On March 20, the Republican National Committee asked a U.S. District Court to intervene in Libertarian Party of New Hampshire v Gardner, 1:!4cv-322. The issue in the lawsuit is the 2013 change to the New Hampshire election law that it made it illegal for a newly-qualifying party to circulate a party petition during an odd year.
The Republican National Committee’s motion says, “This lawsuit challenges a recent New Hampshire amendment to its election laws regarding ballot access by political organizations. The RNC proposes to intervene for the purpose of defending constitutionality of that amendment (sic)…The Republican Party has qualified for access to the New Hampshire general election ballot in 2016. Accordingly, it has a vital interest in New Hampshire’s election regulation in general and, specifically, the requirements for ballot access…the defendant (the Secretary of State) cannot adequately represent the RNC’s interests in this litigation.”
As far as is known, this is the first time any major party national committee has intervened in a constitutional ballot access lawsuit at a time remote from a presidential general election. The Democratic National Committee intervened in some lawsuits involving independent presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy in 1976, John B. Anderson in 1980, and Ralph Nader in 2004. But those interventions were on how certain ballot access laws should be interpreted, not over their constitutionality.
This action is a clue that the Republican National Committee will be seeking to intervene in court in many states during 2016 to try to prevent the Libertarian Party, and possibly other minor parties or independent candidates, from getting on the ballot. It also might be connected to the actions of Republican legislators in South Dakota and Arizona, who during March have solidly voted in favor of bills making ballot access laws for minor parties more difficult.
So the party believing in supposed free markets and competition wants the power to control the Libertarian Party? I guess they have no issues to run on except big government and force.
Maybe if both ruling parties spent less time sucking up to corrupt interests for campaign $$$ and trying to sue/legislate minor parties into oblivion, and spent more time trying to address the concerns of actual voters, they wouldn’t necessarily have to worry about said minor parties. A chicken and the egg scenario to be sure.
I hope the Green and Libertarian Parties manage to come out of these bogus legal challenges as unscathed as possible. Both third parties need to have good to preferably full ballot access for 2016, as many voters are really starting to get fed up with both current ruling parties and are starting to want alternatives.
David and Joshua – some very good comments and I couldn’t agree more. However, we MUST STOP referring to our parties as “third” parties and “minor” parties. According to Wikipedia, a MAJOR party is any party that has affiliates in a majority of states. The Libertarian, Green, and Constitution Parties all do, so we are ALL major parties. The minor parties are those such as the Reform, Prohibition, and Justice Parties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States
Since the Republicans and Democrats are so obviously the same party, the rest of us should properly be referred to as second parties. Kind of like Second City TV if you remember that old comedy program. Republicans and Democrats are hosers.
PS
IF you’re searching on PACER, the case number format is important. Must search for 1:2014-cv-00322
If you’re interested in unity of the whole, you may be interested in utilizing the most mathematically fair and equal election known; the Sainte-Lague parliament seat distribution system, ranked choice voting (RC), Hagnebach-Bischoff method in multi-winner districts only.
Look at your own team and when you improve that, then consider working in unity with the 9th USA Parliament. We’ve been using a unifying voting system for 20 consecutive years and it works fine:
http://www.usparliament.org
Due to the SCOTUS robot party hacks —
Ballot access is a WAR type action — now based on LIES, DECEIT, etc. etc.
The EVIL top Donkeys/Elephants want NO left/right opposition (respectively) in the States in which they CONTROL
Where is the ballot access lawyer with ANY brain cells –
1. Every election is NEW
2. Separate is NOT equal.
3. EQUAL ballot access tests.
—
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
The RNC filed their answer today, it’s pretty laughable! Pretty much everything is “The allegations in paragraph [x] consist of legal arguments to which no response is required. To the extent that paragraph [x] contains factual allegations, they are denied.” or “The RNC lacks knowledge
or information sufficient to form a response to the allegations in [y].”
http://freekeene.com/2015/04/01/gop-seeks-to-intervene-in-libertarian-party-lawsuit-against-nh-secretary-of-state/
“…we MUST STOP referring to our parties as “third” parties and “minor” parties. According to Wikipedia, a MAJOR party is any party that has affiliates in a majority of states. The Libertarian, Green, and Constitution Parties all do, so we are ALL major parties. The minor parties are those such as the Reform, Prohibition, and Justice Parties.”
Fair enough re-categorizing of the parties by Jeff Becker. State Parties without a national affiliation, would also be known as minor parties – even if they have elected state or local officials. Of course you know it will be a “cold day in H—” before the Establishment acknowledges the Libertarians,Greens, and Constitutionalists as “major parties.” They – the Establishment and the Democratic and Republicans are all in bed together.”
But the big issue here, is the major parties [Democratic and Republican] are getting just a little concerned if not outright p—ed off at the slow but steady growth of parties like the Libertarian and Greens and to some extent the Constitutionalists.
But as Joshua H points out,”Maybe if both ruling parties spent less time sucking up to corrupt interests for campaign $$$ and trying to sue/legislate minor parties into oblivion, and spent more time trying to address the concerns of actual voters, they wouldn’t necessarily have to worry about said minor parties” So true, so true! I say they will begin to make trouble for 3rd parties as they begin to grow. We need to stand firm. Run more candidates locally where there is a better chance for victory. When the electorate recognizes a 3rd partisan can serve the people as good if not better than the “major parties” can, we will gradually see more growth. Let’s give the “major parties” something to really worry about.