The website Third Party Watch has been purchased by Richard Viguerie, effective May 19, 2008. Viguerie has long been interested in political action outside the two major parties, even though he has also been very much involved in Republican Party politics. In 1976 he and others tried to organize a campaign for a conservative revolt against the Republican Party, given that the Republican Party had just rejected Ronald Reagan and instead nominated Gerald Ford. He is the author or co-author of two books, America’s Right Turn and Conservatives Betrayed. The latter book is an attack on the Republican Party.

California holds a primary on June 3 for all office except president. Among the offices at stake in the Peace & Freedom Party primary are contests for county central committee.

The PFP presidential primary in February was merely a “beauty contest” with no binding results. The truly meaningful presidential primary is the June event, because the county central committee members will collectively comprise the state central committee, and the state central committee will choose the party’s presidential nominee at a state convention in August. The process is somewhat burdensome to Peace & Freedom Party rank-and-file members, because the ballot just lists the candidates for county central committee. Some of the candidates support Gloria La Riva, some support Cynthia McKinney, some support Brian Moore, some support Ralph Nader. But the ballot doesn’t show these preferences. In addition, there are a fair number of write-in candidates for county central committee, and many voters won’t know anything about the write-in candidates, even though each California polling place will have a list of the declared write-in candidates for all offices, including party office.

The Constitution Party was unable to finish its petition in time for the May 12 West Virginia deadline. However, the same petition can still be turned in by the August 1 deadline. The disadvantage of the party using the later deadline is that the petition will only be good for president and vice-president, and not for other office, such as Governor.

The Constitution Party’s petition has Butch Paugh listed as its candidate for Governor. If the petition is turned in by August 1, and has enough valid signatures, Chuck Baldwin will be on for president, but Paugh will not be on for Governor. No statewide minor party petition has managed to qualify in West Virginia by the May deadline since 2000, when the Mountain Party succeeded.