Sneaky, underhanded, or smart politics?

[Engyo]

Strange bedfellows
Green Party efforts to get on the Texas ballot get a boost bearing GOP prints
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
June 19, 2010, 4:53PM

On the face of it you'd figure that the environmentally oriented Green Party of Texas would have little in common with state Republican officials supported by big business and energy. But Arizona GOP consultant Tim Mooney orchestrated the recent petition drive by the Greens to place candidates in Texas statewide races. Mooney was also involved in 2004 in helping Ralph Nader get on the ballot in several states, a tactic seen as aiding incumbent George W. Bush by diverting progressive votes that would likely have gone Democratic. Mooney worked with Dave Carney, a current political adviser for Gov. Rick Perry, in the Nader effort. Perry could similarly benefit next November if the Greens siphon votes from Democrat Bill White.

Strange bedfellows: Green Party efforts to get on the Texas ballot get a boost bearing GOP prints | Editorial | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

 

[Tarheeler]

Strange bedfellows
Green Party efforts to get on the Texas ballot get a boost bearing GOP prints
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
June 19, 2010, 4:53PM

On the face of it you'd figure that the environmentally oriented Green Party of Texas would have little in common with state Republican officials supported by big business and energy. But Arizona GOP consultant Tim Mooney orchestrated the recent petition drive by the Greens to place candidates in Texas statewide races. Mooney was also involved in 2004 in helping Ralph Nader get on the ballot in several states, a tactic seen as aiding incumbent George W. Bush by diverting progressive votes that would likely have gone Democratic. Mooney worked with Dave Carney, a current political adviser for Gov. Rick Perry, in the Nader effort. Perry could similarly benefit next November if the Greens siphon votes from Democrat Bill White.

Strange bedfellows: Green Party efforts to get on the Texas ballot get a boost bearing GOP prints | Editorial | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

It is sneak, underhanded, and smart politics.

It is also, unfortunately, business as usual in American politics.

Sometimes I really think we should develop a system for proportional representation that would work with a federalist system.

 

[dust1n]

Strange bedfellows
Green Party efforts to get on the Texas ballot get a boost bearing GOP prints
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
June 19, 2010, 4:53PM

On the face of it you'd figure that the environmentally oriented Green Party of Texas would have little in common with state Republican officials supported by big business and energy. But Arizona GOP consultant Tim Mooney orchestrated the recent petition drive by the Greens to place candidates in Texas statewide races. Mooney was also involved in 2004 in helping Ralph Nader get on the ballot in several states, a tactic seen as aiding incumbent George W. Bush by diverting progressive votes that would likely have gone Democratic. Mooney worked with Dave Carney, a current political adviser for Gov. Rick Perry, in the Nader effort. Perry could similarly benefit next November if the Greens siphon votes from Democrat Bill White.

Strange bedfellows: Green Party efforts to get on the Texas ballot get a boost bearing GOP prints | Editorial | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

We should help fund the Libertarian party so that the GOP falls apart.

 

[Engyo]

June 25, 2010

Green Party blocked from November ballot by Democrats

The Democratic Party recently persuaded a state judge (who as chance would have it is himself a Democrat) to bar all Green Party candidates from the November ballot, including Deb Shafto who would have competed in the race for governor against Bill White, Rick Perry and Libertarian Kathie Glass. Judge John Dietz agreed with the Democratic Party that the fact that a Republican-funded nonprofit corporation, Missouri-based Take Initiative America, indirectly provided most of the more than 92,000 signatures submitted by the Greens was sufficient grounds for blocking the party from participating in the fall.

Since corporations can (and do) provide funding for both the Democratic and Republican March precinct conventions and June statewide conventions as well as for party overhead and operating costs, it seems questionable to conclude that they cannot fund signature collection (which, under Texas law, is merely an extension of the March precinct conventions). In fact, Dietz's decision would appear to be more the result of his disgust with the reality that this donation was orchestrated by out-of-state Republicans with the goal of siphoning off votes from a White candidacy in order to improve Perry's chances of victory. While without a doubt duplicitous, this behavior at the same time would not appear to be a clear-cut violation of Texas law.

Baker Institute Blog | Insight and analysis from the fellows of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

 

[Wandered Off]

I think the ballot-access rules -- conveniently drawn up by representatives from only the two major parties -- are far too stringent in the first place. Suing to prevent voter choice seems desperate.

We have long since passed the point where two parties are sufficient to represent our diverse voter base, but that's another rant.

The two parties display their arrogance when they complain that third parties "steal votes." You can't have something stolen unless it was yours in the first place. Talk about an entitlement mentality... But that's yet another rant.

We should help fund the Libertarian party so that the GOP falls apart.

Based on the results of the last election, the Libertarian Party gathered enough votes to assure ballot access in Texas for this election already.

 

[Revoltingest]

We should help fund the Libertarian party so that the GOP falls apart.

I can live with that plot!
Perhaps we can even take a few Dems with us.