Political Science Professor Marshall Derosa has declared his candidacy for U.S. Senate from Florida in 2010, on the Constitution Party ticket. Assuming he is nominated for that office in 2010, he will be the first Constitution Party nominee on the Florida ballot for statewide office (besides president). Derosa teaches at Florida Atlantic University and is the author of a book on the 9th amendment, “The Ninth Amendment and the Politics of Creative Jurisprudence.”
Two leading blogs that cover minor parties just had their one-year anniversaries. Independent Political Report had its first post on May 20, 2008, and Green Party Watch had its first post on May 21, 2008.
Before those blogs existed, Third Party Watch covered minor party and independent candidate news. Third Party Watch was founded by Austin Cassidy. After some years, Stephen Gordon bought the site. Then, he sold it to Richard Viguerie, who seemed to lose interest in it, and it is now dormant.
The South Carolina legislature adjourned for the year on May 21. Although 60 bills to alter election laws had been introduced, not a single one passed. However, any bill introduced this year could conceivably pass in 2010, since South Carolina has two-year legislative sessions.
The only election law bills of interest that even passed one House were H3067, which would have banned fusion; and H3231, which would have provided that the Governor and Lieutenant Governor run as a team in the general election.
Other interesting bills that didn’t pass in even one house were SB 365, to elect one presidential elector from each U.S. House district; HB 3140, to establish registration by party; two bills to ban primary voters from signing an independent candidate’s petition, H3746 and S590; and H3389, to bar presidential candidates from the ballot unless they submit proof of eligibility.
The U.S. Supreme Court has put NAACP v Billups, 08-1231, on its conference of June 4. The Court will probably decide on that day whether to hear the case, which concerns Georgia’s requirement that voters at the polls show a government photo-ID in order to vote.
One of the interesting complications of the case is Georgia’s new law that says no one may register to vote without presenting documents proving citizenship. Georgia virtually denies voting rights to people who don’t have a birth certificate (or, if born outside the U.S., if they can’t produce their naturalization certificate or some proof that their parents were U.S. citizens).
On May 21, the Pew Research Center released this public opinion poll on political values. It is an extensive survey, in twelve sections, and used a sample of 3,013 respondents. Among many other findings, the poll shows that 39% of U.S. residents identify themselves as independents, 33% as Democrats, 22% as Republicans, and 6% no opinion or “other”.
Men are more likely to describe themselves as independents than women are. Men self-identify at 42% independent, 28% Democratic, 24% Republican. Women self-identify as 41% Democratic, 31% independent, 22% Republican.
When the self-described independents are asked if they lean toward either of the major parties, and the leaners are then grouped with a major party, the results are: Democrats 50%, Republicans 34%, independent independents 16%. Thanks to PoliticalWire for the link.
