Law Professors Joseph Fishkin and Heather Gerkin have published a scholarly paper on the current status of the national Republican Party, in which the official party structure and the Koch Brothers each have their own database of Republican Party donors, activists, and voters. The Koch Brothers’ database is superior to the party’s database. Fishkin and Gerkin conceive of the Koch Brothers as part of the national Republican Party, despite their lack of office within the party. Their paper explores the ramifications of this split between the formal party structure and the party’s influential backers. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

Counterpunch has this commentary by Scott McLarty of the Green Party. McLarty argues that the decline of parties of the left in the last part of the 20th century and so far in this century is the reason the left is in a weaker position today than it was in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

The Libertarian Party filed a federal lawsuit over the Kentucky U.S. Senate debate on September 28, 2014, called Libertarian National Committee v Holliday, eastern district, 3:14cv-63. Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove denied injunctive relief, and the Libertarian U.S. Senate nominee, David Patterson, was barred from all debates.

The case is still alive. Patterson and his party charge that the debate sponsors changed the rules on which candidates should be invited. When it appeared Patterson might qualify, the debate sponsors said no one could be invited who had not raised at least $100,000 and was at 10% in the polls. Patterson and the party requested permission to file an amended complaint back on November 6, 2014, and the judge still has not ruled on whether the amended complaint can be filed. The amended complaint contains new information that had not come out when the original complaint had been filed. It also asks for a jury trial.