CNN Re-Publicizes Account of Obama Disqualifying All His Opponents from his First Primary Race

Posted on by June 1, 2008
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On May 30, CNN Newsroom did a televised story, lasting approximately two minutes, about how Barack Obama challenged the petitions of all his opponents in his first primary election, for State Senate in Illinois’ 13th district. Four Democrats turned in petitions, but only Obama appeared on the March 19, 1996 primary ballot, because Obama successfully challenged the petitions of all his opponents. CNN also posted the story on its webpage; see here.

The broadcast included an interview with one of Obama’s opponents, Gha-is Askia, who said each candidate needed 757 valid signatures. Askia said he submitted 1,999, but after the challenge, he was 69 signatures short. Another candidate in that primary, the incumbent, Alice Palmer, chose not to be interviewed.

In the general election, Obama had two opponents. The November vote was Obama 48,592 votes; David Whitehead, Harold Washington Party, 7,461 votes; Rosette Peyton, Republican, 3,091 votes. Both the Harold Washington Party and the Republican Party had no candidates in their primaries for the State Senate seat, and each party later nominated a candidate by party meeting, which Illinois law permits for qualified parties. Therefore, Whitehead and Peyton never needed a petition in order to run in November. Thanks to Scott West for the story. The press had previously covered this story, and it was revived in connection with the day’s news about the Democratic Rules Committee meeting on Florida and Michigan delegates.

Tennessee Elections Officials Tentatively Say Only One Petition Form is Allowed for Presidential Independents

Posted on by June 1, 2008
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The Tennessee Elections Coordinator has been in the process of revising the petition form for independent candidates. State law says any independent candidate (for any office) needs 25 signatures. In the past, an independent candidate could get on the ballot with only a single candidate for presidential elector. In 2004 the state re-interpreted the law to say that a presidential candidate must have a full slate of presidential electors, so that meant eleven different petitions, but each could be signed by the same 25 voters.

Last month, the state re-interpreted the law again, and said independent presidential candidates need a petition bearing the names of all eleven elector candidates, and that that petition needed 275 names. At this point, the law still seemed fair. But now, the state is insisting that only a single petition form (which would be stapled at the top, and have approximately 10 sheets of paper fastened together) may be circulated. No photocopies would be allowed. The state would simply give a single petition (with sheets of paper fastened together) to the petitioning group.

This would be wildly impractical, since that single petition would need to be signed by each of the eleven candidates for presidential elector, nine of whom must each live in a different US House district. It would also be impractical because it would prevent more than a single volunteer from ever working at any given moment. Tennessee state elections officials are still stuck in the mind-set of their normal procedure, under which a petition only needs 25 signatures. The Socialist Party, which has been doing a good job of gathering this information, is still negotiating with the state.

Democratic Rules Committee Gives Florida and Michigan Each Half a Delegation

Posted on by May 31, 2008
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The Rules Committee of the Democratic Party has unanimously agreed to give Florida Democrats half their delegation, and has also agreed to give Michigan Democrats half as well. All individuals from those two states will be seated, each with a half-vote. The Florida apportionment of delegates matches the results of the Florida presidential primary. The Michigan apportionment does not match the results of the Michigan Democratic primary, since Barack Obama’s name was not on the Michigan Democratic ballot. Instead, Obama get 59 Michigan half-delegates, and Hillary Clinton gets 69 Michigan half-delegates. Some of the Clinton supporters are still unhappy about today’s compromise and may ask for a revision from the national Credentials Committee.

McCain Meets with State Chair of N.Y. Independence Party

Posted on by May 31, 2008
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This Newsday story, published May 31, says that U.S. Senator John McCain met briefly with the state chair of the Independence Party of New York, Frank MacKay. The story hints that McCain is seeking the Independence Party’s nomination. The story says that only 7 states allow fusion, but for president this is not true. Approximately half the states allow fusion for president. It is impossible to say an exact number of states, because it depends on whether one is talking about fusion between two qualified parties, or fusion between a qualified party and an unqualified party, or fusion involving a party and an independent candidate.

The New York Independence Party in the past has always supported a minor party or independent presidential candidate. It nominated Ross Perot in 1996, John Hagelin in 2000, and Ralph Nader in 2004.