Third Party Watch

From CP Field Director, Gary Odom:

“It’s official: 15,732 valid WV signatures for Baldwin/Castle’08 put the Constitution Party over the topand on the ballot in the Mountaineer State for the first time ever!—Hearty Congratulations to Jeff Becker, Denzil Sloan and all the great West Virginians whose hard work and perseverance has paid off!”

CPWV Chairman [...]

Oh well, it was a swell idea.

But Ballot Access News says the Michael Bloomberg-Ron Paul ticket won’t appear on the Virginia ballot in November. (Act surprised.)

Although the Independent Green Party of Virginia did circulate a petition for president with those candidates’ names on it, Virginia law explicitly gives the petitioning group the right to [...]

Yesterday we reported that the Independent Greens of Virginia have succeeded in getting New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg listed as its presidential candidate in that state. Now comes this article from The Huffington Post saying that Texas Rep. Ron Paul is also on the ballot as Bloomberg’s vice presidential candidate.

Says Sam Stein:

If the [...]

The following is a media release from the Krikorian for Congress campaign in Ohio:

KRIKORIAN “IN TOUCH” AND “IN ACTION” ON U.S. BANKING CRISIS

Press Release. August 20, 2008.

Krikorian is out in front to protect Americans from looming banking crisis.

David Krikorian, the Independent “non-party” candidate for U.S. Congress, Ohio’s second district, has already proven to be [...]

The Constitution Party offers this chart listing, state by state, its progress in getting on the ballot. Entitled “Presidential Ballot Access Progress Report,” it lists 26 states where the party is already “On Ballot!”

NOTE: A Third Party Watch reader asks: “What does the Constitution Party know that I don’t? They’re saying Chuck Baldwin [...]

Joseph Farah, editor of WorldNetDaily, is now promoting his most recent book: None of the Above: Why 2008 is the Year of the Ultimate Protest Vote.

“Choosing between two candidates who have, in the final analysis, very little difference between them on the most important issues of the day is no choice at all – and [...]

WorldNetDaily has commissioned a poll by Zogby International:

Unlike any other scientific poll conducted in 2008, this survey asked randomly selected respondents about their level of enthusiasm for presidential candidates and offered the actual alternatives to the major party candidates that will appear on most ballots across the country – as well as the option [...]

Global Pundit offers a three-part audio interview with Constitution Party presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin:

In our three-part interview we discuss the essential differences b/w The GOP, The Libertarian Party, and Constitution Party. We touch on Immigration Issues, Abortion Law, The Defense of Marriage Act, and the Constitution and Bill of Rights – we also touch on [...]

Ballot Access News

On Friday, August 15, the Bob Barr campaign attempted to have the Secretary of State authorize local clerks accept late filings of signatures. Don Cookson of the Secretary of State’s office indicated that there is no provision to authorize such a late filing.

The signatures filed by the August 8 deadline amounted to 3,200, [...]

Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Times Leader reports that Victor Stabile, Cumberland County GOP chairman and a lawyer in Harrisburg, is trying to knock Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr off the state ballot.

Stabile says Barr’s petitions are invalid because a Clarion County woman was listed as the presidential candidate for weeks after the national party picked [...]

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

August 18, 2008
www.votenader.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: (Washington) Chris Driscoll, 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org;
(Alabama) Tom Burwell, 336-251-2196, tburwell@votenader.org

NADER/GONZALEZ CAMPAIGN TO SUBMIT DOUBLE THE REQUIRED SIGNATURES IN ALABAMA, WELL BEFORE BALLOT DEADLINE

Supporters of Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader Tues., Aug. 19, will submit petitions to to the Alabama Secretary [...]

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

August 18, 2008
www.votenader.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: (Washington) Chris Driscoll, 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org; (local) Kymone Freeman, 202-413-6160, kymone@votenader.org

NADER/GONZALEZ CAMPAIGN CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL D.C. BALLOT DRIVE WITH MORE THAN 7,500 SIGNATURES

Supporters of Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader Tuesday, Aug. 19, will hold a news conference and submit petitions to to [...]

