Well, it’s out.
The official 2012 Ask an Atheist Candidate Questionnaire has been mailed out to 51 people seeking office for President, U.S. Congress and statewide office here in Washington state. Whew!
No, we haven’t started endorsing candidate or parties for political office, but we figured it was time that our candidates started being asked some often neglected questions that are important to the atheist/skeptic/rationalist communities.
- Does the candidate accept the scientific consensus on evolutionary theory?
- Does the candidate agree that no link exists between autism and childhood vaccination?
- Does the candidate subscribe to Birther or Truther conspiracy theories?
- Does the candidate support a strong wall of separation between church and state?
- Will the candidate go on record and agree that atheists are just as capable of living happy, fulfilling and meaningful lives as any religious believer?
We’ve asked all these questions and more, and we need your help to ensure that we get answers!
Please take a few minutes call the candidates below and let them know that you want to know where they stand publicly on these issues.
Tips:
1.) Be polite!
2.) Don’t argue with the person who answers the phone.
What to say:
“I would like [candidate name ] to fill out and return the 2012 “Ask an Atheist” Candidate Questionnaire!”
Remember, the more of us that contact the campaign, the more likely we are to get a response! We need to assert that we’re a constituency that they need to respect and respond to!
We sent the questionnaire to the following candidates:
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES *
- Barack Obama – Democratic Party – (206) 395-2116
- Mitt Romney – Republican Party – (857)-288-3500
- Gary Johnson – Libertarian Party – (801) 303-7922
- Jill Stein -Green Party – (202) 319-7191
- Virgil Goode – Constitution Party – (540) 483-9030
- Rocky Anderson – Justice Party – (801) 990-5300
- Roseanne Barr – Peace and Freedom Party – (510) 465-9414
- Tom Hoefling – American Independent Party – (707) 359-4884
- Merlin Miller – American Third Position Party – no number listed
- Peta Lindsay – Party of Socialism and Liberation – (206) 367-3820
- Stewart Alexander – Socialist Party USA – no number listed
- James Harris – Socialist Workers Party – (212) 244-4899
U.S. SENATOR
- Maria Cantwell – Democratic Party – (206) 285-2012
- Michael Baumgartner – Republican Party – (206) 337-2242
GOVERNOR
- Jay Inslee – Democratic Party – (206) 533-0575
- Rob McKenna – Republican Party – (425) 449-8244
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
- Brad Owen – Democratic Party – (360) 490-9086
- Bill Finkbeiner – Republican Party – (206) 229-0412
SECRETARY OF STATE
- Kim Wyman – Republican Party- (360) 742-0678
- Kathleen Drew – Democratic Party – (206) 979-5467
ATTORNEY GENERAL
- Bob Ferguson – Democratic Party – (206) 486-2621
- Reagan Dunn – Republican Party – (206) 232-0339
STATE TREASURER
- Jim McIntire – Democratic Party – no number listed
STATE AUDITOR
- James Watkins – Republican Party – no number listed
- Troy Kelley – Democratic Party – 1-(800) 831-8397
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS
- Peter J. Goldmark – Democratic Party – (206) 913-8619
- Clint Didier – Republican Party – (509) 380-7324
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER
- Mike Kreidler – Democratic Party – no number listed
- John R. Adams – Republican Party – (206) 282-7000
U.S. CONGRESS
District 1
- John Koster – Republican Party – (360) 631-1894
- Suzan DelBene – Democratic Party – (425) 483-1500
District 2
- Rick Larsen – Democratic Party – (425) 259-1866
- Dan Matthews – Republican Party – (425) 530-8070
District 3
- Jaime Herrera Beutler – Republican Party – (360) 597-3065
- Jon T. Haugen – Democratic Party – (360) 907-8340
District 4
- Doc Hastings – Republican Party – (509) 736-1510
- Mary Baechler – Democratic Party – (509) 961-2792
District 5
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers – Republican Party – (509) 624-1199
- Rich Cowan – Democratic Party – (509) 496-9460
District 6
- Derek Kilmer – Democratic Party – (253) 759-3061
- Bill Driscoll – Republican Party – (360) 266-5571
District 7
- Jim McDermott – Democratic Party – (425) 241-8153
- Ron Bemis – Republican Party – (206) 999-4033
District 8
- Dave Reichert – Republican Party – (425) 455-3283
- Karen Porterfield – Democratic Party – (425) 961-0710
District 9
- Adam Smith – Democratic Party – (253) 572-6125
- Jim Postma – Republican Party – (253) 691-2979
District 10
- Denny Heck – Democratic Party – (253) 548-5738
- Dick Muri – Republican Party – (253) 439-9797
And if you’d like to use our questionnaire in your state, feel free to send it under the banner of your own organization and send us any response you get!
*Candidates chosen were — at the time the questionnaire was written – slated to appear on at least one U.S. state ballot and had a mailing address.
