Ben Walker

See also: Presidency of Ben Walker

Benjamin Joseph Walker (born June 10, 1932) is an American politician who has served as the 43rd President of the United States since 2001. An independent and former Democrat, Walker previously served the 37th Governor of California from 1995 to 2001 and rose to prominence in California politics as the 39th Mayor of San Francisco from 1988 to 1995 and as the U.S. Representative from California's 5th congressional district from 1983 to 1988.

Early life and education
Benjamin Joseph Walker was born on June 10, 1932, in San Francisco, California, as the son of George Edward Walker (1898-1944) and Martha Edith Walker (née Burns). His ancestry can be traced back to medieval England and Ireland. Walker was the first of his parents' four children, and the family lived in a 2-bedroom duplex in San Francisco. George Walker volunteered to fight in World War II in 1942 and was killed in the line of duty during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, forcing Martha Walker to get a low-wage job as a phone operator and leaving his family impoverished.

Inspired by his father, Walker enlisted in the United States Army after graduating from Mission High School in 1950 and fought on the front lines during the Korean War. He was one of the last American troops to be withdrawn from Korea in 1954 and was honorably discharged at the rank of sergeant two months later.

After returning to the United States, Walker enrolled at Stanford University. His four years of undergraduate education was paid for by the Army as part of his enlistment contract. Walker received a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1958 and returned to Stanford University for graduate school on a scholarship, receiving a Master of Arts in political science in 1960. Pressured by his professors and peers, Walker enrolled in postgraduate school at Stanford University and received a Ph.D. in political science in 1965. Shortly thereafter, Walker moved to Boston to accept a professorship at Harvard Kennedy School. While teaching, Walker attended Harvard Law School and received a J.D. in 1968; he resigned his professorship the same year.

Early political career
Walker became close with Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy during his time at Harvard University, and through this connection, he became the campaign manager for Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968. Following the latter Kennedy's assassination, Walker became Ted Kennedy's legal counsel. Walker worked with Kennedy until 1972, when he was hired as the chief of staff for California senator Alan Cranston. Walker left his role as Cranston's chief of staff in 1976 when he moved back to San Francisco to accept a professorship at Stanford University, which he held until 1996.

In 1982, Walker was asked by San Francisco congressman Phillip Burton, a close friend of his, to run for Congress after Burton's announcement that he would retire. Walker agreed and was elected with 61.8% of the vote and was sworn in as a member of Congress on January 3, 1983. Walker was known on Capitol Hill for being one of the farthest-left members of Congress and built a national profile, albeit a relatively-unpopular one, on this. Despite his unpopular national profile, Congressman Walker was re-elected in 1984 and 1986 with 63.9% and 62.2% of the vote, respectively.

In 1987, Walker, then a three-term congressman from San Francisco, was asked by outgoing mayor Dianne Feinstein, also a close friend of his, to run for Mayor of San Francisco. Walker declined but was soon pressured by local Democrats and media outlets to run, and he announced his candidacy three months before the election. Walker was elected mayor with 69.3% of the vote and was sworn in as mayor on January 8, 1988, five days after resigning his seat in Congress.

Walker was known for being one of the most progressive mayors in the country, comparable to Burlington mayor Bernie Sanders. His mayoralty saw tourism dramatically increase, fueling the city's economy and enabling his administrations to fix the city's crumbling infrastructure, majorly reform San Francisco's public schools, and fund public housing projects, which saw the homelessness rate decrease. Walker's mayoralty also saw the city's crime rates and incarceration numbers decrease through gun control legislation, public anti-crime initiatives, and rehabilitation and work programs in San Francisco jails. Mayor Walker was re-elected with 87.5% of the vote in 1993 and enjoyed a 94% approval rating at its peak in 1994, making him among the most popular mayors in recent U.S. history.

Governor of California
Walker was pressured by state and national Democrats to run for Governor of California in 1994. Walker accepted these calls and announced his candidacy one week after being sworn into his second term as Mayor of San Francisco in 1994. He faced no primary opponents and defeated Republican incumbent governor Pete Wilson with 59.8% of the vote. Walker was sworn in as Governor of California on January 2, 1995, one day after resigning his mayoralty.

Similarly to his time in Congress and as mayor, Walker was seen as one of the most progressive governors in the United States. During his time as governor, Walker legalized same-sex marriage and adoption rights in California as well as marijuana for recreational and medical use. His governorship also saw the dramatic improvement of state-owned infrastructure, a continuous decrease in the statewide homelessness rate due to public housing projects, and the designation of California as the nation's first sanctuary state. Walker also passed massive statewide education reform and designated Junipero Serra Day in California, the latter of which is possibly his most controversial move due to what occurred to Native Americans at the missions Serra founded. Despite this, Governor Walker enjoyed an approval rating that was consistently in the early-60s and peaking at 71% in 1997. Walker was re-elected in 1998 with 60.2% of the vote, defeating California attorney general Dan Lungren.

Walker's governorship allowed him to build a strong and more popular national profile as well as form and solidify a progressive wing in the Democratic Party, who quickly named him as the face of the national progressive movement. Walker's presidential campaign inspired many progressives to run for office and, against all odds, succeed in their races, and many in the Democratic Party considered Walker a shoo-in for the presidency despite significant pushback from traditional and conservative Republicans. Walker resigned the governorship on January 18, 2001, two days before his presidential inauguration.

