Henry Hewes
Candidate for the Office of President of the United States
Party: Democrat
Website: www.HenryHewes.com
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Image used with permission of Henry Hewes |
Henry Hewes is not your ordinary presidential candidate. How to define Hewes as a candidate is much like trying to call the winner of the 2008 presidential election in advance, no one truly knows. He refuses to be confined by defining himself as a Democrat of Republican, and his smorgasbord of liberal and conservative lines on major issues makes Hewes unlike any other candidate.
From Consulting Firm to Presidential Candidate
Hewes, a 58 year old New York native, is an unabashed fundamentalist evangelical Christian. He resides in New York City with his wife Dolores and their three sons, Henry, William and John.
Hewes said he formally announced he was running in the 2008 presidential elections on October 5th. For Hewes’ son, William, the announcement was not a shock.
“It was quite a casual announcement. He just called me up on the phone…the news that he was running for president was nothing out of the blue, but it was still surprising,” William Hewes says.
Hewes attended Boston University but ultimately received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York and later attained his master’s degree in urban planning from Hunter College in New York City. After completing his master’s degree Hewes created a partnership with Jeffery Stern and developed Stern & Hewes, an advising firm for economic development.
During his time at Boston University Hewes displayed his first interest in politics when he was chairman of "Students for Rockefeller in Massachusetts". Hewes continued to display an interest in politics when he actively protested the draft during the 1960’s and 1970’s.
In 1989 Hewes ran against Giuliani for Mayor of New York, an event that Hewes says added to his experience and was widely covered by the press.
In 2004 Hewes registered as a Democrat after being a longtime member of the Republican Party. From a political standpoint changing party affiliation with an election on the horizon is a risky move. Contrary to this opinion Hewes said his move to the Democratic Party was a natural choice in context of his other political stances. Hewes said the change of party was congruent with his other political beliefs such as increasing the minimum wage to ten dollars an hour, withdrawing troops in Iraq, and ending capitol punishment, all of which he said are very liberal views in his opinion.
“People are pigeonholed in this country if you are pro-life then you are a conservative,” Hewes says.
Before becoming a Democrat Hewes most notably worked for Pat Robertson and George Bush Sr.’s presidential campaigns. Despite his conservative past Hewes is adamant he should not be judged as either a conservative or liberal.
“I’ve worked for local candidates in both the Democratic and the Republican parties,” Hewes says.
The fact that Henry Hewes’ ideas do not mold to any particular political party’s agenda is a platform that makes him unique in the 2008 presidential election.
“My Dad has never fit into a neat political label, so it did not really surprise me that he was changing parties. He follows his political beliefs over party lines,” William Hewes says.
The activism that Hewes displayed some thirty years ago is evident today in his strong convictions about the war in Iraq, an issue at the top of Hewes’ priorities that makes him stand out against his competition.
Ending Occupation in Iraq
“The failure of the American mission has been abundantly clear to everyone, and it is time to face the consequences of George Bush’s decision to remove Saddam Hussein…this is a terrible and wide ranging strategic failure,” Hewes stated on his campaign website.
Hewes has opposed the war from the beginning and wants an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
“Force is a temporary solution to a long problem, you need to talk to people,” Hewes states.
Cullen Murr, a political science major at St. Michael’s College in Vermont has been continuously watching the major and minor candidates in the fervor leading up to the elections. Murr says the war in Iraq will be a major deciding factor for voters in the 2008 presidential election.
“We need a candidate that will not only say they want to withdraw troops but also engineer a withdrawal that can gather popular support and then carry it out,” Murr says.
Hewes says that he is the only candidate aside from Dennis Kucinich that is calling for an immediate withdrawal of all troops as well as coalition forces with no timetable.
“I’m impressed with Kucinich,” Hewes says. “We need to say that we made a mistake.”
Hewes’ plan to stabilize Iraq by creating three separate states within Iraq after the withdrawal is one that may not be widely supported.
“The creation of these states will cause civil war and mass bloodshed,” Hewes says. “But at least it will provide a road to stability and peace in Iraq.”
Faith in the Forefront
Hewes is quick to correct anyone who refers to his views as conservative or liberal. Instead of accrediting his beliefs to a specific party, Hewes said that he is compelled by what he believes is morally righteous, and these beliefs are firmly cemented in his Christian faith.
“I have a wide range of stances on issues that are structured by what my beliefs are,” Hewes says.
Faith unites many of Hewes’ personal and political stances and he said that he is governed by the compassion his faith entails.
“My religious faith calls me to take care of people and to avoid killing people, gassing people, maiming people, executing people, and killing people by abortion. I’ve been consistent; my opinion is informed by my religious beliefs,” Hewes say.
Although Hewes’ convictions are strong he may be met with some resistance from those voters who do not want religious values to be the determining factor when it comes down to making choices for the people of America.
“My father is an honest man; maybe not the best attribute to be a political winner, but definitely one that should be seen in a leader,” William Hewes says.
Hewes’ son may be right that the candidate’s openness and honestly may be his downfall. It was reported in a 2004 Pew Forum on Religion and Politics that those candidates with strong religious beliefs can often deter a voter, even when the politician is well qualified.
Of voters polled in the 2004 election only “22% say they frequently rely on their religious beliefs to help them decide how to vote,” the Pew report states
Although the majority of voters may not rely on religious beliefs to help them vote in the presidential elections, Hewes may appeal to the niche of evangelist voters who do predominantly rely on faith when casting their votes.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Politics also reported that “Nearly half (48%) of white evangelical Protestants and fully 60% of highly committed evangelicals say their religious beliefs frequently affect their electoral choices.”
Aside from his stance on the war in Iraq and his own religious views that dictate his politics Hewes said that there is another element in this election that will determine his success; funding for his campaign.
Minor Candidates, Major Disadvantage?
“The Democratic National Party controls the debates, but no one openly admits to how they control it,” Hewes says.
Hewes feels that he is at a large disadvantage when it comes to winning the 2008 presidential election, an election that he feels he could have a fair shot at if minor candidates were given a better platform for their issues.
“I could win 2% of the vote in New Hampshire if I was treated the same as other candidates,” Hewes says. “If I was participating in the debates and being interviewed by the New York Times like the other candidates I would have more time to talk.”
The problem that all minor candidates face in the 2008 election is clear, not enough money, too little time to campaign and not enough public support. Although Hewes is at a major disadvantage it does not mean that Hewes’ run for president will be overlooked.
“The minor candidates in the 2008 presidential election are more dedicated to pushing issues than making a real run for office,” Murr says.
If this is true Hewes may catch the attention of many conservative voting liberals who want out of the war in Iraq. Hewes has cemented a platform in which he can appeal to moderate Republicans and Democrats on both side.
In regards to funding his campaign Hewes finds that it is important to point out the advantage that the major candidates have over those minor.
“I am unlike all the other candidates running my political campaign, I’m not paid by the government,” Hewes says.
Although Hewes does not get the same funding as major presidential candidates, Murr says that the fundamental reason that many minor candidates run for president effects their chances of winning.
“The minor candidates running in the 2008 presidential election aren't trying to win any swing voters, they are mainly running to just get an issue out on the table and to be heard,” Murr says.
The speculation as to who will win the 2008 presidential election will continue up until the final count of votes. Regardless of the outcome of Hewes’ campaign there is one person that will not be voting for him in the 2008 election.
“I support my Dad as his son, but I don’t support him politically because there are a few areas where we disagree,” William Hewes says.
If William Hewes takes his father’s offer to travel to Iowa in the next month to campaign he says he will be volunteering for Barack Obama.