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Barr Sues Over McCain's, Obama's Presence on Texas Ballot

Posted by timothy on from the try-getting-the-signatures-for-a-3d-party-in-pennsylvania dept.

corbettw writes "Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party's nominee for president, has filed a lawsuit in Texas demanding Senators John McCain and Barack Obama be removed from the ballot after they missed the official filing deadline."

6 of 918 comments (clear)

  1. I hope they're removed, by Antony-Kyre · · Score: 5, Interesting

    but I hope they are allowed to run as write-in. Assuming the summary is true.

    1. Re:I hope they're removed, by Sique · · Score: 5, Interesting

      But also with range voting you can get a less popular candidate winning. If he has not many but loyal followers who give him a 9 and 0 to everyone else, and the other candidate has many more followers, but they will give him 7s and 8s, and 2s and 3s to the other, then in the end the candidate the majority disappoves still manages to win. The disparity can get worse if there are more than two candidates running.

      Lets assume 30 voters for three candidates.

      A gets 9 from his 10 supporters, who give 0 to all other candidates.
      B gets 7 from his 10 supporters, but they give 2 to all other candidates.
      C gets 7 from his 10 supporters, who give 4 to B and only 1 to A.

      So A is heavily unpopular with everyone exept his own supports, and he gets 120 votes. B is popular with his own supporters, but also the fans of C will agree with him. He gehts 110 votes. C is definitely unpopular, but the supportes of B would rather have him than A.

      But still A wins.

      --
      .sig: Sique *sigh*
  2. Re: electoral college by eldepeche · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The current system is worse than mob rule. Why do we have huge subsidies on corn and soy? Iowa is a swing state. Why did we bail out American auto makers in the 70's? Michigan is a swing state. Why do we have steel tariffs? Pennsylvania is a swing state. Why do we have sugar tariffs? Florida is a swing state. Maybe we would have some kind of national urban/metropolitan policy on land use or transportation if anyone cared what people in California or greater New York thought about anything.

  3. Spell check? by martyb · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Hey, this is awesome! Screw electronic voting. Screw pre-printed ballots in general! Just think -- if candidates were forced to rely on a write-in only process, voting participation would drop like a stone because the average American couldn't be bothered. Only the activists would show up, and the polls wouldn't be tainted by idiots who know nothing other than the contents of TV ads.(emphasis added)

    That could be quite interesting! Here are my predictions on the names of some of the write-in candidates:

    • Barrack Obama
    • Barak Obama
    • Bareack Obama
    • Barack O'bama
    • Barack Omama
    • Barack O. Bama
    • John McKain
    • John MacCain
    • Jon McCain
    • Johann McCain
    • John McCane
    • John Mack Cain

    As not even one of the above is the name of a candidate, all Bob Barr needs is for more people to be able to spell his name correctly than they could the other candidates.

    For a prank, Bob Barr could have a few people at each polling place who carried signs encouraging people to vote for the above, misspelled candidates. That couldn't possibly work. Could it?

  4. Take them the heck off the ballot. by taliesin1077 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually, Barr is having to fight in a couple states for ballot access, despite having made the requisite number of signatures by the deadline specified by the states. Connecticut might be one? I'm pretty sure Virginia is as well. However, the Dems and the Reps, despite having missed the timeline, (and I've seen copies of the paperwork...they missed it) are granted ballot access carte blanche.

  5. Re:Link to the texas code: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If I read that correctly (I am not a lawyer), then half of Barr's complaint should be legally valid and half should not be.

    McCain could not have filed in time, and so clearly does not (according to the law) belong on the ballot.

    Barr complains that Obama filed, but said before the vote was tallied that he had already been nominated. However as I read the law, the requirement is that the paperwork be filed and certified by the party's state chair. There is stated no requirement that the party's internal procedures have actually been followed in full. Only that they be certified. Since it appears that the party's state chair did, in fact, file and certify the paperwork, Obama should be on the ballot.

    My guess as to what will actually happen here is that a judge will get the case, will rule that Barr has no standing to bring the lawsuit, and will promptly throw the case out of court. Leaving unresolved the question of whether the candidates should, in fact, not be on the ballot. Since nobody can be found with both standing and the desire to sue, they will be on the ballot, and McCain will carry Texas.

    I predict that because this is the only decision that the judge can come to which is consistent with the law and the facts, and will not get the judge lynched.