Jon Geeting, editor of Keystone Politics, in this column advocates that Pennsylvania once again permit fusion for all partisan office. He is especially in favor of fusion in local elections. He also suggests the usefulness of forming political parties that exist in just a single town or county. Keystone Politics is a leading Pennsylvania blog that has existed since 2004. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
“Fusion” means the ability of two parties to jointly nominate the same candidate.
A new CNN/ORC Poll again includes four presidential candidates. The poll was conducted September 28-30 and the results are: President Obama 47%, Mitt Romney 44%, Gary Johnson 4%, Jill Stein 3%, other/undecided (volunteered) 2%. The link includes many polls, but the CNN/ORC one is closest to the top. Scroll down a little bit to find the results for the 4-candidate question. Thanks to Mike for the link.
On September 30, Barry Commoner died at the age of 95. See this New York Times obituary. He was one of the founders of the Citizens Party in 1980, and its presidential nominee that year. Many present-day Green Party activists first became active in electoral politics within the Citizens Party. The logo for the Citizens Party in most states was a pine tree. Thanks to Darcy Richardson for the link.
Some presidential nominees are still living from the presidential elections of 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980, including Dick Gregory from 1968, Linda Jenness from 1972, Jimmy Carter from 1976 and 1980, and John Anderson from 1980.
On October 1, the Michigan Secretary of State filed this brief in Gelineau v Ruth Johnson, the Libertarian Party ballot access case. The brief asserts in the beginning that the idea that straight-ticket votes for the Libertarian Party should be counted for the party’s presidential elector candidates is completely unprecedented, but makes no further arguments against the idea. One can observe that Michigan’s action, barring a presidential candidate of one party from the ballot in the basis that he or she had run in the presidential primary of another party, is also completely unprecedented and has never before happened in any state in U.S. history.
Reason Magazine has this commentary by Jerome D. Tuccille, about the corporate sponsors who have told the Commission on Presidential Debates they no longer support the Commission. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
