The Constitution Party of Illinois submitted approximately 34,000 signatures at the end of June for its statewide slate of candidates. The petition was challenged. The process by which State Board of Elections officials check each individual signature, over the watchful eyes of proponents and opponents of that petition, has been finished. The result seems to be that the petition has 25,017 valid signatures. Because 25,000 are required, this is good news for the Constitution Party. However, there is still the possibility that the objectors will take further legal action to overturn the results. Thanks to Gary Odom for this news.
I guarantee you the GOP will get 18 signatures overturned!
I meant that comment that the GOP would do their best to keep the Constitution Party off the Ballot. I am working my hardest to get the Constitution Party on the Ballot in North Carolina. The constitution Party of Illinois did a great job and deserves to be on the ballot.
To Kevin. Until your Constitution Party colleagues learn that most of the American people are FOR Social Security, Medicare, public education, public highways, and a score of other governmental programs which makes our lives better, your candidates are, first of all, not going to win,and second, not likely to receive more than 5% of the vote in a 3-way race at best.
This is 2010 – not 1810. True, American’s want a military that is 2nd to none, they believe in national independence, they believe in freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to bear arms. But they do not want (and will not go back) to a government which you and your colleagues in the Constitution Party believe should solely be limited to maitaining the military, the post office, and protecting private property.
Wake up – and your party just might win a major election some day!
Dear Annonymous Independent,
I suspect that you think you know more about the Constitution Party than you really do. Sure, there are what might be called small “l” libertarians on economic matters in the Constitution Party, and perhaps they may constitute a slight majority, but there are also many of a more populist bent, including myself(I was a strong supporter of Governor Wallace, who was not shy about employing government programs to help the people of his state).
I don’t take exception to your opinions, to which you are entitled, and in some ways, at least, with which I agree. I do take exception to your apparent assumption, and a naive assumption it would be, that we all walk in lock step and that we all have identical views on all the issues in the Constitution Party. That just isn’t the case.
Many of the things you mention are certainly within the province of government, but in a number of cases (such as public education, for example) the Constitution Party believes that the appropriate level of government to handle such matters should be the state and not the federal.
Amen to Gary Odom’s comments. In regard to his comments on the province of government, we have an inverted pyramid for a gov’t. The structure was to have limited authority at the federal level and greater authority at the state level (and probably greater authority at the local level). Take “clean energy” for example. Ideally a private individual or corporation would set up windmills and provide electricity for his town or village at a fair price. Less ideal would be for the county gov’t to pay for the windmills to provide power for the whole county. Even less desirable would be for the state gov’t to set up the windmills, and in the worst case scenerio, the federal gov’t would take public monies to set up windmills. This is a small example as to why decisions that impact local areas should be worked out at the local level. The sad state of affairs today is that the reality should be that what Congress does should have very little impact on our daily lives. Instead many news channels have to report on numerous federal entities that make decisions that impact our everyday lives.
To Gary Odom. I hope I am wrong on my assumption the average member or candidate of the Constitution Party is not an echo of doctrinaire “libertarianism” or Herbert Hoover “convervatism.” However, the CP state websites and those of individual candidates I have viewed would make me believe my original charge is correct. I am also happy to learn you were a supporter of the late Alabama Governor George C. Wallace. Governor Wallace was not a libertarian or a conservative. He was a populist and all that implies. If the CP would adopt, and it’s candidates would run on, Wallace’s 1968 Presidential Platform as the foundation for their philosophy, the CP would become a major party overnight. But I’m not holding my breath.
To Craig M. Here we go again, trying to use doctrine and ideology rather than common sense for dealing with the nation’s problems. What ideologs like you don’t get (using your windmill example)is that private individuals or corporations cannot provide electricity as cheaply as the government can. Try selling that to the thousands of families in the Tennessee Valley who get cheap electricity directly or indirectly through TVA.
When I see the CP candidates coming out publicly for saving and strengthening a government insured Social Security, establishing some type of health care which is not “rationed” as the Democrats want, or “managed” as the Republicans want, but at the same time calling for the US to get out of the UN, and enforcing laws against illegal immigration, then I might join the CP.
But again, I’m not holding my breath!
If the CP would adopt, and it’s candidates would run on, Wallace’s 1968 Presidential Platform as the foundation for their philosophy, the CP would become a major party overnight. But I’m not holding my breath.
= Some states already have, and eventually it will happen.
Hope your right, Cody Quirk. I’ve been encouraged to join and support a CP state affiliate, but I’ll NOT associate with one which has as its base philosophy, doctrinaire libertarism or Herbert Hoover conservatism.
Here’s a list of some of the prominent issues and where the party must stand:
1. Support and strengthen government funded and guaranteed Social Security and Medicare.
2. Support a genuine national health care system which is not “rationed” like the Democrats want, or a “managed” system which the Republicans defend.
3. Support and defend minimum wage laws, workmen’s compensation laws, and the right of workers to support and join labor unions and to strike even against the government.
4. Support a federal housing program, managed by state and local governments, which provide for interest free lending rates for first time home buyers.
5. Support local control of public education but allow the federal goverment to ensure every boy and girl will have the funds to receive a free education from kindergarten through college.
6. Support the removal of the United States membership in the United Nations, and the removal of the United Nations from the soil of the United States.
7. Support a military 2nd to none, but one which is free of waste, and free to win a military victory when engaged in battle
8. Support the withdrawal of diplomatic and trade relations with all nations which are dictatorships.
9. Support efforts in those 3rd world nations where genuine advocates of freedom and liberty are fighting to remove those tyrants who are suppressing its people.
10. Support and defend Israel’s right to exist – no “if’s,” “and’s,” or “buts.”
Cody, if I were to move to your state, would your CP affiliate allow me to serve on its state central or executive committee?
The Nevada AP isn’t anal about who can be a active member, we’re not a freakin’ private club. No requirements for the state committee, but you have to be voted into the Executive Committee by the State Committee.
Cody. I’d probably be more comfortable with the Nevada IAP than I would the Nevada Libertarian Party. And probably would feel more welcome.
Several of the things that Alabama Independent wants the Constitution Party to support are blatantly unconstitutional.
So what, Andy? so what? This is 2010 – not 1810. If we must amend the Constitution to satisfy you “constitutional purists” I have no problem. We are living in a different social and economic nation than did our founding fathers. Even George Washington said of the Constitution, “Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest among us can repair.” He knew the day would come when the federal government would be required to do more than the original document allowed. You need to stop living in the past, get into the 21st century, and you might just help save our republic!