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

August 18, 2008
www.votenader.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: (Washington) Chris Driscoll, 202-360-3273, chris@votenader.org; (Albany, N.Y.) Christina Tobin, 312-320-4101, christina@votenader.org or Josh Starcher, 718-909-6343, josh@votenader.org

NADER/GONZALEZ CAMPAIGN TO SUBMIT MORE THAN 27,000 SIGNATURES TO CLINCH NEW YORK BALLOT LINE

Supporters of Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader Tues., Aug. 19, will submit [...]

This is from the campaign website of Alabama write-in candidate Darryl W. Perry:

After being sworn in as the next US Senator from Alabama, I will introduce the following bills.

*“Read the Bills Act”

*”One Subject at a Time Act”

*”Write the Laws Act”

*”Enumerated Powers Act”

*”Honest Money Act”

*”Liberty Amendment”

*Fair/Equal Ballot Access (“Voter Freedom Act”)

*Congressional Term Limits Amendment

*Bill to repeal [...]

Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate, gets the Washington Post’s “Style” section treatment, circulated here by CBS News. Not bad publicity for a third party candidate.

Libby Copeland asks:

Is there any human being on the planet more committed to his seriousness than Bob Barr? The 59-year-old Barr is so into the Founding Fathers that [...]

The following is a letter received from the Krikorian for Congress campaign:

I wanted to let you know that Independent candidate David Krikorian is on the ballot for the US House of Representatives (OH-2). David decided to run as an Independent because he wants to represent the people, not a political party.

This November, he is up [...]

Jaynee Germond is running for Congress in Oregon’s 4th District, and has this interesting distinction on her campaign website:

I belong to the Constitution Party of Oregon. Although, some may consider me Conservative, I am actually a Constitutionalist. This means that even though I have personal beliefs about some issues, the Constitution is specific about how [...]

The Whigs in Virginia blog thinks so. It claims it “came upon an interesting email trail that made the rounds this past weekend between the chairmen of the Constitution Party, America First Party and the Libertarian Party. ”

The main topic of discussion was “the idea of merging their organizations into a common cause”:

But out [...]

The New York Daily News reports that the Independent Greens Party of Virginia has received confirmation from the Virginia Board of Elections that its petition drive to get NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the presidential ballot has been successful.

The Independent Greens are affiliated with the Independence Party of America, a national organization set up by [...]

Having received the endorsement of Dr. Jerome Corsi in his presidential campaign, Chuck Baldwin returns the favor and endorses Corsi as “probably the most controversial man in America these days. His blockbuster new book, The Obama Nation, is currently the New York Times Number One Bestseller, and media talking heads are having a hissy fit. [...]

Richard Winger is on a well-deserved vacation, but Ballot Access News is continuing to update the ballot access stats throughout the day every day.

Check here for the up-to-the-minute information on ballot status for all the major third parties.

Let’s all wish Richard well!

Zogby International reports that more than half of likely voters nationwide – 55% – want Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr to participate in the presidential debates this fall, while nearly half – 46% – also said they think Ralph Nader should be allowed into the debates.

Zogby’s interactive polling showed 69% of Independents, 52% of Democrats, [...]

The American Spectator and Americans for Tax Reform hosted Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr recently at their monthly Newsmaker Breakfast. The on-the-record event gave the assembled media an opportunity to ask Barr about his policy positions and reactions to major current events.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, asked Barr about the [...]

The Charleston Gazette reports that the Libertarian Party has filed suit in West Virginia, contending that the state’s requirement that the Libertarians submit more than 15,000 signatures by Aug. 1 to gain ballot access is unfair.

Noting that the Democratic and Republican candidates for president won’t be formally chosen until their parties’ national conventions, which take [...]

Simone Kallet is a high school student who recently wrote a witty, wry guest column for the St. Petersburg Times. She starts with the “walking contradiction” she saw recently in a parking lot:

I was pulling into the Carrollwood lot, searching for a space. A woman walked out of the store and headed for the [...]