- Barack Obama/Joe Biden - Democratic Party
- Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan - Republican Party A relative newcomer to the political arena, Mitt Romney served as governor of Massachusetts in 2002. Before that, Romney was a successful businessman who held various positions in the private sector including CEO of Bain Capital. In 2002, he was lauded for his successful salvaging of the Winter Games. The party platform for 2012 contains within it economic plans to get the debt under control and to jump start the job market and economy. By making cuts to what they label as 'excessive government intrusion' they look to free up businesses from restrictions allowing the free market to better work.
- Gary Johnson/Jim Gray - Libertarian Party Johnson is a successful businessman before his political days is a fiscally conservative candidate with a focus on the economy. A governor in New Mexico from 1995-2003, he was known as being extremely fiscally conservative. He believes government should be small, making decisions based on cost vs. benefit rather than ideology.
- Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala - Green Party Graduating magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1973 and from Harvard Medical School in 1979, Jill Stein is an environmental-health advocate. Pushing her proposal of the "Green New Deal" she hopes to provide energy based public jobs for the unemployed to help go green as well as fight through the recession.
- Virgil Goode/Jim Clymer - Constitution Party A far right candidate, Virgil Goode is a graduate of UVA School of Law as well as having served as a Representative of Virginia for over ten years. Platform includes auditing the federal government, revoking automatic citizenship for U.S. born illegals and eliminating foreign aid. Socially conservative on gun control and abortion.
- Stewart Alexander/Alex Mendoza - Socialist Party USA As a socialist, Alexander runs a far left approach, harping on the cutting of wasteful spending and of giving the working class a stronger voice in
- Tom Hoefling/J.D. Ellis - America's Party Hoefling is a long-time conservative activist known mainly for his Pro-Life work and defense of Traditional Marriage. Identifies as a "Reagan Conservative" and feels that the two party system has become corrupt. Running mostly on social issues, Hoefling wants to outlaw abortion, limiting gun control, protecting Traditional Marriage and restore limited government.
- Andre Barnett/Kenneth Cross - Reform Party An Army veteran and fitness model, Barnett runs on a right wing model of economy that is libertarian in nature. Wanting to reduce or eliminate federal spending in most areas, he believes special interest groups and global elite run the government. Mostly to the right on social issues.
- Merlin Miller/Virginia Abernethy - American Third Position A graduate of West Point and holds a MFA degree in Cinema/Television from University of South Carolina. Miller wants to restrict unfair imports to encourage more American products are being bought, abolishing the Federal Reserve and welfare and protect Traditional Marriage. Miller also links the influx of non-white culture to a rise in crime.
- Roseanne Barr/Cindy Sheehan - Peace & Freedom Party Roseanne Barr is an actress, comedian and social advocate most known for the long running television show "Roseanne" in which she played the title character. Known for being an outspoken supporter of left wing politics, Barr lost the nomination of the Green Party leading to her current run.
- Ed Noonan - American Independent Party A former chairman of the American Independent Party and Army vet, Noonan is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and conservative politician. Part of the 'birthers' movement, he is extremely skeptical of all big government politicians and parties and is very socially conservative.
- James Harris/Maura DeLuca - Socialist Workers Party A hard left anti-imperialist, Harris is a unionist and a member of the National Committee of the Socialist Workers. His focus lies in anti-imperialistic war, black rights and working-class politics. A militant socialist, Harris is a strong critic of the death penalty and is a supporter of the Cuban Revolution.
- Jerry White/Phyllis Scherrer - Socialist Equality Party White is a long-time Socialist activist who looks to push the country towards a less capitalistic design. Shortening the workweek and mandating a livable income are among his platforms as well as universal health care, Marriage Equality and free admissions to all universities to promote education.
- Peta Lindsay/Yari Osorio - Party for Socialism and Liberation As part of the Marxist-Leninist political party, Lindsay looks to eliminate corporate influence from politics, and establish a socialist government. This would grant independence to US "colonies" such as Puerto Rico and Guam and would end all military occupations and close all military bases. Osorio was born in Columbia, so if elected would not be able to serve.
- Tom Stevens/Alden Link - The Objectivist Party A strong proponent of the Ayn Rand philosophy of Objectivism, Stevens believes in the repeal of the federal income tax, which would be a repeal of the 16th Amendment. He would replace this with a Flat Tax of 10%. A supporter of 2nd Amendment rights, with the exception of convicted violent criminals.
- Jim Carlson - Grassroots Party A party mostly concerned with the legalization of marijuana/hemp, Carlson would continue in that vein. The Grassroots Party shares many of its political ideology with the Green Party, but has a greater emphasis on the unrestricted legalization of marijuana and hemp. Strong critic of most drug laws.
- Jack Fellure/Toby Davis - Prohibition Party As a member of the oldest existing third party, Fellure looks to enact stronger and more vigorous laws over the sale of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gambling and pornography. A far social-right advocate group, they wish to restrict the consuming of alcohol if not abolish it completely.
- T. J. O'Hara - Modern Whig Party
- Richard Duncan - Independent Graduate of Kent State University and former city planner and practices real estate sales. Duncan believes in using urban renewal projects in major cities to put people back to work and keeping a military presence in the Middle East. Duncan is also pro-life and looks to defend the right to religion.
- Shelia Tittle - Independent A former Republican candidate, Tittle is running as an independent in 2012. Running on a more isolationist platform, she looks to reduce the US foreign affairs by 75%. A strong proponent of stronger immigration laws, term limits for politicians, abolishment of the Department of Education and of more traditional values.
