Miami Herald reports on Richard Grayson's Candidacy for Vice President

The Miami Herald today (Sunday, January 6, 1980) reports on Richard Grayson's candidacy for Vice President in an article in the Political Scene column by Michael Silver and Pat Fisher titled, "Him, Vice President? Is This Some Kind of Joke?" on page 14BR":

The campaign is in full swing now. It's easy to tell because Richard Grayson has at last become adept at throwing out this timeworn phrase whenever he can't answer a question that needs an answer: "I'll have no comment on that." Six words dear to the heart of every politician ever caught in a bind, whether it be intellectual, moral or criminal. That's where the similarity between Grayson - writer of satire, teacher of English at Brooklyn College in New York City and your everyday politician ends. 

GRAYSON, IN case you haven't heard, is a candidate for vice president.Of the United States. He's not running for president because being the country's top leader takes too much out of a person. "Look how Carter's aged," he said. Grayson was in Broward last week campaigning. He'll be here this week too. And maybe the week after. But don't hold your breath waiting for his pitch. He's hardly on a whirlwind popularity-seeking mission. 

AFTER A week in Broward he'd made only one public foray. He went from his parent's home in Davie to the Broward Mall, where people laughed at him, he said.

This is a man who'd be too young to be vice president even if, by some twist of fate, he were elected. Grayson is 28, seven years too young to live in the house that the Navy built. Grayson has these plans, should he somehow land in the lap of power in Washington D.C.: Fred Silverman, president of NBC television, would be president political scene michael silver pat fisher of the United States. Silverman may not comply. "He seems unwilling to take a salary cut to become President," said Grayson.

Gloria Vanderbilt, whose signature adorns the blue-jeaned derrieres of women everywhere, would be Secretary of the Treasury. "The dollar bill may go In if her signature was on it." Little funnyman Gary Coleman would be United Nations ambassador because "he says cute things." Honorary titles would abound: Things like Baron of Broward, Duke of Davie, Marquee of Miami Beach .... • Governors of states would compete for gasoline allocations on a TV show called "Bowling for Gallons," hosted by James Schlesinger, former U.S. energy czar. An evening with Tom Snyder would replace the death penalty as the most severe punishment meted out to the county's Godless criminals.

THE HUMOROUS platform is nothing new. Every big election year joke candidates air their unbalanced philosophies and expend energy on haphazard missions to win highest re offices of the land. Maybe they're frustrated or angry or just crazy. For his part, Grayson is sick of the system. The system, he says, stinks.

The campaigns are too long, "Politics is now show business, completely,' and politicians care more about "popularity polls than programs." 

"WE DON'T elect the best person, we elect the best candidate," he griped. Something ought to be changed, but Grayson doesn't know what. So he's poking a little fun. Would he like politics if he won? "I'll have no comment on that," he said.

A Writer’s Diary From Early December, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary From Early December, 2001 | Richard Grayson

Arizona Republic publishes letter by Richard Grayson, "No Labels or Arizona Independent Party − it’s all branding"

Today, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the Arizona Republic published a letter by Richard Grayson, "No Labels or Arizona Independent Party − it’s all branding":

Senate Bill 1609 would require the Arizona Independent Party to revert to its previous name, the No Labels Party — the name under which thousands of Arizonans signed a 2023 petition to establish it. That is the practical effect of this bill.The measure does not remove the party from the ballot. It does not raise signature requirements. It does not prevent anyone from registering with the party or running under its banner. Candidates affiliated with it will still face far lower signature thresholds than candidates who run as true independents and bypass party primaries altogether. An unopposed write-in candidate can still win a party nomination with only a plurality of votes.

As a candidate who ran under the No Labels banner, I can attest that the party's ballot access advantages existed before the name change and will remain after it.

Renaming the party “Independent” did not create independence, and restoring the original name will not diminish it. What changes here is branding — not democracy.

Richard Grayson, Apache Junction

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Late November, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Late November, 2001 | Richard Grayson

Arizona Daily Star publishes letter by Richard Grayson on Arizona Independent/No Labels Party

Today, Friday, February 20, 2026, the Arizona Daily Star published a letter by Richard Grayson titled "Independent" on page A13.

A Writer’s Diary From Mid-November, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary From Mid-November, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary From Early November, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary From Early November, 2001 | Richard Grayson

Article in Independent Political Report on Arizona Independent Party Gubernatorial Primary Mentions Richard Grayson

Today, Friday, February 6, 2026, an article by Jordan Willow Evans, "Arizona Independent Party Chair Endorses Candidate in Contested Gubernatorial Primary," mentions Richard Grayson:

The decision to back Lytle has also drawn criticism from Richard Grayson, a longtime independent candidate who was involved with the organization when it operated as the state’s No Labels affiliate and who appeared on the 2025 special election ballot for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District under its then-No Labels line. Grayson has argued that the party should provide equal access and coverage to all candidates, regardless of their qualifications.

