
Here's an odd one. I just received the latest press release from the Bob Barr campaign. Apparently both McCain and Obama have missed the filing deadline to be on the ballot in the state of Texas. The website for the Texas Secretary of State doesn't show them as candidates.
Wow.
Whoa! Clipped wherever it makes sense!
I give it a week before the follow up, "Texas Bends Rules for Obama, McCain" story is released.
And Bob Barr comes out with a scathing press release.
You're confused; that won't be part of the story...
Well, if nothing else, this should tell us if we're a nation of laws, or a nation of parties.
I say give Barr the state! Fair is fair. ;)
To be honest, I would be quite surprised if this happened to the Obama campaign. From my experience and knowledge of them, they wouldn't be so sloppy as to miss a filing deadline. That would be awesome though, because Barr would get the electoral votes instead of McCain or Obama most likely. Although I don't expect that to be the case.
Besides, there would be write ins.
I'd be surprised if either campaign didn't know when the filing deadlines where, not to mention the political parties.
I'm pretty sure the comment left by Mike D at AAB is accurate:
The August 26 deadline is for independent and third party candidates. -- Texas Election Code - Section 192.031
Since the D's and the R's nominate by convention, and those parties have each had "a nominee for a statewide office who received a number of votes equal to at least five percent of the total number of votes received by all candidates for that office," Texas Election Code Section 181.005 applies.
I think Bob Barr is trying to pull a fast one, or he hasn't been accurately advised regarding Texas election law.
Automatic qualification laws are fairly common, which is why Ross Perot's Reform Party automatically qualified after the 1992 and 1996 elections, but was unable to automatically qualify after the 2000 election in most states.
Automatic qualification laws are fairly shenanigans, you mean. It's a trick by those in power to stay in power if you ask me.
Curse you Mike D, for leaving that comment after I'd come and gone!
Hey, Democrats and Republicans don't make the rules, they just follo...oh, nevermind, they do make the rules. Mea culpa!
Bob Barr isn't on the Council on Foreign Relations.
Clearly there's a good reason why: he can't seem to read and interpret election laws. ;-)
Is there any way Obama and NcCain could be kept off the ballot in all 50 states?
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