Candidate survey: Keith Smith

Political party: Libertarian
Residence: Rutherford County
Occupation: Sales
Political experience: “Just tired of the same old two-party system.”
Endorsements: QUESTION NOT ANSWERED

1) How much money have you raised for your campaign? Who are your top three donors, and how much has each contributed?

Total: “Not enough.”

2) Speaking politically, what most distinguishes you from your opponents in this election?

“I am not tied into following a party line and can do what is best for the district. I feel I can think the most creatively of any of them.”

3) What do you consider to be your most controversial policy position, and why?

“End the mandatory seat-belt laws. Quit telling people how to live. I dare to allow people to choose how to live their own lives.”

4) What is your position on the recent $700 billion public bailout of the financial industry?

“Against it. It is a disgrace to make the average taxpayer pay for crooked banks.”

5) What specific measures do you advocate in regard to illegal immigration?

“Make hard-to-forge ID cards for guest workers. If there are no jobs, the illegal immigrants will quit coming. Allow employers a way to verify if somebody is legal or not.”

6) What are the specifics of your position on abortion?

“It’s up to the person to choose what is right for them.”

7) Which of your opponents’ policies do you agree with the most, and why?

“Mumpower is mad at how Republicans talk a good game about being financially conservative but get to Washington and spend like Democrats. He has a point.”

8) What are your specific recommendations for how the U.S. should or shouldn’t proceed in Afghanistan and Iraq?

“We’ve got to tell the Iraqis to stand up. We’ve been doing the dirty work for them for far too long. I think Special Ops and assisting the people of Afghanistan similar to the way the movie Charlie Wilson’s War showed is the way to go there.”

9) With the economy in turmoil, what are your specific prescriptions for getting it back on track?

“Obama is totally wrong. Trickle-down has worked fine through Republican and Democratic administrations. It’s the out-of-control banks that have messed it up, not the free market. Keep a tighter control on regulations that were ignored. That is what went wrong.”

10) What would be your top three legislative priorities?

“1) Drill for oil. 2) Reform health care. 3. Bring in new jobs and industries to western N.C.”

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.