's a huge percentage of Americans who realize that this system is broken. It was [US Republican Senator Joseph] McCarthy who said there's not a dime's difference between the two parties. Nowadays, there's not even a penny's worth. The American people are aware of that. If the voter's weren't completely unhappy with the Democrats and Republicans, they wouldn't be jumping on [the] Trump or Sanders bandwagons.Who will you be voting for in the presidential race?
I vote Libertarian up and down the ballot.Mike Beitiks, No Party Preference
A 32-year-old Bay Area attorney and stay-at-home dad, Beitiks is running a single-issue campaign centered on the dangers of climate change—a problem he approaches with a doomsday-like gravity. As his website states, "ISIS. Immigration reform. The NSA. Gun control… None of them matter because we're all going to die."VICE: Tell us a little about your campaign platform.
Mike Beitiks: The short answer is climate change. The long answer is that I'm running a single-issue campaign as an equal and opposite reaction to federal legislative inaction on climate change. The problem we're facing is not one of a lack of solutions, but a lack of political will. I just want to make sure that political will is adequately reflected in the candidate space.Are we really going to die as soon as you say we will?