The Federal Election Commission during 2008 has sent Ralph Nader $881,494 in primary season matching funds. By contrast, in 2004, he received $664,151.
Primary season matching funds are awarded to anyone who raises at least $5,000 in each of 20 states, and who seeks the nomination of a political party. Although Nader was fundamentally an independent presidential candidate in both 2004 and 2008, in both years he actively sought and won the nomination of various political parties.
Has Barr qualified for primary matching funds?
It would be inimical to Libertarian ideology for Barr to accept such funds if qualified to do so.
I understand that, and I don’t expect Barr to accept them, but I’m just curious if he’d qualified to receive them.
Since Barr has raised over $1,000,000, it seems extremely likely that he received at least $5,000 from each of 20 states. On the other hand, he would need to have received $5,000 from each of 20 states by the Libertarian national convention at the end of May. That is one reason minor parties tend to prefer to have a late national convention, because it extends the time to qualify for primary season matching funds.
It wouldn’t be inimical, the taxes that go to matching funds are voluntary. Libertarians are against coercive taxes, not voluntary taxes.
Libertarians still have to act like its inimical and everything, to avoid the criticism you’re making.
I’m not so sure many Libertarians that support Ron Paul care about how Ron Paul writes earmarks in the budget either.
Typo ?
In the title of the message it states that Nader received $ 811,494 dollars in Matching Money. In the text it says 881,494. Is this a mistake ?
Have the FEC funds already been taken into account in Nader’s FEC reports or do they have yet to be added?
It may be voluntary to check the 3 dollar box, but the taxes are not. We all know that by checking the box we all pay in a sense. Only around 10 percent of people filing income tax forms check the box. The fund is probably broke by now. This racket is a good way to make money and hire your friends.