Idaho’s largest newspaper, the Idaho Statesman (published in Boise), has a long-standing policy of refusing to mention minor party and independent candidates running for Idaho office during the primary season. Idaho’s primary is May 23 this year.
The United Party has a very active campaign for U.S. House. Its nominee, Andy Hedden-Nicely, a former newspaper publisher himself, has organized a boycott of the Statesman until it revises its policy. The Idaho United Party, a new party, has ballot status in Idaho because it merged with the ballot-qualified but otherwise defunct Natural Law Party of Idaho. The original officers of the Natural Law Party support Hedden-Nicely and have asked the Idaho Secretary of State to let the party change its name to the United Party; that decision is pending.
A pox on the Statesman! * And a blueprint for the off ballot Reform Party (ies????) state by state per ‘gentlemen’s hand shake’ with what is left of the Natural Law Party……
* Freedom of Speach, Freedom of the Press, as long as they say stuff I like!
The Dallas Morning News did them one better during the 2008 presidential campaign. One Sunday, they devoted a two page spread in their well-read editorial section comparing two of the three candidates for President on the Texas ballot, with biographies, humorous anecdotes, and an analysis of each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. The third candidate they refused to cover equally was from Texas, and had just been added to the ballot with the signatures of 80,000+ Texans.
Oops — 2004. Kerry and Bush were covered, but not Badnarik.
Also in 2004 (or maybe 2000 — it’s amazing how the papers don’t change even when the calendars do) the Dallas Morning News had a columnist who credited Ralph Nader with the “None of the Above” idea, rather than the Libertarians, who have been pushing the proposal since 1972.