http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005 by the authors Sat, 21 Aug 2004 15:48:19 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/19/073711.php#comment-80821 Partly, Indiana laws are more favorable for ballot access than in some states. However, it's more a function that we've just got one of the stronger parties, and just can't be denied. It's easy enough to blow off a half-assed outfit getting a half percent of the vote. It's a lot tougher to shut out a real party like ours with county level organizations that often get 5 to 10% of the vote. We also have at least a few actual elected officials. This tends to make it really difficult to pretend that we just don't exist, or that we're somehow to be denied a place at the table. 80821@blogcritics.org Sat, 21 Aug 2004 15:48:19 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/19/073711.php#comment-80781 Sadly, that's probably true in Ohio. The ballot access rules are extremely difficult for any third party there, and it has been shown that even if the party meets the requirements of law or by petition, Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell will just deny access anyway and defy the party to sue him. A Drew Carey candidacy would get sufficient attention towards getting the LP on the ballot. He's a libertarian, but apparently not interested in running for office. Fortunately, things are looking up in Indiana, where the laws aren't as prohibitive to third parties, and the powers that be are more upstanding. 80781@blogcritics.org Sat, 21 Aug 2004 08:12:24 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/19/073711.php#comment-80509 It's all silly, I agree. In order to get serious media attention, and actually hope to win a race, a third party candidate must be some sort of national celebrity. This is the sad truth. What we need is Drew Carey to run for Senator or Governor of Ohio. Or at least Mayor of Cleveland... 80509@blogcritics.org Fri, 20 Aug 2004 02:04:28 EDT