2000 presidential election
See also: 2000 United States presidential election

Under pressure from the Democratic National Committee to run for president, Walker declared his candidacy in the 2000 presidential election on November 7, 1999, exactly one year before the election. He faced no opposition in the Democratic primaries and chose Florida governor James Cox, a relatively-new figure in Florida politics and a relatively-unknown figure in national politics, as his running mate. Cox's selection surprised many people, especially those within Democratic leadership, but Walker explained his choice as having a personal connection with Cox and not choosing him based on national name recognition. The Walker/Cox ticket defeated the Republican ticket of former Ohio governor Thomas Bing and Iowa governor Gavin Wallow with 55% of the vote and 296 electoral votes; despite Walker's victory, the Bing campaign never conceded the election.

2004 presidential election
See also: 2004 United States presidential election

Walker declared his candidacy in the 2004 presidential election on September 10, 2002, initially running for a second term as a Democrat. He was opposed in the Democratic primaries by Representative Andrew Walker (no relation), and after major losses in the first round of primaries, Walker announced that he was leaving the Democratic Party and continuing his re-election campaign as an independent. On November 13, 2002, the same day Walker left the Democratic Party, Walker announced that Vice President James Cox, who had also left the Democratic Party to become an independent, would be joining his independent ticket.

Walker initially faced Republican congressman Gavin Wallow and Democratic congressman Andrew Walker before the latter Walker withdrew from the race due to low polling numbers. After Andrew Walker withdrew from the race, the independent Walker/Cox ticket was endorsed by the Democratic Party.

The Walker/Cox ticket defeated Wallow and his running mate, Louisiana senator Clay Jones, with 69.2% of the vote and 372 electoral votes. In addition, the Democratic Party maintained its majorities in the House and Senate, the latter without Cox's tie-breaking vote, unlike the 2000 election.

President of the United States
See also: Presidency of Ben Walker

Walker was inaugurated as president at exactly noon EST on January 20, 2001. Following his inaugural address and other inaugural festivities, Walker signed 5 executive orders, establishing two presidential commissions and an executive office for disabled Americans, declassifying marijuana as a controlled substance, and enacting a federal jobs guarantee. Walker also submitted the Modern Voting Act and the Department of Economic Affairs Act to Congress on his first day in office.

Walker surprised many people by filling his Cabinet with conservative Republicans. This move surprised many as it is highly unusual for presidents to nominate people who are members of the opposing party and ideologically opposite from them to serve in their administration, but Walker brushed off this surprise, saying he did this "in the name of national unity". All of Walker's judicial nominations also consisted of conservative Republicans.

On March 18, 2001, South Carolina governor Nicole Haley signed an executive order limiting the rights and freedoms of same-sex couples and the LGBTQ+ community in South Carolina. Walker called for her resignation and ordered Attorney General Robert Kennedy to press charges against Haley's administration soon after the signing; in response, Haley simply apologized for her actions and resigned her office.

A spell of inactivity that lasted throughout the first year of his presidency motivated U.S. Senator Elizabeth MaCord to compel the Cabinet to begin the removal process under the 25th Amendment on July 8, 2002. MaCord's attempts, which resulted in her swearing in Vice President James Cox as acting president, were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the grounds that not all Cabinet members were present or voted during the process, the vice president did not initiate or preside over the vote, and a senator cannot administer the oath of office to a president. The Supreme Court's ruling reinstalled Walker as president, who later had MaCord arrested for sedition and treason and threatened to do the same to anyone else involved in initiating the process. MaCord was later tried and convicted on these charges, prompting her resignation from the Senate on August 9, 2002, and she was sentenced to death following the conviction. MaCord is currently awaiting execution at USP Terre Haute and is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on March 26, 2004, her 44th birthday; Walker said that he does not intend to commute her sentence following her sentencing.

Since the removal efforts, Walker passed what has been deemed the most progressive federal budget in recent memory and announced his Forward America agenda, which he has described as a series of progressive legislation to be introduced before the expiration of his term. As part of this agenda, he has introduced the Raise the Wage Act, the Fairness in Taxation Act, and the Educate America Act; of those three, only the latter two have passed the House and are awaiting passage in the Senate. Walker also signed an executive order canceling all outstanding student loan debt in the United States.

On November 13, 2002, Walker announced that he was leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent and that he would be seeking a second term as an independent. Walker cited corruption in Democratic leadership and an effort from within the party to remove him from office as his reasons for leaving the party. The next day, Vice President Cox announced that he too would leave the Democratic Party and become an independent following Walker's announcement that Cox would be joining his independent ticket in 2004. This marks the first time a president and vice president have changed their political affiliations while in office.

Personal life
Walker was married to Carol Jones, his high school sweetheart and a first cousin of Clay Jones, in 1955 after being discharged from the Army. Their daughter and only child, Anne, was born in San Francisco in 1962. Carol died of breast cancer in 1965; Walker never remarried. Anne currently lives in San Francisco, where she practices law, with her husband and two children.

Walker was a practicing Roman Catholic until he was excommunicated in 1989 for saying women and homosexuals should be allowed into the priesthood. He has since come out as a spiritual agnostic but has said that religion "doesn't play as big a part in [his] life as it once did".

Walker is a self-described carnivore and is fluent in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Mandarin.