- Jeff Boss - Independent Described as a "9/11 Truther", Boss holds the US government and specifically the NSA responsible for the 9/11 attacks in New York, DC and Pennsylvania. He claims to have witnessed the government arrange the attacks. A resident of New Jersey, it is the only state where he is on the ballot.
- Dean Morstad - Independent A strict Constitutionalist, Morstad looks to remove the Federal Government from most areas including education, public welfare, health care and the repeal of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. On the subject of Marriage Equality, he supports amending the DOMA to support the legal binding of marriages performed under state law.
- Jill Reed - Independent Reed is a small business owner from Casper, Wyoming who believes the country has too many career-based politicians. As president, her main focus would be getting out of debt and that the government should only provide for the protection of the country and citizens. All other assets would be auctioned off.
- Jerry Litzel - Independent Litzel, a former hardware and lumber storeowner, considers himself very conservative. He wants to cut pay and eliminate health care coverage for members of Congress, reduce funding of food stamps and eliminate federal matching funds for presidential candidates. He is mostly concerned with what he sees as 'wasteful spending.'
- Randall Terry - Independent Former candidate for the Democratic Party nomination and pro-life activist, Randal Terry believes abortion is a capital crime. A far right political activist, Terry believes in criminalizing abortion and protecting the Traditional Marriage by supporting the Defense of Marriage Act. Terry believes in returning America to a Christian Nation.
- Joe Schriner - Independent This is Schriner's fourth attempt at running for President as an independent. A well-traveled political activist, Schriner is a staunch hard-right social activist against abortion and environmentally green activist as well. He believes in removing the wasteful spending of government by living simpler and closer to Christian values.
Incumbent Vice President Joe Biden had been a senator before his VP run since 1973. A popular senator from Delaware, Biden was known for being quite frank in interviews, which has led to several so-called "gaffes" but also for being able to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans to reach several key bipartisan deals. As VP, he has been heavily involved in overseeing the infrastructure spending that came from the Obama stimulus package and in getting bipartisan support for a few key congressional deals. He was also the first in the Obama administration to openly support Marriage Equality.
Before becoming Mitt Romney's Vice Presidential candidate, Paul Ryan had been a member of the U.S. House since 1998. Known for his focus on federal spending and economy, Ryan has developed budget plans that have been seen as somewhat controversial. In the budget proposal for the House Budget Committee, Ryan calls for the privatizing of Medicare for those currently under 55 years old. Known for his admiration of Ayn Rand's political philosophy, Ryan is seen as a hero for the Tea Party movement. As a more fiscal conservative, he looks to counter some fiscal Republicans fears of a Romney presidency.
Jim Gray is the current mayor of Lexington, Kentucky and running mate of Gary Johnson. He was the second youngest delegate elected to the Democratic National Convention in 1972 at the age of 19. As Vice-mayor and mayor of Lexington, he has been successful and credited in closing much of the deficit of the city.
Cheri Honkala is an anti-poverty advocate and has been a noted advocate for human rights in the US and internationally. She was featured prominently in the 1997 book Myth of the Welfare Queen because of her work with the poor. She supports the federal breaking up of banks and a green initiative to create jobs.
James Clymer is a former party chairman of the Constitution Party as well as having been apart of the Pennsylvania bar since May of 1978. He has run for office several times, all unsuccessfully on a far right social and economic stance. His main support has come from pro-life Republicans.
Alejandro "Alex" Mendoza is a former Marine and owner of a lawn care business. A graduate of University of Texas at Dallas, Mendoza is known for his military career and for being the State Chair for the Socialist Party of Texas.
Very little is known about his running mate J.D. Ellis other than that he is a far-right social conservative from Tennessee who agrees with Hoefling on his stances on abortion and Traditional Marriage. Noted for reading scripture during his VP acceptance speech for the Hoefling campaign.
Though little is known of his running mate, Ken Cross, Reform Party candidates all share similar views on issues such as shortening term limits, opposition to free trade agreements such as NAFTA and abolishing the electoral college as well as maintaining a balanced budget.
Virginia Abernethy is known as an American Professor of psychiatry and anthropology at Vanderbilt. She describes herself as an "ethnic separatist" and is outspoken against immigration. She claims immigration has led to a rise in disease within the US as well as devaluing the workforce. She also believes food aid to developing nations only exacerbates overpopulation.
Cindy Sheehan is an American anti-war activist known for camping outside of George Bush's Texas ranch and protesting the Iraq war after her son was killed in combat. A vocal critic of Barack Obama's foreign policy, she was chosen to run with Barr to push the pacifist plank of the party.
Maura DeLuca is a noted anti-war socialist activist. Her endless petitioning against the perceived inadequacy of the Affordable Healthcare Act and advocate of a massive government funded public works program to put unemployed back to work to build schools and infrastructure.
Phyllis Scherrer has been a schoolteacher in the Pittsburgh area for fifteen years. Scherrer has been a vocal opponent of the Democrats and Barack Obama in general, looking to dispel the view of him being a Socialist. Extremely vocal against the National Defense Authorization Act and highly critical of capitalism in general.
Yari Osorio is a 26-year-old EMT out of New York City. A vocal opponent of the New York "Stop and Frisk" policy in the police department, she was once arrested for her work with the Occupy Movement during a demonstration on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Alden Link is a former Libertarian party candidate and a real estate developer/entrepreneur. His biggest focuses for the country are achieving energy independence and reducing dependence on foreign oil. He will also focus on ending the drug war and ending illegal immigration. Vocal opponent of Islamic fundamentalism.
Toby Davis of Mississippi is the Party Chairman of the Prohibition Party. The party looks to make homosexuality illegal to stop the AIDS epidemic, and getting the US out of the United Nations. Very pro death penalty and gun rights and very anti-pornography, anti-gambling and of course, anti-drug.
