Americans Elect CEO, in Radio Interview, Deflects Question about Newt Gingrich’s Statement on General Election Debates

On the evening of December 11, radio host Frank Morano on New York city interviewed Elliot Ackerman, CEO of Americans Elect, for 15 minutes. At three minutes into the interview, Morano asks Ackerman to comment on Newt Gingrich’s recent comment that if he is the Republican nominee, he will not debate anyone in the general election except President Obama. Here is the link.

Unfortunately for those who are intensely interested in the issue of exclusionary general election presidential debates, Morano combined his question on debates with a question about whether Americans Elect should be considered a “spoiler”. Ackerman then responded to the part of the question about “spoiling”, and did not comment on the part of the question concerning debates. Morano did not follow up.

Perhaps Ackerman’s most interesting comment is his statement that in 2014, Americans Elect will be on ballots for all partisan office, not just President as is the case for 2012. Ackerman suggested, but did not state explicitly, that in 2014, Americans Elect will have nominees for a full range of all partisan offices.


Comments

Americans Elect CEO, in Radio Interview, Deflects Question about Newt Gingrich’s Statement on General Election Debates — 10 Comments

  1. Ackerman also noted in his interview with Charlie Rose that AE will ballot eligible in 2014 for political offices and then again in 2016 for the presidency.

    If public funding is still around in 2016 and AE garners +5% in the 2012 race they will be eligble for $millions.

  2. Will the U.S.A. make it to 2013 and NOT have Civil WAR II ??? Stay tuned.

    The top MONSTERS are now just as CRAZY as they were in 1859-1860.

  3. I actually talked to AE staff about this when they were in my neck of the woods. From my understanding, the platform will be opened to downticket races in states where they have ballot access, which they may well have all over the country should they get 5% or more. In some states they will be able to keep it for four years once they reach the ballot qualifications for this election in the first place.

    This is where the game changing stuff begins. The likelihood that the AE candidate makes it into the White House is slim, but the likelihood that a serious ticket would be able to develop a skeleton network of state and local groups that can evolve into a third parties is likely.

  4. Pingback: Americans Elect to Run Candidates for Down Ballot Offices in 2014 | Independent Political Report

  5. Pingback: Americans Elect CEO, in Radio Interview, Deflects Question about Newt Gingrich’s Statement on General Election Debates | ThirdPartyPolitics.us

  6. I would have liked to see Americans Elect take advantage of state presidential primaries, as in Arizona, where they were automatically qualified to hold one but are apparently choosing not to, favoring their “online primary” or whatever it is instead.

    In the states where they are ballot-qualified for at least the next cycle or next two cycles, the AE may find their party has gotten away from them. With 69 statewide registrants in Arizona, por ejemplo, it would be easy for a group — of the right, left, some LaRouche-like cult or odd fringe — to take over either local or state parties of Americans Elect.

    The nature of the party, like New York’s Independence Party, which has wildly swung from left to right to mainstream and back again — if I’m not mistaken in 2000, its presidential candidate was Pat Buchanan and right under him on the voting machine in the same column was the party’s Senate candidate, Hillary Rodham Clinton — or the Reform Party, lends itself to widely divergent state “leaders” and local candidates.

    As near as I can tell, in Arizona someone can register as an Americans Elect voter and pretty much nominate herself for any state office.

  7. Evolution into a 3rd party contesting all elections would be a good sign that it isn’t a waste of everyone’s time and money. Like Unity ’08.

  8. the ballot acess laws in the usa are so bad that really it is a waste of time at this stage in the game to be involved in any third party activity outside of the libertarians and the greens. if you were nt happy with them then you could back a new party but it would be best to plan for a 2014 launch date you need a years run up to get well known let and raise money attract activists let alone overcome harsh ballot access rules.

  9. Richard,

    Great catch. This is why I’m a repeat reader… and a subscriber! Folks, if you like what Richard’s doing, head over to the main page and buy a subscription to the print version.

  10. Pingback: Why Americans Elect’s Fibs about Not Being a Party Matter: It’s Planning to Run All Kinds of Candidates in 2014 | Irregular Times

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