Here is a link to the South Carolina Election Commission’s web page, showing candidates for President who are on the ballot. There will be five presidential nominees on the ballot, those nominated by the Democratic, Republican, Constitution, Green, and Libertarian Parties.
South Carolina has three ballot-qualified parties that only exist in that state, and which didn’t nominate anyone for President. They are the United Citizens Party, the Independence Party, and the Labor Party. In the past the United Citizens Party has nominated presidential candidates. In 2008 it nominated Barack Obama for President. Even though South Carolina permits fusion, though, something went wrong and Obama was only listed on the ballot as the Democratic nominee. In 2000 it nominated Ralph Nader. In 2004 it nominated Walt Brown, the Socialist Party nominee.
Also in the past, the Independence Party nominated Ross Perot for President in 1996, and Ralph Nader for President in 2004. Back in 1996 its name was the Patriot Party.
I wonder why the other ballot qualified parties didn’t nominate anyone? That’s to bad. Would have been good to have more choices.
The UCP couldn’t nominate Obama for the same reason that the SC Working Families Party could not. Fusion requires the consent of the candidate.
Fusion in New York state is something of an exception, as the practice is well accepted there.
The South Carolina Democratic Party is very anti-fusion, so it ignores the UCP, which is pretty much a paper organization. From their perspective, they would not want to weaken the brand with such an association. It would only help the UCP. The SCDP does permit fusion and SCDP candidates fuse with the WFP and even Greens for some lesser offices, but the Dem leadership definitely doesn’t encourage this.
The SC Independence Party is run by two brothers who have (or had) some connection to the Committee for a Unified Independent Party and the old New Alliance Party. The lent the ballot line to a right-wing guy in the 2010 1st Congressional race, but otherwise haven’t done much lately.
I would think they’d still have nominated Rocky Anderson, Goode, Barr or someone that’s not on the ballot
Goode will be on the SC ballot as the Constitution Party nominee.
The UCP is very pro-Obama.
The Independence Party brothers might be OK with the choices offered without nominating Anderson or Barr. Or maybe no one could find them to ask. I’ve never met them myself.
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