Bill, Vandeven tackle big issues from the fringe in 8th District race

Don't tell Larry Bill he doesn't have a chance. And don't suggest to Rick Vandeven that he's a distraction to the dialogue.

Both Southeast Missouri men feel they are bringing something substantive to the 8th District contest, despite the fact that they are not affiliated with either major party and are considered by many to be fringe candidates with long-shot odds -- at best -- on Nov. 2.

Bill, of Jackson, calls himself a nonparty candidate and independent conservative who launched his campaign with a yearlong petition drive that got his name on the ballot. He said he isn't simply out for name recognition or just to bring attention to issues he thinks are important.

"I think I can win," said Bill, a retired Air Force pilot and small-business owner. "Why would I have done all this if I didn't?"

Vandeven, a Libertarian from Chaffee, Mo., has different goals. He would be happy with 100 percent of the Libertarian vote and for people to at least be talking about things he thinks are important -- individual rights, less government intervention and ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Rick Vandeven speaks during the first of four debates for Missouri's 8th Congressional District begins Monday, Oct. 11, 2010 in Shuck Hall at the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University. (Fred Lynch)

"It's all about maximizing individual rights," said Vandeven, a quality assurance technician at Procter & Gamble. "Individuals are the biggest minority in the world. There's only one of me and only one of you. The welfare state has taken away our rights to take care of ourselves."

The two men were largely unknown until their campaigns and gained more recognition during a string of debates with their major-party competitors, Republican U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and Democrat Tommy Sowers. The debates took the four candidates to Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, Rolla and Park Hills.

Even if most don't give the men much of a chance, they took the stage with Emerson and Sowers and had their say. Both Emerson and Sowers said they respect the men and appreciate their opinions on the issues.

"Absolutely they raised the level of the debates," Sowers said, particularly heaping praise on Bill. "Larry had to get 8,000 signatures to get on the ballot. I've met him on the campaign trail in the snow in January, parades in the spring and at summer festivals. He has put a ton of work and passion into this campaign."

Emerson welcomed the exchange of ideas, even though she at one point during the debates said Vandeven's ideas -- he had compared taxation to theft -- were somewhat different.

"It's always good to have as many voices heard as possible," she said. "It's good and healthy and that's what democracy is all about."

Jeremy Walling, an associate professor who teaches political science at Southeast Missouri State University, has watched the campaign from the periphery. While he doesn't think either Vandeven or Bill has a real chance, he believes both brought something to the table.

"It's interesting," Walling said. "They're all about issues and less about party stuff. The goal for both of those guys is to get their face in the front of the people. It's a huge step for them, especially if they're looking to run for some other office in the future."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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