Great News for Third Party Advocates

[ATeam]

Having had enough politics to last three lifetimes, I rarely read or post in The Soapbox forum but am making an exception today to share news that third-party advocates will enjoy.

Independent and third-party candidates face formidable challenges in any election. Just getting on the ballot presents challenges the two-party candidates do not face. Then there is the spoiler criticism and wasted vote myth. The list goes on.

All of that is falling to the ground in Minnesota's gubernatorial race this year as the Independence Party candidate is coming on strong. Minnesota's largest newspaper, the Star Tribune, published an historic and profound editorial yesterday intended to wake voters out of their two-party slumber and prompt serious consideration of the Independence Party candidate, Tom Horner.

I could hardly believe my eyes as I read it. I was involved with the Independence Party in it's early days in 1992. We had to fight for every shred of media coverage we could. Now Minnesota's largest newspaper is coming out strong to encourage Minnesota voters to seriously consider the IP candidate.

In the news today, former Minnesota governor Arnie Carlson (Republican) is keeping his party identity but endorsing IP candidate Horner and joining him on the campaign trail.

If Horner wins this election it will mean that two of the last three Minnesota governors were Independence Party members (Jesse Ventura, IP; Tim Pawlenty, GOP; Tom Horner, IP).

Over the years the IP has also attracted heavy hitters from the Democratic side, the most notable being former U.S. Congressman Tim Penny.

If you believe as I do that a viable third party would be good for America, the news coming out of Minnesota is encouraging.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Phil..Mn isn't alone...28% of SD residents support an Independent candidate....there are making in roads...

 

[jjoerger]

Hey Phil, it's happening in Florida too. Governor Charlie Crist (elected as a Republican) is running for the US Senate as an Independent.
"Charlie Crist continues to hold about a seven point edge over Republican Marco Rubio. According to the poll, his lead is relatively the same regardless of who the Democratic nominee is. Against Kendrick Meek, Crist leads 39-32-16; while facing Jeff Greene he is up 40-32-15.
The poll was conducted from Aug. 11 to 16 and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points with a 1,096-person sample size."
Quoted from tampabay.com

 

[LDB]

You have to look at them though because some are not independents by more than the slightest stretch of the imagination just as some like Snowe and McCain are only Republican by the slightest stretch of the imagination. They're the "affirmative actions" of party affiliation. Discrimination by a different name is still discrimination. Democrats by a different name are still democrats.

 

[ATeam]

It is not uncommon in races where third party candidates have a genuine presence for those candidates to be strong in the polls early on and then slide down as Election Day nears. People are open to choices when they don't have to make them and then they revert to old patterns when the actual vote must be cast.

An important fact in the Minnesota race is that Horner is raising money in significant amounts. People are contributing to his campaign like they mean it.

OVM, can you tell us more about the South Dakota third-party candidate?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

In SD usually a conservative state...the people don't like what they see from the GOP...NO platform/gameplan, NO leadership..I think this is the way they are sending the message out....get your act together....

 

[OntarioVanMan]

It is not uncommon in races where third party candidates have a genuine presence for those candidates to be strong in the polls early on and then slide down as Election Day nears. People are open to choices when they don't have to make them and then they revert to old patterns when the actual vote must be cast.

An important fact in the Minnesota race is that Horner is raising money in significant amounts. People are contributing to his campaign like they mean it.

OVM, can you tell us more about the South Dakota third-party candidate?

Phil...
Did some checking...
Sorry bout that...my mistake...it is on the local level elections...not for House or Governor.....

Dennis Daugaard (R)
57%
Scott Heidepriem (D)
28%

 

[Pilgrim]

Hey Phil, it's happening in Florida too. Governor Charlie Crist (elected as a Republican) is running for the US Senate as an Independent.
"Charlie Crist continues to hold about a seven point edge over Republican Marco Rubio. According to the poll, his lead is relatively the same regardless of who the Democratic nominee is. Against Kendrick Meek, Crist leads 39-32-16; while facing Jeff Greene he is up 40-32-15.
The poll was conducted from Aug. 11 to 16 and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points with a 1,096-person sample size."
Quoted from tampabay.com

More recent polling data from Real Clear Politics show Rubio has pulled ahead of Crist by an avg. of 8.5 points. Could be the voters have decided that Crist is not really a true 3d party candidate, but just a rejected Republican.

