The LP’s biggest problem is this foolish “we’re big boys, too” tantrum it is throwing, pretending that they can wait until Memorial day of the election year to select their candidate. This flies in face of common sense, knowing that they have ballot access and financing issues that mean that the playing field is stacked against them. Like many LP members, I thought selecting a “name” candidate defector from the Republicans would be a good move and give us needed traction to offset our late start. We compromised our principles and got nothing in return.

I won’t be rejoining the LP. I’m going to focus my efforts on starting a Maine affiliate for the Boston Tea Party (www.bostontea.us) and working to build up a sustainable, grassroots level Libertarian alternative for my state. The LP as we know it has had 37 years to make a breakthrough and realistically, hasn’t been able to make a difference. It’s time to start anew.

This is not the first drive he has screwed up.

My wife and I singlehandedly got the signatures to put Harry Browne on the ballot in Maine in 1996. Our validity was 89%+ (almost 90). We understood that 4,000 valid signatures meant not 3,200 but over 5,000. We turned in 5,100, got a bonus from the Browne campaign for getting the job done under the 6,000 sigs they had projected, and Maine made it in the win column that year.

I returned to Maine in 2004 with a couple of colleagues and once again, we turned in ample signatures to get Badnarik on the ballot.

Because of incompetent management at the political director position (not naming names, of course) this year, I was not called into Maine to work this year. Ergo, Maine failed.

Yes, folks, when Fincher does Maine, it makes it; when Fincher doesn’t do Maine, it fails. So, as Fincher goes, so goes Maine.

Did I mention that I passed mathmatics in school? :-)

I’m sure my 5 year old grandson could figure out that if you need 4,000 valid signatures, you don’t respond by collecting only 3,200 signatures, handing them in, and say, “There you go; are we on the ballot now?”

Duh.

I hate to use the word “stupid” to describe our political director, but didn’t they teach fundamental math in the schools he attended?

Man!

Are you saying that you filed more than 4,000 verified and certified signatures with the Sec of State by the Aug 15th deadline?

If so, they will have no excuse to keep Barr off, and this will indeed be good news.

It’s a longshot, but Barr could still make 48 if this is true.

Tom Bryant – I agree with you too. A lot of the problems that the Third Parties have are self created. A lot of the local party bosses treat their local chapters as their own feudal territory to be ruled over, rather than working together with the national affiliation as a group. Until this changes, there is little chance of a third party growing to challenge the Dems/Reps.

The full petitions were filed with the SOS by the deadline – it was a memo from the SOS instructing local clerks not to accept petitions a week prior that was the issue.

We await word on the ballot for Maine, however as of this post full signatures have been submitted to the SOS.

Clark Phinney – Chair, Maine Libertarian Party

And ERic: I know what you mean about the LP CT. I tried contacting them for months, trying to get some information on what to do for ballot drives, but they never got back to me.

You have members fighting against the Barr campaign, doing their best to make it fail – just like every other Presidential content. Badnarik and Browne got so much opposition internally that the major parties didn’t even need to worry.

Let’s not forget the Mary Ruwart supporters who lied their way to become a Barr elector, and then declared that they will not cast a vote for Barr should he win their state. With such internal sabotage well underway, the major parties can sit back and relax.

Some old story every four years.

Alex. 13,000 is such a round number, I wonder what the actual hard count was.

Unlike ME, where it is common to get 90% validity, CT usually comes in with 60% to 70% valid, even for the best petitioners.

60% of 13,000 is cutting it close, and I’ve learned over the years that when someone says 13,000 in nice round numbers, it’s more than likely 12,647 or 12,325 or no real “hard” count has been done.

60% of 12,500 would just make the 7,500 required.

So, the CT numbers look very tight to me. I do hope they have enough.