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Art Olivier | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Olivier in 2006 | |
| Mayor ofBellflower, California | |
| In office 1998–1999 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1957-08-24)August 24, 1957 (age 67) Lynwood,California, U.S. |
| Political party | Libertarian |
| Spouse | Joyce (m. 1987 div. 2022) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Cerritos College |
Arthur C. Olivier (born August 24, 1957) is an American politician who was theLibertarian candidate forVice President of the United States in the2000 U.S. presidential election as the running mate of presidential candidateHarry Browne.[1]
Olivier later unsuccessfully ran in the2024 Libertarian Party presidential primaries for the party's presidential nomination.[2][3] Olivier served as acouncilman (1994–1997), mayorpro tempore (1997–1998) and mayor (1998–1999) ofBellflower, California, aLos Angeles suburb with 77,000 residents. During his five years on the Bellflower City Council (1994–1999), Olivierprivatized the city's tree trimming, crossing guards, street sweeping and building department. He eliminated the city's lighting tax assessment and did not alloweminent domain to be exercised while on the council.
A graduate ofCerritos College with a degree in Design Technology, Olivier is arealtor with Cogburn Realty.
During the campaign for vice president, Olivier advocated smaller government, "We have to reduce the size of the federal government back to the size of its constitutional limits."[4] Critical of the U.S. foreign policy ofinterventionism,[5][unreliable source] he said he would like the government to return U.S. troops from abroad[6] and make the Department of Defense get back to defending us, and not be a Department of Offense that bombs little countries."[7] "I don't believe we should be the world's policeman."[8] He believes that U.S. foreign policy should be governed by an avoidance of “entangling alliances."[9] "The conflicts this country has entered into cause others to look badly upon America."[10]
Olivier ran uncontested for governor in the 2006 Libertarian primary. He received 114,329 votes (1.3%) in his loss to incumbentArnold Schwarzenegger in thegeneral election.[1][11] Olivier criticized Governor Schwarzenegger for passing a budget that was “30% larger than the one that got GovernorGray Davis recalled just three years ago.”[12] Olivier's main earned media was talk radio, advertising his opposition to illegal immigration. Olivier favored having the government build a wall on the border and cut off all tax-funded programs to illegal immigrants.[1][13]
On July 4, 2000, Olivier was chosen as the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee for the 2000 Presidential Election. He beatSteve Kubby on the second ballot. He ran withHarry Browne.[14] They got 5th place and 384,431 votes.
In the2006 California gubernatorial election, Olivier ran againstArnold Schwarzenegger andPhil Angelides. He said he appeared on more talk radio shows than all other candidates combined.[15] Olivier finished in 4th place. He got around 1% of the vote.
Olivier ran for president in the2024 Libertarian Party primaries. He earned 5 votes in the primaries.[16]
In the first round of voting in the2024 Libertarian National Convention, Olivier got 4 delegate votes. He was eliminated in the first round. The nomination eventually went toChase Oliver.[17]
Olivier is supportive of the9/11 truth movement.[18] In 2012, he wrote and produced thethriller filmOperation Terror, which depicted a fictionalized version of theSeptember 11 attacks in New York City, 2001. The movie's plot centered on a group of American government insiders that organized and assembled a group of people to attack theWorld Trade Center andthe Pentagon. In writingOperation Terror, Olivier used dialogue taken from transcripts of the investigation by the9/11 Commission and based the film's characters on real-life players in the 9/11 attack.
The film premiered on September 11, 2012, inLos Angeles, and received the Honorable Mention Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality and won the Genre Film: Thriller award at the International Movie Awards. The film's director, Paul Cross, was also nominated for Best Director at theFajr International Film Festival.[19]
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Libertariannominee forVice President of the United States 2000 | Succeeded by |
