Posted on 08/18/2008 7:51:08 AM PDT by mnehring
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, short of the 4,000 valid signatures required.
The Libertarian Party is expected to go to court to force the state to accept the late signatures.
It is more important that he doesn’t make the ballot in some battleground states, although Barr may take a few votes from Obama too.
“The Libertarian Party is expected to go to court to force the state to accept the late signatures.”
Of course they will. Their inability to follow the rules is everybody else’s fault.
Even if they accept late signatures, he was unable to even get the 4,000 required.
I would be sympathetic if the bar were set unreasonably high, or if the deadline were unreasonably early. However, .003% of the population is NOT unreasonable, and August 8 is not too early.
If they can’t deal with Maine, how are they going to do places like Illinois, PA and NY, where they know how to make ballot access difficult.
I am a fourth-generation native of Maine.
We need to drain the swamp in Washington, and that means both parties; however, Bob Barr is a poor choice for the bedrock of a new conservative movement.
It is a pretty bad year when all the third party choices are kookier than our main choices. I still think change from within is the better solution.
I’m still writing Duncan Hunter in.
...(yawn)...
No rejoicing, this is just a fact of life. There was no 'shut out'.. Barr failed to get enough supporters in the time required- a very small number. He had from until he announced until early this month to get only 4,000 signatures, he could not do it. That is Barr's own fault. This is no 'two party monopoly' shutting Barr out, this is Barr's own failure.
Bob Barr didn't come up with the necessary signatures in the time alloted. Oh, well, see ya next election year, Bob. Why should we feel sorry for a guy who can't get the job done on time?
Libertarian Party is suing to get on the ballot in Oklahoma as well. What a waste for taxpayers of OK.
I had little respect left for Barr when he went to the ACLU but now pulling this stunt of suing to get on the ballot when they couldn’t follow the rules shows his true nature IMHO.
Wouldn’t vote for him for dog catcher.
I don’t feel sorry for Barr. I feel sorry that America has a two party monopoly and it has resulted in the candidates who are running.
That is another State where Barr failed to get enough signatures so they are suing to try to get in. This really is a slap in the face of the Constitution which authorizes the States to set these standards. They want to use the courts to try to override standards put in place, state-by-state, by officials elected by the voters.
“Even if they accept late signatures, he was unable to even get the 4,000 required.”
Rules don’t matter. Sue, sue, sue. It’s unfair that he should have to get 4000 signatures. And then to require that they be submitted on time is just really unfair. And in America we now sue because things are unfair.
I'm trying to recall an election season where a third party choice wasn't kooky, compared with the GOP/DEM party annointees.
And even if a third party candidate isn't a kook, they can't win in a dumbed-down media-driven society that treats elections mostly as popularity contests.
Maine was also one of two states (the other was Utah) where Mr. Perot finished second in the three-way Presidential race, beating President George Bush by 316 votes, though Mr. Bush has a house in Kennebunkport.
Not Quite Campaigning, Perot Crusades in Maine - New York Times
Given the choices in federal government (more, slower vs. more, faster), I've made a conscious decision to reject what the GOP offers. I haven't voted for Snowe or Collins, and won't. If the GOP wants MY vote, it's going to have to earn it, and it falls short.
There is a difference between owning market share and a monopoly.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.