How Not to Elect A President!

I post selections from the perennial MN politician Eugene McCarthy's No Fault Politics that gives his informed perspective on how the Electoral College was not permitted to work in the way originally intended by the writers of the US Constitution. This is what helped to inspire my own ideas about how we could revamp the Electoral College to be the second stage of a two stage election.

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NY: Independents Offer Alternative in Race for Ithaca Mayor

From the Ithaca Independent:

Independent political candidates are the outsiders, akin to being at a party without a name badge. Such un-affiliation with a single group can cause unease in voters seeking assurance from the familiar. But an increasing number of citizens both nationally and locally are turning to independents as an alternative to the idealogical logjam perfected by Democrats and Republicans. In Ithaca, two independent candidates have differing visions of the city’s future . . . .

Philly: Green Party Candidate Hankala Files Nomination Papers for Sheriff

From Philadelphia Weekly:

A few months after kick-starting her campaign, Cheri Honkala has filed nomination papers with the city, hoping to “keep families in their homes” if elected sheriff.

Honkala, the Green Party candidate for the position, says her team of volunteer supporters garnered 4,422 signatures endorsing her nomination, as of today. As an independent candidate, she was required to collect at least 1,845 signatures in order for her name to appear on the ballot.

“I’m absolutely blessed to have hundreds of supporters, who … are willing to go out there each and every day and be in 100-degree weather and collect signatures,” Honkala says. “I think it just shows people are really tired of what’s happening right now, in regards to the housing crisis.”

Honkala, a longtime champion for the homeless, says she plans to create community land trusts to put the control of land back into communities’ hands. By doing this, Honkala adds, communities could protect land from becoming the site of a profit-making business and help neighbors who may be facing economic hardships . . .

NY: Green Party to Hold National Meeting this Weekend

From the Wall Street Journal:

The Green Party will hold its national meeting in upstate New York as it pushes to become a stronger third political party.

The Aug. 5-7 meeting in Alfred will focus on the group's platform that opposes war, increased coal production, and nuclear power.

SC: Constitution Party Candidate to Face Off Against Young Republican

From WSPA in South Carolina:

22 year old Joshua Putnam is taking down signs for one campaign and getting ready for another. If elected, the Republican would be the youngest member of the State House. Putnam says, “I think age doesn't matter. It's about maturity.”

Putnam's opponent, 52 year old Dave Ballard, lives in Pelzer in a century old family home. The Constitution party candidate says he wants to bring a new perspective to politics.

Ballard says, “In northern Anderson County, the Republican party has a monopoly on politics. I want to give people a choice.”

Ballard, an architect, is in favor of what he calls a "fair tax" in South Carolina. He says the state could attract more business by getting rid of the income tax and other taxes and replacing them with a sales tax. He says, ‘What that does it takes the taxes off of businesses because businesses don't pay taxes. As much as possible they try to recoup those tax costs when they sell their products or services.” . . .

VA: Libertarian Candidate for State Senate to Face of Against Careerist Republican Pol

From The Examiner:

Meeting in Waynesboro on July 23, the State Central Committee of the Libertarian Party of Virginia voted to authorize its chairman, Wilbur N. Wood of Berryville, to certify J. Todd Martinsen of Spotsylvania County as a Libertarian candidate in the election for the Virginia State Senate in the Fourth District.

Martinsen, a first-time candidate, will face off against incumbent Senator Ryan McDougle (R-4), who first won the seat in a special election called to fill the unexpired term of Bill Bolling of Hanover County, who had become Lieutenant Governor.  He was re-elected to a full term in 2007 . . .

KY: Former Chairman of Libertarian Party to Run for State Treasurer

From the Courier Journal:

Ken Moellman, a 34-year-old information-technology professional who lives in Pendleton County, says he has collected the signatures of about 7,000 registered voters in a bid to run for state treasurer. Moellman, past chairman of the Libertarian Party of Kentucky, said he is advocating elimination of the state treasurer’s post, which he called “the most useless office in state government.”

OR: Consider the Alternatives

From a letter to the editor of the Democrat Herald:

While they are not represented in Congress, there are about 50 third parties, last I counted, including the "Big Three": the Constitution Party, the Green Party of the United States and the Libertarian Party.

The tea party is a splinter group from the Libertarians, who have a single purpose that I find somewhat short-sighted, yet they benefit from a lot of attention.

I changed to Independent during the Clinton years; long before the Independent Party of Oregon was formed - which does not suit me at all. Instead of voting for "the lesser of two evils," I voted for the candidate that best represented my interests regardless of their chances of winning. I reasoned that at least my vote showed someone wanted an alternative. (I occasionally voted for a Republican, too).

