Santa Claus (Photo by Joy Strotz)
It’s not everyday that you get to interview Santa Claus but there I was, the weekend before Halloween calling up the big man himself to ask him about his run for the presidency of the United States. I’d read an article about him in The Guardian a few days before and found the whole thing quite charming and admirable so there I was sending out an e-mail to the former Thomas O’Connor, a monk who is a Missioner Bishop of the Apostles’ Anglican Church, and happily got a reply asking if Saturday was a good day for me. Of course I jumped on the opportunity and he was kind enough to take a few minutes to discuss how he became Santa Claus, his work as a child advocate, why he chose to run for president, and of course, being Santa, Christmas itself. On Halloween, only few days after our interview, Santa formally withdrew from the race and threw his support behind Green Candidate, Jill Stein.
My son wants to know if you are the real Santa Claus or just a proxy. What’s your story?
Santa – Well, I live up in Lake Tahoe which is up in the mountains surrounded by pine trees and a beautiful alpine lake on the Nevada side on Lake Tahoe. About 2025, I was walking down to the post office on a brisk cold day. There were not too many cars on the road so it was a pretty easy walk. As you know I’m a monk and a bishop and I was praying to God. Now, I had grown out my beard the winter before and a lot of people had said that I should do the Santa thing and I said “I don’t know, maybe I will.” If you’ve seen my photograph, the resemblance is pretty good so I did this for non-profit charity organizations. People seemed to like it and children seemed to like it so I was praying to God asking what should I do with this gift and how I can help the greatest number of children with this gift. I stopped praying after a while and began walking to the post office when this car drove by, the windows were open and I heard voice of someone inside -he was in his 20s or so – and he shouted, “I love you Santa!” I thought, that’s probably the quickest answer to prayer I’m probably ever going to get so I called up the county clerk’s office who referred me to the court and I asked them what do I have to do to change my name and they sent me the paperwork. A month or so after I filed, this judge – who was appointed recently by the governor – wasn’t quite sure what he should do so he called governor who knew me from all my volunteer stuff and the governor told him, “Yeah, just go ahead and do it.” So the clerk called me up a couple weeks later and told me to come pick up the paperwork and that’s what I did… and for more than 7 years I’ve been Santa Claus; that’s my legal name.
I’m a child advocate and a peace activist. I do what Santa Claus was based on many, many, many centuries ago in what is now Turkey – St. Nicholas. He was expressing his love for children and the idea that love is the greatest gift one can give. That’s what I do now and what I tell people. I still think of Christmas as the celebration of the birth of Christ and not the crass, commercial, secular spectacle it has become in many places.
Not to get sidetracked on this but while I and many others including Charles Schultz and Dr. Seuss would agree with you that there is a problem with the crass commercial aspect of Christmas, I have to say that when a gift is given to someone – one that actually has meaning and really expresses love and appreciation for that person – I would not consider that crass commercialism but an expression of love.
Santa - I agree with you regarding presents often being expressions of love. I never ask children what they want for Christmas; however, I do ask them what they plan to give someone else. If they reply that they have no money and aren’t good at making things themselves, I remind them that the greatest gift they can give is love, not presents.
To those children whose parents have told them that there is no ‘Santa,’ and express that they “know” that I’m not Santa either, I usually respond that the gifts they might receive during Christmas that are tagged as “From Santa” are from family members and friends who want to let them know that they are loved.
Then, for those who say they never receive what they ask for, I reassure them that they always are loved, even if they don’t receive a tangible gift. I like to say this: The past is history; the future is a mystery; and today is a gift, which is why it’s called the present. So, in a way, they already have their ‘present.’
Often, talking with children, there is an opportunity for ministry. I let them know that God always loves us, even if we don’t realize it or when we may go through troubled times. So, even the subject of presents turns to love. Santa already has given them their gift, whether or not they ‘see’ him at Christmas-time — as have others, known and unknown.
That’s very sweet. OK, so Election Day is coming so explain your run for the presidency for us.
Santa - Running for president is a platform for me to talk about children’s issues. There are 2 million children in the United States who are abused, neglected, abandoned, homeless, or institutionalized; a lot of kids are going through the foster care/adoption system; and there are many other children who need state health insurance. Running for president in 15 states as an independent write-in candidate (that’s a big hurdle to get over to begin with) gives me a platform to talk about these issues with a very small expenditure of money and spending a lot of my time. When I get interviewed by people like you, I can bring that subject up.
