The New American: Why are you running for president on the Constitution Party ticket?

Darrell Castle: I’ve been in the Constitution Party since 1992, when it was founded. It’s really the only political party I’ve ever been associated with. I was drafted and nominated as their candidate this time around, after being the party’s vice-presidential candidate back in 2008, with Chuck Baldwin. I am personally very concerned about our Constitution, and our party was founded on the same principles as the U.S. Constitution. In particular, we believe that the original intent of the Founders is still relevant. They understood the Constitution to be a covenant among the several states, and that the powers delegated to the federal government under the Constitution came from the states and the people. Under the Constitution in its original form, the federal government’s powers were strictly limited and defined.

We also believe in the rule of law, and that we ought to have a government of laws and not of men. But all that’s gone out the window now. If you look at what’s been happening with Mrs. Clinton and her total disregard for the law, it’s become very obvious that we have two sets of laws: one for the powerful and well-connected, and another for the little people — the rest of us. We’re now in a situation where we live under the arbitrary rule of a series of elected dictators, who have no regard whatsoever for Constitutional limits on their power. The real reason I’m running for president is to restore and preserve the rule of law.

TNA: What qualifications do you bring to the table as a presidential candidate?

Castle: Well, I was born on a small farm in east Tennessee in 1948. Both my parents were farmers. So I meet the constitutional age and citizenship requirements for president. Besides that, I have degrees in history and political science, as well as a law degree from Memphis State University. I also served in the U.S. Marine Corps. I’m the only veteran in the race, by the way. I’ve been married to the same woman for 38 years, and I’ve had a successful law practice for 37 years. In 1998, my wife and I started a Christian organization for gypsy children in Bucharest, Romania, which has helped hundreds of children find homes and get educations.

Also, I’ve never held public office, so no one owns me.

TNA: What steps would you take as president to solve America’s economic woes?

Castle: I’d institute lower taxes, lower regulations on employment, and reductions in government spending. I’m also calling for an end to the Federal Reserve and a return to currency backed by gold.

TNA: What is your position on the War on Terrorism?

Castle: I don’t like war in general, having experienced it firsthand when I served in the military. There’s nothing glorious about war. It’s hard to fight a war on terrorism if your borders are wide open. We need to secure our borders before we talk about going after the terrorists overseas.

I don’t see why it’s any of our business who runs Syria. If there were no war in Syria, there’d be no Muslim refugees from Syria. Of course, as president I’d have to talk to all 16 directors of the various intelligence agencies to fully understand the threats, and make policy decisions accordingly. But in general, I favor the policy of nonintervention in foreign affairs, just as the Founders did.

TNA: How would you deal with the problem of illegal immigration?

Castle: I believe that immigration in all its forms should be stopped until we can vet immigrants properly and our borders are under control. We can’t be allowing people with terrorist ties, or who are carrying dangerous communicable diseases, to enter our country unchecked. But once we have regained control of our borders and the flow of immigrants, we can admit as many as we choose, in a controlled and lawful manner.

TNA: What do you think of the war on drugs, and of the recent movement in a number of states to legalize some kinds of marijuana use?

Castle: I’m totally opposed to the war on drugs. It’s not doing anything except imprison a lot of people for trivial offenses. I favor some kind of decriminalization, especially where federal laws are concerned. We have a debate going on in Memphis right now as to whether to fine people a small amount for marijuana possession, and that’s how the war on drugs should be determined — at the local level, with local laws. But no one should go to prison for having a joint.

TNA: Why, in your view, has America turned away from constitutional, limited government?

Castle: Who wants to have limits set on what you can do if you can be emperor of the world? Power corrupts. The Founders knew that. It’s human nature to want more and more power, which the Founders understood very well. The people of the United States have permitted their government to exercise almost absolute power, and that’s a mistake. The system the Founders gave us is not self-policing; the people have to do that, through their representatives. And we seem to have pretty much forgotten that.

TNA: Given that the number of Americans who revere and understand the Constitution and the principles of limited government appears to be very small in relation to the majority who do not, how can limited constitutional government ever be restored?

Castle: I’m painfully aware of how difficult a problem this is to solve. The Democrats in particular seek a permanent progressive majority who will be completely dependent on the government and on welfare payments of one kind or another. But I try to educate one person at a time. Last week I was at the Minnesota State Fair and talked to hundreds of people about these issues. I tried to help many of them understand the meaning of “limited” government, which some took to mean “cutting off welfare.” I explained that it is government power that needs to be limited — yet our government keeps getting bigger and bigger, and more and more powerful. Education is the key, if we are to have any hope of changing direction.

TNA: What is your position on so-called same sex marriage?

Castle: Well, I’m a Christian, so I’m opposed to it. I don’t think it exists, because it violates God’s law. But as president, I don’t think it’s any of government’s business. I want to see the government out of the marriage business altogether.

TNA: What do foresee in America’s future over the next twenty years or so?

Castle: I’d like to see a glorious new age of technological growth and prosperity. But right now, there’s a race underway between technology, which offers us longer, better lives and government, which seeks to destroy those things. Technology may win out. On the other hand, the system may break down completely. We could end up with social chaos, or even World War III, especially if Hillary Clinton becomes president. I can’t foresee the future, but I fear for the future, because our country is under the judgment of God for the 60 million unborn babies we have allowed to be killed, and for our many other crimes. So we’ll see how things turn out. It’s all really in God’s hands.

TNA: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

Castle: Education is a big problem. If I were president, the Federal Government would not be using the education system to corrupt our children. I want education to be local.

Every year we spend more money, and every year our kids seem to get dumber. Third World countries are beating us in math and science education, and it just gets worse and worse. We aren’t going to be able to change much if we don’t change how we educate our children.

TNA: Thank you very much for taking the time to talk with us, and good luck with your campaign.

Castle: Thank you.

Image: screenshot from YouTube video of castle2016.com podcast