RICHARD WINGER, richardwinger at yahoo.com
Publisher and editor of Ballot Access News, Winger said today: “Some establishment Republicans seem to be trying to line up an independent presidential run to stop Donald Trump. Contrary to what many in the media are claiming, it’s not too late for a major independent candidate to get on the ballot. The U.S. Supreme Court held in Anderson v. Celebrezze in 1983 that early ballot deadlines were unconstitutional. June deadlines have been struck down in five states in recent years: Alaska, Nevada, Arizona, South Dakota and Kansas.
“Our ballot access laws are chaotic and onerous. The ballots are printed weeks before the election — which is six months away. In Britain, you can get on the ballot three weeks before the election.
“The mainstream media seem especially oblivious to the fact that there are 17 states with right-leaning one-state parties. For example, there’s the Independence Party in New York — an offshoot of the Reform Party Ross Perot founded in the 90s. These could be strung together to form an independent run.
“But, the Republican establishment unhappy with Trump can’t do anything — including having a lawsuit to strike down these state restrictions — without a candidate.
“Whether or not that effort materializes, minor parties may play a much larger role this year than in recent memory. The Libertarian Party will probably be on all 50 states this year. The Green Party, by November, I’d estimate to be on 40 to 45.
“While such minor parties have generally been ignored by the media, this year, the New York Times has written twice about Gary Johnson, one of the Libertarian candidates. When Johnson was the Libertarian nominee in 2012, he didn’t get anywhere near that level of attention.
“The Greens have reached out to the Sanders campaign, to see how they might work together, but he has apparently not responded. But the Greens are increasing in capacity — they did qualify for primary season matching funds this year. They haven’t seen the same increase in media coverage as the Libertarians yet, perhaps partly because Sanders is still campaigning.”
Winger also noted the restrictive nature of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which is facing lawsuits.
See: “RT America gives Green, Libertarian candidates a voice with 3rd-party debates“: “Green Party candidates Jill Stein, Kent Mesplay and Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza Curry will face off on Monday, while Libertarian Party candidates Darryl W. Perry, Austin Petersen and Marc Allan Feldman will debate next Thursday. Both debates will cover foreign policy, domestic issues, and electoral reform. … The debates will air on RT America from 4 pm to 6 pm Eastern time. You can also watch them on the RT America YouTube page.”