RealClearPolitics - Election 2010 - Florida Senate - Rubio vs. Meek vs. Crist

 

[Moot]

Now Minnesota's largest newspaper is coming out strong to encourage Minnesota voters to seriously consider the IP candidate.

That commie fish wrapper would endorse anybody if it meant a few more copies sold at newsstands. Nice to see them breaking from their tradition of endorsing any slug with a "D" after their name.

It is shaping up to be a replay of 1998, the lesser of 3 evils. Although people voting for Tom Horner will be expecting him to have a chance to win unlike the throwaway vote for Ventura.

If Mr. Horner wins I hope he is more of a statesman than Ventura and will be willing to work with both major parties.

 

[greg334]

Moot,
I'm curious, in your opinion was Ventura a good governor?

 

[witness23]

Moot,
I'm curious, in your opinion was Ventura a good governor?

I was wondering exactly the same thing.

 

[layoutshooter]

He did a lot for wetlands conservation in MN. I don't know much about anything else.

 

[Moot]

Moot,
I'm curious, in your opinion was Ventura a good governor?

I would rank him mediocre at best. During his one term as governor the Minnesota Senate was controlled by the DFL (Democratic Farm Labor) and the Minnesota House of Representatives was controlled by the Republican Party.

The stage was set for Governor Ventura of the Reform Party to work with the split House/Senate and become a great governor. He had the chance to show the country that not only could a third party candidate win a gubernatorial election but could also work with both major parties to get things done. He lacked any kind of leadership skills and failed miserably in that area!

I voted for Ventura knowing he could not possibly win so I should probably not have had any expectations about what he could have done after winning. But still I lament this governorship and how it could have positively affected the Reform Party particularly and in general all viable third parties.

Governor Ventura did reduce automobile registration fees, and returned a portion of the state budget surplus he inherited to the tax payers. He also championed a mass transit bill which included huge federal subsidies that built the first legs of a light rail system and a commuter train built on existing rail tracks. All in all, mediocre.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I'm interested in knowing what this Horner candidate stands for. If the Independent Party is nothing but a place for the status-quo castoffs, like Crist, to go, then it's better not to endorse it.

I'm not one to totally believe a third party is a spoiler... at least not intentionally. But if you look at Teddy Roosevelt's run with the Bull Moose - the result was the largest socialist swing we've had in this country until now (well, maybe FDR).

Here's an idea for conservatives... stop naming your new party the Independent Party, or you'll have every disgruntled RINO joining up!

 

[ATeam]

I'm interested in knowing what this Horner candidate stands for.

Horner's public policy information is on his Horner2010.com web site. Click the issues link at the top of the page.

Not being as politically involved as I once was, I'm not in a position to discuss or defend specifics. I am impressed with the fact that Horner's state budget proposal is -- according to credible observers -- detailed, complete and it gets the job done; that is, if the job is balancing the state budget. Reviews of the other two candidates' budget proposals have those budgets coming up short and leaving the budget out of balance.

 

[ATeam]

As election day draws near, 24 Minnesota newspapers have endorsed Independence Party candidate Tom Horner for governor and none have endorsed the Democratic or Republican candidates (there may be some minor papers that have that I do not know about, but they would fall into the weekly shopper category).

There are three living former governors in Minnesota and all three have endorsed Horner. Numerous other endorsements have come in for Horner as well. Yet he trails in the polls.

Independence Party people are not discouraged by the polls. In 1998, Reform Party (as the Independence Party of Minnesota was then known) candidate Jesse Ventura also trailed in the polls. But when election day came, Ventura won.

Diane and I voted for Horner by absentee ballot a couple weeks ago and we urge every Minnesota voter we know to do the same.

Don't waste your vote by voting for the parties that created today's dismal state of the state. Use your vote to vote for a capable leader and force for real change.

 

[xiggi]

Horner himself says he is a republican and is only running as an independent because of the circumstances.

 

[bobwg]

Hey Phil, it's happening in Florida too. Governor Charlie Crist (elected as a Republican) is running for the US Senate as an Independent.
"Charlie Crist continues to hold about a seven point edge over Republican Marco Rubio. According to the poll, his lead is relatively the same regardless of who the Democratic nominee is. Against Kendrick Meek, Crist leads 39-32-16; while facing Jeff Greene he is up 40-32-15.
The poll was conducted from Aug. 11 to 16 and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points with a 1,096-person sample size."
Quoted from tampabay.com

Christ an Independant? No he is a sore looser he ran as a Republican in the primary and lost so now all of a sudden he is Independant? NOT