The Federal Election Commission during 2008 has sent Ralph Nader $881,494 in primary season matching funds. By contrast, in 2004, he received $664,151.
Primary season matching funds are awarded to anyone who raises at least $5,000 in each of 20 states, and who seeks the nomination of a political party. Although Nader was fundamentally an independent presidential candidate in both 2004 and 2008, in both years he actively sought and won the nomination of various political parties.
On October 7, the Ralph Nader campaign announced the opening of campaign offices in these cities:
1. California: Berkeley, Fresno, Los Angeles, and Sacramento
2. Illinois: Chicago
3. Maine: Portland
4. New York: Syracuse
5. Michigan: Lansing
Very soon, additional openings will occur in Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania, as well as other states. There should be 22 offices open by October 11. The www.votenader.org website should list all the offices by the end of the day on October 8.
On September 5, the Federal Election Commission gave the John McCain campaign committee a check for $84,103,800. For the first time in U.S. history, only one candidate is receiving general election funding. Barack Obama was eligible for an equal amount, but his campaign declined the money.
The only instances at which any presidential campaigns, other than the Democratic and Republican campaigns, received general election funding, were 1980 and 2000. John Anderson’s campaign received his general election funding after the 1980 election, based on his 7% showing. The Reform Party received general election funding in 2000 based on its 1996 showing of 8%.
The Prohibition Party has just published its first newsletter of the year, the October 2008 issue of “National Prohibitionist.” It is the first published newsletter since the “National Statesman” of December 2007. The mailing includes a bumper sticker for the party’s presidential candidate, Gene Amondson, as well as a button. Those interested may contact the editor, Jim Hedges, at Box 212, Needmore Pa 17238, or see the party’s webpage, www.prohibitionists.org.
Court in at least three cities are holding hearings on Wednesday, October 8:
1. Tennessee Senator Rosalind Kurita is asking a federal court to put her back on the ballot. She had won the Democratic primary in August, but the Democratic Party refused to accept that outcome because it said too many Republicans voted in the Democratic primary. The October 6 decision from the 9th circuit in Alaskan Independence Party v State should be useful to her. The real reason Kurita was decertified as a Democratic nominee is because she supported a Republican for State Senate leader last year. The Alaskan Independence Party decision from the 9th circuit said that parties cannot bar candidates from running in party primaries, regardless of their politics. The 9th circuit does not control what happens in a U.S. District Court in Tennessee, but the opinion will be influential. UPDATE: this hearing is being held on Friday, October 10. In the meantime, the state has filed a brief claiming that it is too late to put Kurita on the ballot.
2. The Connecticut Libertarian Party has a status conference in federal court over Bob Barr’s ballot status. The state has hinted that if the party has convincing evidence that the Barr petition has at least 7,500 valid signatures, the case can be resolved.
3. The long-awaited trial begins in state court in Minneapolis, over whether anything in the Minnesota Constitution bars Instant-Runoff Voting.
4. The Green Party of Vermont has a pro se case arguing that it is a qualified party, which has a hearing in state court in Montpelier on October 8. The case is Craig Hill v Secretary of State, 640-9-08. The party was unable to find an attorney to represent it, so the plaintiff is the party’s candidate for U.S. House, who will argue even though he is not an attorney. UPDATE: the hearing was held, and now a new round of briefs is about to be filed.