I’ve met both [major party candidates] running for president. I worked for a while in the SLOC (Salt Lake Organizing Committee) a long time ago where I met then governor Romney. I also met President Obama when he was a senator during his campaign for 2025 in Carson City. I asked him, “How come you guys aren’t talking about children’s issues?” He just kind of looked squarely at me and replied, “Well, they don’t vote.” So I asked him, “OK, how can I make things better and talk about children’s issues?” and he said “Running for president,” so I did.
(Laughing) President Obama has nobody to thank but himself for my running for office.
Hasn’t anyone brought up these issues? I mean, kids may not vote but parents do.
Santa -In 2025, the only person I recall mentioning children in a big way was Sara Palin. She was in a big convention center at one point and the subject came out about children with special needs and she explained her position on that at length and got a standing ovation. So, I think that voters are sensitive to the issue. I don’t understand why the other candidates don’t discuss it. I’m kind of surprised. Jill Stein of the Green Party mentioned it a couple of times, not during debates but on talk shows and stuff like that. Gary Johnston of the Libertarian Party has brought it up a couple of times but I’ve not really heard Obama or Romney talk about children unless of course they were talking about their own children.
Are there other issues in your campaign?
Santa - My slogan is “Restoring America’s Heart and Soul.” That has to do with how our country behaves as well as how we are perceived by our own population and by other countries. I think we have fallen short as a country and I think we can do much, much better.
I don’t personally think we should be sending drones anywhere to kill anyone and I think other policies that this and previous administrations have espoused don’t serve us well. Part of that has to do with arrogance and ignorance in some cases, and a lack of accountability. I’d like to see all that change.
You know what I’d tell the state department? Stop Lying. Why are we be fostering business’ interests over that of the country? Take Monsanto. If a country does not accept it’s GMO’s the state department tells that country that they won’t have as good a relationship with the US. We should not consider other peoples’ resources our property.
Well, what do you say to people who watched the third debate between Obama and Romney and were aghast at how similar their foreign policy positions really are? What do you say to people who see the choices as bleak?
I think that’s why people have come to my Facebook page. But people should go to http://freeandequal.org/ on November 5th [ed – That’s tonight!!!] at 9pm Eastern Time to see the third party candidates’ debate. Jill Stein of the Green Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian party will be there and people will be happy to know that there are other candidates with something to offer.
So, what is your message to people?
Santa - This country is losing its compassion – that’s what I want to restore! This country now must choose between love and fear. The latter engenders hate but, in my view as a monk, God would have us love God and each other, and everything flows from that love. Most kids can identify with that. That is why I am an activist, child advocate, and a monk because I think we can all do better.
Epilogue: Santa Endorses Stein
A few days later I get a call at my day job. It’s Santa and he tells me he is dropping his run and throwing his support with Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Being swamped, I ask him to please send me an e-mail to elucidate on this decision and here is what he wrote.
“Being Santa’ is a blessing (to me). Recently, it has afforded me the opportunity to reach more than 88,000 folks on Facebook, addressing a variety of children’s issues and letting them know that a candidate wants to help restore America’s heart and soul. And, now, I have the pleasure of letting them know that Jill Stein is yet another candidate who would like to refresh America’s moral compass.“
Below is the official announcement of my endorsement of her candidacy.
I am very pleased to endorse Dr. Jill Stein for President of the United States. I believe she has the courage, strength, compassion, intelligence, firm knowledge and understanding of the myriad challenges facing the United States today, and the ability and intent to implement solutions that she and the Green Party already have identified.
I ask you to vote for Dr. Stein and affirm that we want a country whose government expresses the strongest and healthiest values of love, compassion, generosity, peace, good stewardship of resources, respect for and care of society’s most vulnerable members, and accountability for its actions. Your vote for Dr. Stein will help change the election paradigm and give our children hope today for a better future for all.
Thank you, again, for asking the ‘right’ questions, listening to and distilling my responses, and gathering a sense of what I actually believe and do as Santa.
Blessings, Santa”
For more on Jill Stein:
For more Santa Claus:
Santa Claus For President: http://www.santaclausforpresident.com/
Yes, he has a Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheSantaClaus
Oh and he also wrote a book called “The Santa Diet: A complete diet for physical, emotional, and spiritual health” No, really! http://www.thesantadiet.com/
And for more on his work as a child advocate: http://www.thesanta.im/childadvocacy.html
