Third Party Watch

Tomorrow, August 1, is the deadline for petitions to be filed in West Virginia. A news story in the Huntington Herald-Dispatch reports that the Libertarian Party is “shooting for 22,000 signatures, although just more than 15,000 are needed to pass the initiative.”

A Bob Barr spokesperson, Andrew Davis, said there are about 40 or [...]

The following is a media release from the Nader presidential campaign:

July 30, 2008
www.votenader.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Driscoll (Washington) 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org;
David Peyton (Arkansas), 414-915-8883, djpeytonvotenader.org

NADER/GONZALEZ CAMPAIGN SET TO CAPTURE ARKANSAS BALLOT LINE

Supporters of Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader will submit petitions Friday to the Arkansas Division of Elections to place Mr. Nader and running-mate Matt Gonzalez [...]

The following is a media release from the Nader presidential campaign:

Rosa Parks, Hail to Thee!
by Ralph Nader
July 30, 2008

Montgomery, Alabama – The Troy University Rosa Parks Museum is located on the side of the old Empire Theatre where this courageous African-American woman declined to “move to the back of the bus” in 1955.

A visit to [...]

The following is a media release from the Nader presidential campaign:

July 30, 2008
www.votenader.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Driscoll (Washington) 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org; Ashley Sanders, (SLC) 801-916-6307, ashley@votenader.org

RALPH NADER AND ROCKY ANDERSON WILL ‘TALK IMPEACHMENT’ FRIDAY MORNING IN A NEWS CONFERENCE AT THE UTAH STATE CAPITOL

Nader/Gonzalez Campaign Set to Secure Utah Ballot Line

Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader and [...]

The Boston Globe’s “Political Intelligence” blog notes that Barack Obama did not get much of a bump in the polls from his trip to the Middle East and Europe. The first poll conducted entirely after his return—a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey—gave Obama a 51%-44% edge over McCain, about the same as 50%-45% edge a [...]

Dustin Hughes, Managing Editor of the Sand Springs Leader, scolds Oklahoma politicians for their determination to keep political choices limited to the Republican and Democratic parties:

Oklahoma has one of the most restrictive ballot access processes in the nation. In most any other state, you’d be able to pick from about five or more other [...]

Members of the local Green Party have sued San Juan County, Washington, alleging that the use of bar codes puts ballot secrecy at risk and violates state law. The Revised Code of Washington 29A.36.111 states, “No paper ballot or ballot card may be marked in any way that would permit the identification of the person [...]

Steve Newton has provided a valuable service on the Delaware Libertarian blog: He has pulled together state-by-state polling data on how all named candidates (including Barr, Nader, etc.) are doing. Some of his conclusions:

Bob Barr is having a distinct impact, though how long that will hold in a tight race is anybody’s guess. [...]

Leave it to a small-state blog, the Delaware Libertarian, to report with envy on the success of the Texas Libertarian Party in raising money and in getting real candidates (not just paper candidates) on the ballot.

A record 173 Libertarian candidates will appear on Texas ballots this year, and:

The Libertarian Party of Texas (LPT) has reported [...]

The following is a media release from the Nader presidential campaign:

July 29, 2008
www.votenader.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Driscoll (Washington), 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org; Ashley Sanders, (SLC) 801-916-6307, ashley@votenader.org

RALPH NADER AND ROCKY ANDERSON WILL ADDRESS CAMPAIGN RALLY IN SALT LAKE CITY THURSDAY EVENING

Who: Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader with former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson
What: Nader/Gonzalez Campaign Rally
When: [...]

Here is a list of 18 Green Party candidates for federal and state offices in Michigan. This list does not yet include candidates who will be nominated for seats in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties at caucuses on Saturday, August 2.

According to the West Virginia MetroNews, “a total of 15,118 signatures are needed to be included on the ballot” in the state, and the deadline is this coming Friday. Here is its status report on the petition efforts by third party candidates:

As of Monday morning, supporters of Ralph Nader who is running with the [...]

According to the Libertarian Republican, “Research 2000, a liberal-leaning polling firm, has Barack Obama way out ahead of John McCain this morning. Of particular note, Libertarian Presidential candidate Bob Barr is at 3% nationwide, which is consistent with other recent polling data such as Zogby. Barr is also ahead of Nader by 1%. All well [...]

Third State Sunday Review lists speaking engagements by Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader in California.

The following is a media release from the Green Party:

Greens urge quick action on Ohio, Pennsylvania election crimes, seek assurance of 2008 ballot access fairness and election integrity

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org

Pennsylvania: 12 indicted after Statehouse Democrats [...]

The Green Party has a history of supporting progressive environmental policies, says Kenneth Waltzer, a professor at Michigan State University. But because “green issues” are now gaining attention in mainstream politics, he says, green-conscious voters have no reason to vote for a Green Party candidate.

The State News reports that state Green Party spokesperson [...]

The Libertarian Party of Texas is not ready to be king, but it expects to be a kingmaker—or spoiler, depending upon your point of view—in the state’s most competitive races.

The Austin American-Statesman reports that Central Texas is the stronghold of the Libertarian Party in Texas, and in that region, by its count, the Libertarian candidates [...]

The following is a media release from Rodger Jennings, Green Party candidate for Congress from Illinois:

Contact: Phone 618-593-8729
Citizens for Rodger Jennings
Press Release

School District Refuses to Register Students
Green Party supports the restructuring Educational Laws

Alton, IL, July 28, 2008 – Rodger Jennings , US Candidate for US Congress in District 12 was approached today by a concerned [...]

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader has submitted petitions to qualify for the Tennessee ballot.

The Tennessean reports:

The Nader campaign submitted 584 signatures; the candidate needs 275 verified signatures to secure a spot. To make his spot official, election officials will send the petitions to be certified in counties where they were collected.

The Barr campaign has not [...]

Columnist Dick Yarbrough brags tongue-in-cheek in the Athens Banner-Herald:

Are we Georgians privileged or what? Here we sit in the greatest state in the union with its majestic mountains, beautiful beaches, the oldest state-chartered university in the nation located in Athens, the Classic City of the South, sweet Vidalia onions and more barbecue than we can [...]

The Q&O Blog will be part of a blogger conference with Bob Barr tonight, and solicits questions to ask Barr:

I’d be interested in any worthwhile (key word there) questions you might want to have asked of him.

This is a serious inquiry, so I’ll be moderating the comment section on this post and blowing away any [...]

The Libertarian Party of Nebraska held its state convention Saturday in a Bellevue, Nebraska bookstore.

The convention nominated Ward Parker to run for U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska’s 2nd District and Jim Weis to run for the U.S. Senate. The Bellevue Leader reports that “the party also solidified its strategy for both of the [...]

Port Huron City Councilman Mark Byrne is chairman of the Libertarian Party’s effort in St. Clair and Sanilac counties. He says he expects a good year for Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr.

“He’s already polling at 6% nationwide, which is higher than Ron Paul reached,” Byrne says.

Speaking at Lemuria Book Store in Jackson, Mississippi, Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader said:

“There are now 3 polls indicate that the Nader/Gonzalez ticket is drawing more votes from McCain than they are from Obama…it’s a really…very volatile year and we ought to get over this idea as if you are a third party or independent [...]

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader spoke before some 20 supporters in front of the Rosa Parks Library and Museum on Saturday. According to the Montgomery Advertiser, he attempted to draw a parallel between his presidential quests and Parks’ role in the civil rights movement:

“Rosa Parks challenged the system,” he said.