1. Note that in the case of the Libertarian, Green & Constitution Parties, the combined vote for Senate candidates exceeds the votes cast for each of their nominees for President.

   This despite the fact that none of these parties had qualified candidates for Senate in more than a handful of states.

   The biggest vote for an alternative party Senate candidate was for Dean Barkley of Minnesota’s Independence Party, which did not even have a candidate for President.

   Perhaps alternative parties should give up on Presidential races and focus on statewide and local contests. That is what the voters seem to be saying.

2. The percentages listed here are misleading. This table takes the senate votes for a particular party and then divides it into the total senate votes cast nationwide, even though “third” party senate candidates were not on the ballot in all fifty states.

   What would be a more accurate report would be the percentages from individual races. Below are results for minor party candidates who exceeded this “national average” of their party.

   SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2008#Races

   ALASKA:
   Bob Bird (Alaska Independence) 4.2%

   ARKANSAS:
   Rebekah Kennedy (Green) 20.6%

   COLORADO:
   Doug Campbell (Constitution) 2.6%
   Bob Kinsey (Green) 2.1%

   GEORGIA:
   Allen Buckley (Libertarian) General: 3.4%

   IDAHO:
   Rex Rammell (Independent) 5.4%
   Kent Marmon (Libertarian) 1.5%
   “Pro-Life” (Independent) 1.3%

   ILLINOIS:
   Kathy Cummings (Green) 2.6%

   KANSAS:
   Randall Hodgkinson (Libertarian) 2.1%
   Joseph Martin (Reform) 1.4%

   MASSACHUSETTS:
   Robert Underwood (Libertarian) 3.2%

   MICHIGAN:
   Scott Boman (Libertarian) 1.6%
   Harley Mikkelson (Green) 0.9%
   Michael Nikitin (Constitution) 0.6%
   Doug Dern (Natural Law) 0.4%

   MINNESOTA:
   Dean Barkley (MIP) 15.2%
   Charles Aldrich (Libertarian) 0.5%
   James Niemackl (Constitution) 0.3%

   NEBRASKA:
   Kelly Rosberg (Nebraska) 1.4%
   Steve Larrick (Green) 1.0%

   NEW HAMPSHIRE:
   Ken Blevens (Libertarian) 3.1%

   NORTH CAROLINA:
   Chris Cole (Libertarian) 3.1%

   OKLAHOMA:
   Stephen Wallace (Independent) 4.1%

   OREGON:
   Dave Brownlow (Constitution) 5.2%

3. Gene,

   This is what I’ve been preaching for years. They need to realize we can only change ballot access laws from within the legislature, and unless another billionaire Ross Perot comes along to finance his/her own campaign, we won’t be seeing a major third party presidential candidate until we stock the legislature full of third parties.

4. Gene, usually its like 5 to 1. Local to president. For the CP it can be 50+ to 1. Don’t know why.

5. The actual outlook, in my opinion, is much rosier. I have been saying and writing for the past few years that the Republican Party will be a ninor-sized party by the year 2012. If my prediction comes true (and I believe that it will), then there will be lots of room for “third party” and independent candidates.

6. The gerrymander U.S.A. Senate is one of the MOST ANTI-democratic legislative bodies in Western so-called Civilization.

   About 10 percent of the voters in each 6-6-6 Senate cycle elect 51 of the 100 Senators.

   Lots of blowhard MORON party hack Senators from the many very small States — all controlled by back home special interest leftwing / rightwing gangs.

   Democracy NOW via 100 percent P.R.

   For the standard suspect MORONS on this list — the 1787 *deal* regarding the Senate was part of the EVIL deal with the southern slave States — 3/5 slaves for gerrymander U.S.A. Rep seats, fugitive slaves to be returned, Electoral College, etc. — TOTAL EVIL.

   Having the Senate was a direct factor in causing the horrific mass murder Civil War in 1861-1865 (about 620,000 dead Americans on both sides) — 1 free State – 1 slave State paired admissions up to 1861.

7. Good results. Running candidates for all levels is important: the White House, US Senate, US House, governor, state legislature, mayor, city council, etc.

8. Hopefully, the Libertarian Party will make over 1 million votes by the next election.

9. Independent and minor party supporters — and people who believe in free and fair elections — must work on persuading voters and legislators about the virtue in certain reforms; i.e. ballot access law.

   Yes, a candidate can raise the issue and, to his credit, Mr. Nader did make several electoral reform issues a major part of his stump speech. But, reforms require working with the men and women in power.

   Yet, sometimes ballot access in presidential races is easier then say, a 50+ third party Congressional or Senate campaign or a state legislative slate.

   Trying to find legislative candidates can also be trickery just because you need to find more people and because you do end up ‘coming out’ regarding your political orientation to people, often in your community.

10. For a small party, running candidates for president and for local office serve different purposes. Both are important. I think that most small parties put too much emphasis on higher office and neglect to develop credible candidates — people who have the experience as well as the ideas to serve well in public office. For the vast majority of Republican and Democratic office holders, careers start on school boards and sewer boards, then move to city councils, then county government, etc. Candidates who support small parties can, and do, get elected to non-partisan local offices. That’s the essential first step.

11. Well, I still say that non-major parties need to work together more from a lobbyist perspective on electoral reforms.

12. Out of a total 2417 write-ins cast (in Alabama) only 216 were counted.
    The Boston Tea Party’s nominee/write-in candidate (Darryl W. Perry) received 14 of the counted write-in votes.

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