Michael Anthony Peroutka (born 1952) is a Maryland lawyer, the founder of the Institute on the Constitution. He once held a position in the United States Department of Health and Human Services and was the Constitution Party candidate for president in 2004. He is co-host of The American View radio program.
Peroutka was born in Baltimore, Maryland to Elizabeth and Anthony J. Peroutka. His paternal grandparents were the children of immigrants from Bohemia.[1] He is a graduate of Loyola College in Maryland and the University of Baltimore School of Law. He was the Chairman of the Constitution Party of Maryland and a member of the Executive Committee of the Constitution Party National Committee. He is one of four children.
Contents |
In the United States presidential election, 2004, he was the Constitution Party candidate. His campaign theme was "God, Family, Republic" and he emphasized the Bible, the traditional family, and the need for constitutionally limited government. His running mate was independent Baptist minister Chuck Baldwin. He gained support from many paleoconservatives, and was also endorsed by the America First Party and Alaskan Independence Party.[2] Peroutka was also endorsed by the League of the South and supported by a group called "Southerners for Peroutka".[3] Peroutka accepted the endorsement from the League at their 2004 national convention. Radio host Alex Jones stated he would be voting for Peroutka.[4]
He appeared on the White Nationalist [5] radio show, The Political Cesspool to promote his campaign, describing it as a "Christian/Constitutionalist radio program" and "a great blessing to our cause".[6]
Political commentator Pat Buchanan stated on the September 7, 2004 edition of Hardball with Chris Matthews, "There is a chance I would vote for Peroutka."[7] The November 8, 2004 issue of The American Conservative contained endorsements by Taki Theodoracopulos[8] and Howard Phillips[9] (the latter having founded the party Peroutka represented). He was also endorsed by the late Samuel T. Francis.[10] Peroutka received just over one-tenth of one percent of the national popular vote, finishing fifth nationally with just under 150,000 votes. This was a showing similar to previous Constitution Party candidacies of Howard Phillips - however, it was the only third party to increase its share of the vote in 2004.
Peroutka emphasizes the Bible and America's Christian heritage. He opposes abortion without exception. He opposes a Federal Marriage Amendment, believing the federal government should not be granted jurisdiction over marriage. He advocates for free market capitalism. He supports the right to keep and bear arms and strongly opposes the war in Iraq, calling it ungodly, immoral, and unconstitutional.[11] He supports the right to homeschool and believes the federal government should not regulate or fund education.
In 2006, he voted in favor of disaffiliating the Independent American Party of Nevada from the Constitution Party.[12]
In 2006, the Maryland Constitution Party disaffiliated from the national party along with other state parties following a schism at the national party's 2006 convention, in which it failed to disaffiliate the Nevada party despite its chairman and gubernatorial candidate's support for legal abortion in some cases. Peroutka stated "At this point I could not, in good faith, represent the Constitution Party nor endorse any of its candidates. Unless serious changes occur, I could not run for President in 2008." [13]
Peroutka's supporters, however, collected enough signatures to get his name approved as a write-in candidate in Georgia for the 2008 presidential election.[14]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Howard Phillips |
Constitution Party Presidential candidate 2004 (lost) |
Succeeded by Chuck Baldwin |
|
|||||