Media companies are invested in the current political structure, and indeed they manipulate the public by what they choose to report or not.

We, the public, must inform ourselves, research the issues beyond the echoing sound bites and biased comments, and apply critical thinking and common sense. It requires listening, reading, and thoughtfulness. We needn't beat each other up to solve mutual problems and we needn't take on controversies drummed up by those who benefit by them.

Judy Hays-Eberts

CA: Green to Run in SF Mayoral Election

From Green Party Watch:

The Bay Area Reporter has a feature piece on Terry Baum, an out lesbian and Green who is challenging the Democratic Party status quo in San Francisco Politics by running for Mayor . . . 

AZ: Greens Organize for Tucson Mayoral Election

From the Tucson Citizen:

Meet and Greet the Green Party Primary Candidates for Mayor
Mary DeCamp and Dave Croteau
at La Indita Restaurant (Mexican/Latin American cuisine)
622 N. Fourth Ave in Tucson (north of E. 5th Street)
Every Monday at 6:30pm

If you’re a registered Green Party voter in the City of Tucson, or an Independent who registered by July 16 to vote in that primary on/before August 30, here’s your weekly chance to meet & talk with either or both Green candidates.

Previous blogs on Dave Croteau (click here) and Mary DeCamp (click here).

This is Croteau’s 3rd bid for Mayor having run before as a write-in candidate in 1999 and as the Green Party candidate in 2007, challenging Republican Mayor Bob Walkup when no Democrat ran.

DeCamp ran for the Ward 3 City Council seat two years ago in 2009 and lost to Democratic incumbent Councilwoman Karin Uhlich.

If you can’t drop by La Indita, then view these 2 Green Mayoral candidates on Friday’s KUAT Channel 6 interview: http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2011/7/22/1830-green-would-be-mayors-tout-first-primary/.

Tom Friedman Comes Out in Support of Americans Elect

From Tom Friedman's column in the NYT:

Thanks to a quiet political start-up that is now ready to show its hand, a viable, centrist, third presidential ticket, elected by an Internet convention, is going to emerge in 2012. I know it sounds gimmicky — an Internet convention — but an impressive group of frustrated Democrats, Republicans and independents, called Americans Elect, is really serious, and they have thought out this process well. In a few days, Americans Elect will formally submit the 1.6 million signatures it has gathered to get on the presidential ballot in California as part of its unfolding national effort to get on the ballots of all 50 states for 2012. The goal of Americans Elect is to take a presidential nominating process now monopolized by the Republican and Democratic parties, which are beholden to their special interests, and blow it wide open . . .

DailyKos (sort of) endorses a non-Democrat

Not quite third party related, but notorious Democrat exclusive community DailyKos is now supporting Independent Bernie Sanders in an campaign against Social Security & Medicare cuts.

UT: Constitution Party Candidates Running for City Council

From the Constitution Party of Utah  via Third Party Politics:

I received this email with the good news that Hans Anderson is running for Orem City Council this November. Hans has been treasurer for Jim Noorlander's Congressional campaigns in the past and his father was H. Verlan Anderson who wrote some of the best books on proper principles of government.

We also have a few running for City Council in Duchesne and I am (David) running for Sandy City Council.

Hello All,

My good friend Hans Andersen (son of H. Verlan Andersen), has decided to run for Orem City Council in the election this November. He is a good, solid, patriotic man who understands limited government, liberty and the constitution . . .

TN: Green and Constitution Party File Joint Lawsuit

From Ballot Access News:

On July 19, the Green Party of Tennessee, and the Constitution Party of Tennessee, jointly filed a new lawsuit in federal court, alleging that the new ballot access law passed this year is just as unconstitutional as the old one. As reported previously, in September 2010 the old law was held unconstitutional. In response, the 2011 session of the legislature deleted the language on the petition saying the signers are members, and moved the petition deadline from March to April. The case is Green Party of Tennessee et al v Hargett, middle district, 3:11-cv-00692. Here is the complaint.

Socialist Candidate for President Opposes Raising Debt Ceiling, Urges Credit Counciling for White House and Congress

From DC Indymedia:

Presidential Candidate Stewart Alexander says “Working people should not fear the August 2nd deadline to raise the debt ceiling; the government will not collapse. It is time for President Obama and the professional politicians to attend credit counseling.” In 2006, then Senator Barack Obama argued and voted against raising the debt ceiling saying, “Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership.”

