[Platform] Fwd: New Mexico

[BillCunningham]

Hi Merelice,

No, what I mean is this. If Nader (say) ran in November on the line of a party (say GPUS/GRP) and received 3 percent of the MA vote, that would thereby secure the party's 2010 ballot line and official status. But if Nader (say) gets 3 percent as an independent, that doesn't secure anybody's future ballot line or status. Is that right? That's why the phrase "money down the drain" made me think of this question.



-----Original Message-----
>From: Merelice <merelice at gmail.com>
>Sent: Mar 10, 2008 6:52 PM
>To: BillCunningham <etwee at earthlink.net>
>Cc: John Walsh <john.walsh at umassmed.edu>, Platform Committee <platform at green-rainbow.org>, candidate development <candidate-development at green-rainbow.org>
>Subject: Re: [Platform] Fwd: New Mexico
>
>(Forward to Need-to-know if of interest.)
>
>Hi Bill,
>
>Not sure I understand your question, especially your use of the term
>"votes." But here are some points that might be relevant.
>
>Assuming the GRP offers Nader the convention delegates he earned in
>the GRP presidential primary, he could either decide to use them to
>seek the Green Party nomination (pretty unlikely from the sounds of
>things) or he could release them. The primary was the only time that
>public "votes" are involved.
>
>Whoever wins the nomination at the Green Party's national nominating
>convention in July (by winning over enough delegates) will then become
>the Green Party's presidential candidate in the November general
>presidential election.
>
>Should anyone (including Nader) wish to run as an independent
>candidate in November, they will need to follow each state's
>requirements (generally collecting sigs) for running in that capacity
>-- as Nader is now doing in New Mexico. In other words, he has his
>work cut out for him. The GRP primary votes have no bearing on an
>independent candidacy. Nader apparently thinks he has a stronger field
>operation for getting on state ballots than the Green Party can offer
>-- and stronger than he had in 2004 when he did not make it on the
>Mass. ballot.
>
>Merelice
>
>On 3/10/08, BillCunningham <etwee at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Speaking of money down the drain, if Nader as a non-party candidate gets enough votes to qualify for state ballot lines, who gets to exercise that option?
>>
>>


Bill Cunningham