This MSNBC article on Americans Elect carries hints that Americans Elect has been talking to potential presidential candidates who generally have not been discussed so far in the media. The story also supports the notion that Americans Elect founders, at this point, do not have any one particular candidate in mind. See the parts of the article that quote Larry Diamond.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
It will be very, very interesting to see which candidates emerge. Who has the cajones to buck their party and end (or start) their political career.
Bloomberg or perhaps Paul, but Obama? Whether he deserves to be or not, the president has become the lightening rod of the hyperpartisanship which has paralyzed the policy process in Washington, DC. I can’t imagine that AE would select him to lead the charge against the gridlock in which he and the congressional Republicans and Democrats are so enmeshed. Besides, of what value to building a third party would fusion (Democrat-AE) be when the vast majority of states do not permit ballot-level cross endorsement?
It’s my understanding (I didn’t check to write this, though) that draft committees can be formed early on, and the candidates don’t have to decline until spring. This certainly seems to be the only way to get a big name on the ticket.
With California moving it’s presidential primary to June how many candidates will hold out. Some states must have earlier filing deadlines as far as electors and candidate information.
The Libertarian Party didn’t nominate Harry Browne for president in 1996 until July 4 weekend, and Browne got on the ballot in all states.
Because the Democratic Party won’t officially nominate anyone for president and vice-president until early September, no state requires qualified parties to submit the names of their pres & v-p nominees until early September. Texas was embarrassed in 2008 by having a law that said parties must submit them sooner then that, but then the state just ignored its own law. And now that law has been repealed.
That’s why Americans Elect is smart to be trying to be a qualified party in as many states as possible. It gets maximum flexibility that way.
The Ron Paul – Ralph Nader Libertarian Progressive Alliance has made the news: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/22/ron-paul-ralph-nader-agree-on-progressive-libertarian-alliance/
#6
I think this was originally posted in “The Onion”
#5 At that time, there was a requirement that overseas military voters be able to participate fully in elections, but there was no hard 45-day limit like there is now. However, 45 days was considered best practice by the DOJ, and Texas in 2005 had changed its deadlines by which presidential candidates had to file and by which the SOS had to transmit the names to the counties, along with deadlines for sending out ballots (See HB 2339 79th Regular Session).
The deadline for the SOS was changed from 55 days before the election to 62 days; while the presidential filing deadline was changed from 60 to 70 days. Because the conventions were later in 2008, they finished after the deadline, but the SOS was still able to transmit the candidate names to the counties before the deadline, and the ballots were printed and sent to overseas voters 45 days before the election.
Had the SOS refused to transmit the names, the Democrats and Republicans would have sued and won.
The law (Election Code 192.031 and 192.032) was revised, not repealed in 2009. See HB 1193, 81st Regular Session, 2009.
Surely, it is more embarrassing that New York is unable to comply with the MOVE Act in 2012, even though its co-sponsor was Chuck Schumer.
Brad
No, it’s no joke.
Not that I believe that this could be the AE ticket – actually if anything, that’s the type of synthesis AE exists to head off at the pass.