In a January 26 opinion for Independent Newsmedia, Grayson, who has since been identified by local media as running for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District this year as a member of the Green Party, argued that the Arizona Independent Party was originally formed to offer voters an alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties, referencing Johnson’s own remarks that equal ballot access is a core part of the party’s mission. He defended Hourihan, writing that she has actively campaigned across Arizona for months and has received notable grassroots support and community media coverage prior to Lytle’s entrance.

“The issue here is not the merits of either candidate,” Grayson wrote. “It is about process and fairness. Independent voters are drawn to the AIP because they expect a bottom-up party, not one shaped by insider preferences or uneven visibility.”

Grayson contended that Lytle’s entrance into the race and subsequent media coverage has steered public opinion and led readers to have an incomplete understanding of the primary. He noted that other political parties in Arizona are holding competitive primaries and said the AIP should meet that same democratic standard, cautioning that “voters, not party leaders or headlines, should decide.”

A Writer’s Diary From Late October, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary From Late October, 2001 | Richard Grayson

Anchorage Daily News publishes Richard Grayson's opinion column, "Alaska Would Thrive Under Communism"

Today, Saturday, January 31, 2026, the Anchorage Daily News published an opinion column by Green Party candidate for U.S. Senator, Richard Grayson, "Alaska Would Thrive Under Communism."

As a Green Party candidate who has qualified to run for U.S. Senator in Alaska's August 2026 primary, I am not reluctant to say that I am a communist.

I say this not out of nostalgia or ideological purity, and certainly not to excuse the failures or crimes committed in communism’s name, but because I believe that – given Alaska’s specific conditions – collective ownership and democratic control of resources offer a more workable future than the one we currently have.

Alaska is a paradox. It is vast, resource-rich, and sparsely populated, yet it struggles with inequality, housing shortages, food insecurity, and some of the highest rates of suicide, addiction, and domestic violence in the country.

The state generates enormous wealth – from oil, gas, fisheries, timber, and military investment – yet many Alaskans find it difficult to meet basic needs while much of that wealth flows out of state to distant shareholders.

This is not primarily a failure of geography or culture. It is largely a question of ownership and control.

Under the current economic system, Alaska often functions like an internal resource colony. Natural wealth is extracted for private gain, communities are subjected to boom-and-bust cycles driven by global markets, and long-term social costs are borne locally. Profits leave; consequences remain.

Communism, at its core, begins with a modest proposition: that the people who live on the land should have a collective stake in, and democratic control over, the wealth produced from it.

Alaska already practices a limited version of this idea. The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend is one of the most unusual policies in the United States. Oil revenues are pooled and distributed equally to residents as recognition of shared ownership.

The PFD has reduced poverty, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities, and has produced measurable benefits in health and education. When it is reduced, those effects are felt quickly.

A more expansive version of this approach would move beyond an annual check. Revenue from Alaska’s natural wealth could be used to guarantee access to housing, healthcare, education, transportation, and energy infrastructure – treating these not primarily as commodities, but as basic social goods.

Housing illustrates the challenge. In much of Alaska, the private market struggles to deliver affordable, durable homes. Construction costs are high, speculation distorts prices, and overcrowding is common. A publicly planned approach could prioritize long-term need and climate-appropriate design over short-term return.

Food security presents a similar problem. Alaska imports most of what it eats, leaving residents vulnerable to high prices and supply disruptions. Collective investment in regional agriculture, fisheries processing, and local distribution would reduce dependence on fragile supply chains.

Critics argue that collective systems suppress initiative. Yet insecurity suppresses initiative as well. When people are not consumed by the cost of housing, health care, or education, they are better positioned to work, innovate, and contribute.

Finally, environmental stewardship matters. Alaska is warming faster than almost anywhere else on Earth. A system driven by short-term profit struggles to plan on generational timescales. Democratic control allows communities to weigh ecological costs against social needs more deliberately.

At bottom, this is about dignity and self-determination. Alaska does not lack wealth. The question is whether that wealth is organized primarily for private accumulation or for broad public benefit.

Scottsdale Independent publishes column by Richard Grayson, "Arizona Independent Party candidates deserve equal access, coverage"

Today, Friday, December 12, 2025, the Scottsdale Independent published a column by Richard Grayson, "Arizona Independent Party candidates deserve equal access, coverage":

A Writer’s Diary From Mid-October, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary From Mid-October, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary From Early October, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Late September, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Late September, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Mid-September, 2001 | Richard Grayson

A Writer’s Diary Entries From Mid-September, 2001 | Richard Grayson