Posted on 09/04/2012 9:37:06 PM PDT by Steelfish
The Nader Effect In Play After Virginia's Decision By Scott Bomboy
A decision in Virginia to allow Virgil Goode on the presidential ballot could shake up the national election. And Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson has now come into the spoiler picture.
For the past few weeks, Goode, the Constitutional party presidential candidate, and Johnson have been afterthoughts in the national presidential campaign involving President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
But Goode won the right on Tuesday to appear on the Virginia ballot, in a move that could hurt Romney’s chances of taking the key swing state in November.
And now Ron Paul has come with some kind words about Johnson, the former New Mexico governor who will appear on many state ballots as a presidential candidate.
Johnson would be a potential factor in states like Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, and he could hurt either Obama or Romney, depending on how the political winds are blowing by November.
Republicans have vowed to prove that Goode, who has held various political offices in Virginia, doesn’t have enough legal petition signatures to run.
Johnson faces similar challenges. Last week, his campaign said the GOP has challenged his ballot presence in Michigan, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, Iowa and Ohio.
In August, Goode lost his quest to get on Pennsylvania’s ballot. One national poll had Johnson with 5.3 percent of the national vote in July, while a poll this summer in Virginia had Goode with 9 percent of that state’s presidential vote.
In reality, even 1 percent of the vote in a battleground state could determine the national election, like Ralph Nader did in 2000.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I suspect I know who will be accused, but I doubt the responsible party will get blamed.
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe this is WORSE than Nader, because at least HE was on enough states’ ballots to win the electoral college.
Goode is ONLY on the ballot in Virginia.
No, the electoral system of the founding fathers works fine.
Why is everyone so concerned? Don’t they remember even before the primaries we were told how the polls showed Romney was the only candidate that could beat Obama. He could win by 5 to 8 percent. The economy is worse, unemployment is still high, Romney is the candidate, so why worry.
And so continues your “subtle” campaign against Romney, the Republican nominee. Things such as Goode being on the ballot of course work in favor of Obama being reelected which, I suspect, is an outcome you wouldn’t shed any tears over.
As Pogo said: "We have met the enemy....and he is us."
That is an excellent analogy.
Keep dreaming because it won’t be that close. Goode’s backers should just cut out the middle man and send their money to Obama.
The Founders knew what they were doing. Popular vote was, and should be, irrelevant. Adams, Jefferson, JQ Adams, Jackson, and Lincoln were all elected with far less than 50%. I have no interest in letting CA and NY elect my leaders.
A runoff. Right. Can you even imagine the litigation after the “first” election? The political season needs to be SHORTER, not longer.
Tell me if I am wrong, but I read your post differently than others who thought you were suggesting replacing the Electoral College with the popular vote. I thought you were saying that, in a given state, the winner of the electors should have to have 50% of the popular vote; otherwise you would have a runoff. I think that is a great idea. Plus, there is nothing in the Constitution about how the electors from a state are selected, so any State could implement this if they wanted. The runoff would have to be quick, since the electors are slated to vote in late December (I think). This way, ABO voters could truly vote for ANYONE but Obama, and it would be fine, as long as it kept Obama from that 50% mark. Then, in the runoff, you could vote for the person other than Obama. The only danger in this is that, if someone like Goode could actually win a state, it could help Obama nationally by keeping those electoral votes from Romney. Of course, it will never happen because it would hurt the two national parties and that is who makes the rules.
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Why do you suppose that is?
The GOP has the perfect candidate. If you are for abortion so is he. If you are against abortion so is he. If you are for gay marriage so is he. If you are against gay marriage so is he. If you are for government takeover of health care so is he , if against it so is he, etc. etc. etc. How could he lose? Yes he is the perfect candidate, Don’t be concerned with what kind of President he will be, and be sure not to look at his record as Governor.
Goode was a Democrat when Ronald Reagan was President.
That “uber Conservatives” think he is anything but a Soro paid for Obama stooge is another example of why the 100% club will never be anything but a fringe political movement
Hate to burst your emotion based bubble world but NOTHING in life is ever 100% pure. NOTHING. Sitting on your asses screaming for dogmatic purity is the behavior or petulant children, not rational adults.
You people are the useful idiots of the Democrat Party propaganda machine. You are doing ONE thing, re-electing Obama
That may not be the intent of your actions, it is the result.
That you would actively work against someone who agrees with your agenda 85% of the time to elect someone who is 100% opposed to everything you claim to stand for indicates what complete political imbeciles you all are.
There fixed your tagline for you
Really?! I read he was only in Virginia.
Do you know if he is on enough states to achieve 270 electoral votes??
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