Oklahoma lets an independent presidential candidate, or the nominee of an unqualified party, on the ballot if they pay $35,000 by July 15. This year, the only two candidates who paid the fee are Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Chris Garrity. Presidential nominees of qualified parties need not pay the fee. The qualified parties are Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian.
Here is the website of Chris Garrity, who lives in New Hampshire. So far Oklahoma is the only state in which he is on the ballot. His website says he also expects to qualify in Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont. He is an independent. His website says political parties are “poisonous.”
When’s the New Hampshire deadline?
West and Stein and Terry too cheap?
Surprised Stein didn’t go this route.
Terry might be too broke or too stupid about the importance of ballot access. West doesn’t likely care much about ballot access, but even if he does, there are better ROI states for 35 k for him.
FEES FOR ALL OFFICES —
NOM PET AMOUNT TIMES UNIFORM CASH AMOUNT
ALL ELECTION LAWS FIXED AS OF ABOUT 10 MONTHS BEFORE ELECTION DAY
The Retard Party didn’t pay for ballot access?
I’m disappointed in Dr. Stein, she was fundraising to raise this fee on her YouTube account – I wish she went through with it. Even this random Chris guy got ballot access
I SENT ALL OF MY PENNIES TO THE RETARD PARTY HQ IN DETROIT MICHIGAN WHY DIDNT THEY SPEND THEM ON BALLOT ACCESS
“Where am I Now?” vertical on the website?
Great, a junior Admiral Stockdale who looks like a cleaned-up, aged-up version of Crooks is running a vanity campaign for president.
Well, I think Chris Garrity sounds sympathetic:
“I think political parties across the board have been poisonous for our country.”
“I’m not accepting donations or public funding.”
“Enormous amounts of time, energy and money get spent by political parties supporting their members instead of the public. I am running to show that democracy is not dead, and ideas, experience and work matter more than connections, money or power.
I am running on a one-term commitment. I commit to only serve one term as President.
I am not accepting public or private funding. Ideas and hard work should determine the next President, not their wealth, party connections or powerful private backers.”
“I petition door to door and in public spaces.”
“I’m on a shoestring budget, but I’m determined to make it work. With hard work, determination and innovation, I aim to show that you don’t need hundreds of millions of dollars to talk, listen and work for people. I am not accepting donations or public funding. If I can’t get your votes with my ideas, then I don’t want to buy them.”
“You can serve as an Elector for me. Federal employees may not serve as Electors. You can still vote for whoever you want in the general election when you cast your secret ballot, but when you cast a vote as an Elector, you agree to vote for me (note that some states you can still choose to vote for whoever you want even as an Elector).”
“Keep an eye out for when I am in a community near you.”
Obviously, it would be hopelessly naive to expect him to get anywhere. But he’s trying nonetheless. And from the sound of it, he is doing all his petitioning all on his own. So bless his little heart, and good luck to him.
But the problem with “If I can’t get your votes with my ideas, then I don’t want to buy them” is that nowhere does he try to sell you on any of his ideas other than “to show that democracy is not dead, and ideas, experience and work matter more than connections, money or power” and similar universally agreeable platitudes.
I.e. charitably one could describe him as a protest candidate against the system; uncharitably as someone with enough of an ego to want to be president but too little motivation to express any opinions on anything…
Being “maybe less bad than most other candidates” due to lack of expressed opinions, is not going to win hearts and minds.
And even with how little he says, he still manages to say some of the wrong things for libertarian purists like myself: “I have real world working experience in the government”