Among the nation’s biggest media, the New York Times has been almost unique in its disdain for the Libertarian Party. Most presidential election years, the newspaper doesn’t even mention the party or its presidential nominee. Even in 1987-1988, when for the first time the Libertarian Party recruited an ex-member of Congress as its presidential nominee, the paper ran no story about the Ron Paul candidacy. Earlier this year, when Gary Johnson declared for the Libertarian nomination on January 6, the New York Times was one of the few large newspapers that did not mention that news.
But, on March 22, the Times published a lengthy news story that contains a substantial amount of information about Johnson, and even a picture of him. See this story.
Probably one reason the Times has ignored the Libertarian Party in the past is that the party has never been ballot-qualified in New York or New Jersey.
The Libertarian party always gets ballot access in new jersey, and is recognized by the state as a minor party. Minor parties can legally operate as political parties in the state, and are available to voters for purposes of registration, but must petition for ballot access every year. As a state recognized minor party, in order to run as a libertarian, an individual must first get a letter from the state libertarian party submitted to the state in order to run under the libertarian party label at the general election. Major parties are granted ballot access automatically, but to qualify as a major party that particular party must get at least 10% of the statewide popular vote in the previous state legislative election, a daunting task indeed.
My definition of “qualified party” is one which has the same ease of placing its nominees on the general election ballot as the Dem and Rep Parties. New Jersey has gone longer than any other state in having only the Dem and Rep Parties qualified. One must go all the way back to 1920 to find a qualified party in New Jersey other than Republican and Democratic. That was the Socialist Party. In 1920 the state raised the definition to 10% of all the vote cast for a party’s Assembly candidates.
Its interesting to note that while there is a legal status for minor parties in new jersey, there is no qualifying procedure established under the law for new minor parties to gain state recognition. New parties wishing to be recognized by the state as minor parties for registration and financial purposes must file a lawsuit against the secretary of state in order to seek that status. The Socialist Party did just that a year or two ago.
Also there is no procedure for removing status from defunct parties. As such the Natural Law Party remains in dejure existence in New Jersey with registered members of the party, despite there being no party committee in existence.
How many states are the Libertarians on for the presidential election for 2016 ?
Johnny–According to the January issue of BAN currently they are on the ballot in 31 states. They usually get all 50 and DC, or close to it.
I was curious about your characterization since I subscribe to The New York Times, as I have for decades — back in J.H.S. 285 over 50 years ago, my ninth grade teacher Mrs. Sanjour made us read it, saying that reading The Times daily was what separated civilized people from barbarians and savages — and didn’t remember seeing it. It was not in today’s paper. It was only on the online edition although I suspect it may be in the paper tomorrow, March 23.
Maybe they’re getting so desperate to stop Trump that they’re trying to lay the groundwork for a challenge on the right that might get that 5%. Of course, the spoiler effect is largely a myth, but I guess they want Republicans to try to stoke that fear like Democrats do with respect to the Greens.