Posted on 12/23/2011 11:18:12 AM PST by Free ThinkerNY
Donald Trump, who recently pulled out of moderating a Newsmax-sponsored GOP debate that only Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum would commit to, has switched his voter registration to "independent," a source confirms.
The move was made yesterday, and will make Trump a registered "blank" — used interchangeably with "registered independent" in New York political parlance — but not right away.
A Board of Elections spokeswoman hasn't responded to a call for comment about when it would take effect, but sources familiar with the city's BoE rules say that Trump missed the cutoff allowing his registration switch to take effect for next year. This means that, while he has filed the paperwork, he can technically still vote in the GOP primary and won't become an independent until after the November 2012 general election.
Trump has not been a lifelong Republican, and in some ways his move mirrors the path that Mike Bloomberg took — Democrat to Republican to independent.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Isn’t it a foregone conclusion that Johnson *will be* the Libertarian Party nominee? The LP wants someone with some name ID so as to get some votes and make future ballot access easier—if they nominated Bob Barr—a mere ex-Congressman with a decidedly non-libertarian record on a whole slew of issues—in 2008, why wouldn’t they nominate a bona fide libertarian and ex-state governor such as Johnson?
I’m not worried about Ron Paul mounting a third-party bid, since it would likely lead to Obama’s reelection, which would result in his boy Rand getting annihalated in the 2016 GOP Senate primary in KY or in any future run for office by Rand or his other sons (at least one other of which has shown interest in running for Congress). Ron Paul is old enough to fart dust, and won’t imperil his children’s political future by mounting a quixotic (and spiteful) third-party run.
and we would have the biggest crony capitalist in history as President....wonderful(s)
I thought all along Johnson would end up being their nominee. He’s more in line with them that the GOP. Word is Johnson will officially quit the GOP race in just a few short days and announce an LP bid. Some poll showed he’d take almost as much of the vote as the Republican nominee (Myth in the poll) in New Mexico, ensuring Obama would win the state. Maybe it’s a bigger deal that I thought. On the other hand some people thought Barr would hurt McCain in Georgia, didn’t happen. Nationally nobody knows who the hell Johnson is.
It took Barr till the 6th ballot when they were the only 2 candidates left to beat someone named Mary Ruwart by 7.7 points only after promising the 3rd place finish his support for the VP slot. There’s always a chance that the few hundred true believers in that convention hall would snub Johnson in favor of some unknown
I don't see the Libertarians getting much more than 1% of the national popular vote, a little more in some western states. Now in what states in particular do you see Johnson polling well enough to throw the state to Obama and how many total electoral votes might that be?
Ah see follow up post 43, I forgot to ping you on that.
There’s the article about the New Mexico poll (democrat but not disreputable firm PPP) that had
Obama 44
(Hypothetical GOP nominee) Myth Romney 27
Johnson 21
I overeact I’m sure. After all Bob Barr is certainly more well known nationwide than Johnson and he got 0.4% nationwide and only .73% in Georgia despite polls showing him getting 2 or 3% in his home state (he was as high as 8% is some earlier polls).
The first and only time the Libertarian got over (and it was just over) 1% of the vote was in 1980 when the guy, Ed Clark (with David Koch as his running mate, yes the Koch brothers Koch) ran as a “low tax liberal” and probably took as many votes from Carter if not more.
Clark got almost 12% in Alaska though for some reason. Alaska was their best state in Presidential elections 1976-88.
So after thinking about it I’m not worried about Johnson, except quite possibly in New Mexico.
Once saw Gary Johnson in person. He seems like a very nice guy, with good domestic policy positions, but too weak on national defense and security. Undoubtedly was a good governor, but not presidential material IMHO.
I was not pleased to learn he was pro-choice and for gay marriage as well.
If the choices are OBAMA ROMNEY TRUMP
TRUMP WINS AND GETS MY VOTE I don’t trust him any further than I can throw him but in the above scenerio he gets my vote.
OBAMA,ROMNEY,TRUMP
Trump/West 2012
Sorry, Logical me, but when you make that comment, you are dissing Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum (although Santorum, to the best of my knowledge, isn't based in Washington now).
An equally logical case could be made, that Bush prevented Perot from being elected, thereby throwing the election to Clinton.
Just saying.
The GOP establishment does not own some banner of legitimacy.
They’re a large part of the problem imo.
On the other hand, his chances of sucking enough votes from the Republican candidate to give 0bama a second term are *not* negligible. So this is what is important, not what Trump's qualifications are, particularly now that he has left the Republican Party.
That says it all about Trump. Aside from money, nothing warms his heart more than glorifying and worshipping himself. As for whether he runs third-party, it'll all depend on whatever offer he gets from Obama.
Trump “ says “ that his organization has done tons of research , and he has concluded that he would hurt Obama more than any R candidate . He also “ says “ he thinks he can win which is THE reason he might run , not to give the election to Obama . The guy has been running around all year bashing Obama and the Chinese . Any Repubs doing likewise ? I think those in control at the RNC told him to FORGET about the eligbility issue because so many at the top are complicit in the coverup . That’s one reason why Trump said sayonara to the Republican Party , or what’s left of it .
I never disliked Donald Trump and felt the attacks on his moderating of a debate were over-the-top and unnecessary. He might have gotten some new audience members.
Alas, his few supporters will never get the chance to vote for him. He was not given due consideration by uninformed voters, and I don’t see a week remaining making any difference.
The GOP has and is already filling that role well enough that it doesn't really need Trump's help.
I guess conservatives will once again wait for the scraps to be thrown to them by the GOP. Given the major coup that the Tea Party and similar minded people had from the last election, the results we have seen have been pathetic at best.
“If the choices are OBAMA ROMNEY TRUMP
TRUMP WINS AND GETS MY VOTE I don’t trust him any further than I can throw him but in the above scenerio he gets my vote.”
Sadly enough, I have to agree with you 100%. I don’t much like Trump either but if those were the choices, Trump would be the least of 3 evils.
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