Today, during a White House press conference on raising the debt ceiling, President Obama suggested the Democrats and Republicans in Washington are the “professional politicians” most capable of managing the nation’s debt. Now that the nation is $14.3 trillion in debt, these professional politicians will once again rescue capitalism and avert an economic crisis by creating more debt.

U.S. Presidential Candidate Stewart Alexander notes, during the past decade, many of these professional politicians have doubled the size of the U.S. government. “The two corporate parties of big capital have also quadrupled the size of government within the past 20 years through increased spending and raising the debt ceiling over and over again, creating more debt for working people.”

More than 71 percent of all Americans are opposed to raising the debt ceiling. Stewart Alexander says working people understand debt better than these professional politicians and President Obama. “This is how it is done by most working people. We calculate how much has been deposited into the checking account. We calculate how much is owed in bills, and we pay our bill keeping our check book balanced.” Alexander says when the checking account is near empty, “these professional politicians want to use the U.S. credit card to go on a spending spree.” . . .

NJ: Socialist Candidate Supports Community Garden Effort

From Red Bank Patch:

It’s official: socialists support fresh fruits and vegetables. Pat Noble, an 18-year-old Red Bank resident and member of the Socialist Party USA running for election onto the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, has endorsed the efforts of volunteers who hope to develop a community garden on a vacant lot along the Navesink River.

Though a community garden, in theory, has found support from the borough’s council, its location remains a point of contention. Gardeners want to see the project developed on the lot just off of Front Street, citing its centralized and highly visible location as some primary reasons. Though they’ve been reluctant to provide reasons of their own, Red Bank’s council members want to see the garden developed, well, anywhere else . . .

TX: Libertarians Seek Ron Paul's House Seat

From Libertarian Strategy Monthly:

Within hours of Representative Ron Paul’s announcement that he will not seek re-election to Congress to focus on his bid for the Republican nomination for President, three Libertarians announced their intent to seek the Libertarian Party of Texas nomination for the seat. . . .

Libertarian Party of Texas Chair Pat Dixon said “Dr. Paul has served honorably for 12 terms as ‘the Libertarian’ representative in Congress. The Libertarian Party is proud to offer the voters of District 14 a representative in Congress who will continue to uphold the same principles to which Dr. Paul has remained committed, and that are completely absent in the Republican and Democratic parties.”

MD: Two-Party Politics Are a Joke, and the Joke is on the American People

From the Maryland Libertarian Party:

President James Madison said each generation should bear the burden of its own wars, not foist their expense off on future generations. Since Barack Obama became president, he and the Congress have been responsible for one-third of the current national debt. Record spending for entitlements, war, bailouts to banks, businesses and states have paved the way for future unfunded liabilities of up to $100 trillion. . . . Madison warned us of the need for each generation to pay its own way. If he could have envisioned the burden we are heaping on the backs of future generations, he would be appalled by the corrupt and morally decrepit actions of elected leaders at all levels of government. I know I am.

KY: Independents Can Make Decisions that No Party Candidate Could Make, Says Galbraith in Gov Debate

From Cincinnati.com:

Two of the three gubernatorial candidates debated in Covington Thursday afternoon, Republican State Senate President David Williams and independent candidate Gatewood Galbraith . . . 

Galbraith blamed partisan politics for Kentucky’s woes and said as an independent, he will work with both sides of the aisle. “I foresee that after my stint as governor, I’m going to be one of the most disliked people in the state because I’m going to have to make decisions that neither party candidate can possibly make, because they’ve got to answer to the party,” Galbraith said. “I don’t answer to anybody except God and an occasional judge or two.” . . .

MS: Independents Seek Gubernatorial Seat

From the Jackson Free Press:

Hoping to attract voters who are undecided in voting for Democrats or Republicans, Independent candidates Will Oatis and Bobby Kearan are looking for a piece of political action. Will Oatis, Independent

Independent candidate Will Oatis, 37, was born in raised in Silver Creek. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Southern Mississippi. He spent 20 years in the U.S. armed forces including three combat tours in Afghanistan over the span of eight years. Oatis has more than 20 military awards, including a Bronze Star, a Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terror Service Medal.  . . . .

Reform candidate Bobby Kearan moved to Mississippi at the age of 10. He grew up in Winston County and attended Louisville High School. He is a “computer guy” who lives in Rankin County and works for a Mississippi-based financial institution. He manages its software security updates.

His campaign motto is “One of the People, for the People” and he approaches his candidacy from the perspective of a working man.

Kearan, 39, supports cuts that would leave a smaller, more efficient government, and state payroll reductions more aligned with the state’s median income.