Constitution Party Discussion: Should Muslims have the same religious rights as other Americans?

Apparently, some elements in the Constitution Party are not very enthusiastic about extending constitutional protections to certain people.  From the Constitution party discussion forum:

There will come a time in this great country when we will have to question and decide: “Should Islam have the same religious freedom that the rest of us enjoy?” I know that Islam and those who want to see America destroyed will say “Yes”. They will quote the constitution and say “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

For some time this troubled me because it appeared that Islam can use our own constitution to take over America. However, I now do not believe Islam should have the same religious rights . . .

GA: Is Libertarian John Monds Polling 20% Support? Three Cases of Pollster Bias against Third Party Candidates

From Jack Wagner at the Free Independent Sun, via SWGA Politics:

I noticed something quite disturbing when studying recent polling for elections around the country. Rasmussen Reports will include upwards of 6 or 7 candidates in the Democrat and Republican Primaries, sometimes with candidates that only receive 1% of the vote, yet when it comes to the General Election they will only include the two Democrat-Republican candidates despite there being sometime upwards of 3 or 4 other candidates from Third Party Nominations or Independent Nominations. This case is most present and most dangerous in a particular Governor’s election in Georgia, where the African-American Libertarian Candidate John Monds is left out of General Election polls despite having won 33.4% in a statewide election in 2008, and apparently the most likely winner of the 15- 20% of unaccounted votes in Rasmussen Polls.

The Following Images Reveal Irregularities in Rasmussen, and Mainstream, Polling Practices that have an obvious impact on the outcome of Elections and the ability for Third-Party and Independent Candidates to gain support and exposure . . .

The piece goes on to document, in three particular cases, the well known fact that polling organizations show a demonstrable bias against third party and independent candidates. It concludes:

This does Two Major things:

1. This influences elections in favor of Democrat-Republican candidates, in effect, subverting the Democratic Process. This Polling Technique undermines candidates that challenge the Democrat-Republican monopoly on Government, and reinforces the false dogma that only Democrat and Republican candidates can win. In conjunction with unbalanced ballot-registration laws, closed debates and the lack of Instant Run-Off voting, have effectively brought our “democratic system” in par with that of the U.S.S.R. or Communist China.
2. It makes the poll invalid. This poll is not legit, because it is weighed in favor of specific candidates. It is not a scientific evaluation of public opinion, because it manipulates reaction by supplementing “other” for specific candidates names, and irregularly including and excluding candidates based on level of support; all in favor of the two-establishment parties. Rasmussen Reports are a fraud. They are not scientific polls, but instead are propaganda for special interests. Whether the organization is instructed or influenced into conducting its polls in this fashion, or do so on their own accord, these “Reports” are used to maintain exclusive power over government by two partner-private groups.

What You Can Do

Write and Call Rasmussen Reports and Demand that John Monds, LeAlan Jones and Tom Clements be Named in future Polls.

IL: Call for Equal Coverage for Third Party Candidates

A letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune calls the paper out for its bias against third party and independent candidates:

While I can understand that the Green Party has slight chance of winning in the November elections, the newspaper does the readers a disservice by not shedding equal light on all candidates and not just the Republican and Democratic candidates. Okay, you include the Independent candidate sometimes too. Please be more balanced in the reporting and include equal time for all candidates running in the upcoming election in November.
-- J. Brennan, Chicago

UT: Media Blackout of Constitution Party Convention

From a letter to the editor of Standard:

On May 8 when the Republican and Democratic parties were having their state conventions, the Constitution Party was also holding its state convention in Salt Lake, but there was no mention of the Constitution Party Convention in the news media. When one of the candidates who had filed for office contacted the local Salt Lake paper to put an article in, he was told that they do not cover third parties. When asked how to get an article in he was told to do something news worthy. Well, that meeting was indeed news worthy.


There was not the rhetoric and noise of the other parties' conventions, but the candidates spoke stating their views, their ideas of correcting the problems of our country staying within the bounds of the Constitution. The candidates are knowledgeable, honest, and willing to do their part for their country. You will be hearing about them and from them as the election gets closer. I urge you to listen to them. Some of you say they won't have a chance. They would if they got the same opportunity as the others. The media pretty much blocks them out, but we will be working with and for them and get their views out to you as we can.

It is our opinion that the two dominant parties can't be fixed. They are mostly run by the Establishment and candidates do what they are told for the party. Scott Bradley, Constitution Party candidate for Senate, knows the Constitution and has taught it for years. Kirk Pearson, candidate for the House of Representatives, has long been involved in local politics and was working in another party, but he could see that nothing was changing and those elected to office didn't carry through with their promises. We also have a man from Morgan County who will be running for State Representative, Clyde Buetler from Mountain Green. He is a true conservative and would work hard for the betterment of our state.

We encourage you to listen to these men and spread the word. You will be hearing more from them soon.
Betty and Gordon Olsen
Morgan