In 2004, the last time Montana elected a governor, there were four candidates on the November ballot, the nominees of the Democratic, Republican, Green and Libertarian Parties. The Montana University System sponsored a gubernatorial candidate’s debate and only invited the two major party nominees. The Green Party gubernatorial candidate, Robert Kelleher, who was also an attorney, sued the University System on behalf of himself and the Libertarian nominee, Stan Jones. They did not prevail in the lower court, so they appealed to the Montana Supreme Court. That court heard the case on November 9, 2005, and ruled against the plaintiffs on March 23, 2007, although there was one dissenter. Now the case has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. It is Jones v Montana University System, 07-223.
Let’s see if I’ve got this straight, now: the Montana gubernatorial nominees of the Green and Libertarian Parties, who were on the November ballot, were not invited to a candidate’s debate. Wow! Perhaps, if they received $100,000 donations from party hacks they would be invited? What about receiving phone bank help from their party’s respective national governor’s associations? Hmmm? Perhaps if only the Vice President flew in from D.C. and campaigned for one of them? It’s just too bad the major Montana newspaper never paid much attention to the Libertarian and Green candidates’ unique issues…
Is Stan Jones the king of the Montana Libertarian Party?
I’m glad to see this case moving forward but considering who we have on the Supreme Court I have my doubts. It’s just so clearly unfair to exclude other candidates that are legally on the ballot. The debates should be COMPLETELY non-partisan on every level. It’s an afront to our democracy and our efforts to establish democracy around the world.