On the evening of December 11, radio host Frank Morano on New York city interviewed Elliot Ackerman, CEO of Americans Elect, for 15 minutes. At three minutes into the interview, Morano asks Ackerman to comment on Newt Gingrich’s recent comment that if he is the Republican nominee, he will not debate anyone in the general election except President Obama. Here is the link.

Unfortunately for those who are intensely interested in the issue of exclusionary general election presidential debates, Morano combined his question on debates with a question about whether Americans Elect should be considered a “spoiler”. Ackerman then responded to the part of the question about “spoiling”, and did not comment on the part of the question concerning debates. Morano did not follow up.

Perhaps Ackerman’s most interesting comment is his statement that in 2014, Americans Elect will be on ballots for all partisan office, not just President as is the case for 2012. Ackerman suggested, but did not state explicitly, that in 2014, Americans Elect will have nominees for a full range of all partisan offices.

On December 9, Ralph Nader filed this very clear, non-technical, and highly readable brief, asking a U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to reconsider its decision in Nader v Federal Election Commission, 1:10-cv-00989. The brief is 12 pages and is well worth reading.

Nader had filed the lawsuit on 2010, after the FEC had refused to investigate his complaint that Democrats in 2004 spent millions of dollars to keep him off the ballot in 2004, and did not list these expenses in campaign finance reports. The complaint also lists other entities that acted in a similar manner. On November 9, the U.S. District Court had dismissed the lawsuit, even though the decision acknowledges that the FEC did not follow the law. The decision says the FEC had committed “harmless error.”

In Georgia, leaders of the two major parties decide who will be listed on their presidential primary ballots. Candidates need not file. Those not chosen have no recourse, except to ask the major party figures in the state to reconsider their omission.

The Democratic Party, not surprisingly, chose to list only President Obama. The Georgia Republican Party leaders chose Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Buddy Roemer, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum.

The only other state with similar presidential primary ballot access is Florida. In Florida, the Republicans chose the same names as those in the Georgia race, except that Florida Republicans excluded Buddy Roemer.