Robert Milnes nominated himself for the Boston Tea Party‘s presidential nomination. His nomination was seconded by former Manhattan campaign manager for Mike Gravel, Dodge Landesman, who said, “Hell, I may as well second the nomination for Robert Milnes. You have to respect that guy for fighting.”
In acceptance, Milnes said:
I thank you for the second and hereby accept. Further, I’d like to thank all of the efforts that have gone into this party. Now I come along, perhaps a johnny come lately, and propose a very practical purpose. That would be to further my independent candidacy for president. As soon as I can secure a woman for vice-president I propose to call it the Progressive Alliance ticket and obtain a display much as Ralph Nader with his Independence Party ticket, vice-president Matt Gonzalez. I point out that on politics1.com, there are 44 by my count Independent and Write-in candidates named, including me. There is also a caption that states: “none of the below independents have yet to achieve ballot status in any state.” If I were nominated by BTP that ballot access could be added to subsequently. Some state ballot access is just a matter of a few hundred signatures and/or a fee by a deadline. I have asked the Native American tribes to help me with ballot access in all states including Oklahoma, which deadline is July 15. I submit that my proposals on Native American issues are the most favorable and achievable if I am elected. Full ballot access would be necessary for that I have communicated to them. In all fairness and openness to all here, I have yet to receive ANY reply from them. Also I have asked ENM ElfNinos Mom to be a vice-presidential place holder at least for this ticket. I await her reply. Pursuant to that I hereby place ENM in nomination for vice-president for BTP. Apologies to Founder Tom K. That would exclude him from the vp position, but he has a Congressional race already! I submit to all here that if full ballot access is achieved, victory by plurality in a three way race is possible PLUS various Libertarian and Green coattails downticket. There is really that much available inclusive progressive vote. So my candidacy is in effect to ask you for this use of BTP ballot access and purpose as opposed to any other purpose. This is in direct opposition to the LP and subsequent GP tickets. I tried to avoid that but have not succeeded. Again, thank you for your efforts towards this worthy goal. I look forward to further developments.
In response to his request that she run as Milnes’s vice-presidential nominee, Last Free Voice proprietor ElfNinosMom respectfully declined.
The Boston Tea Party’s online convention is July 15. Candidates for president include Charles Jay and Robert Milnes, and candidates for vice president include Thomas Knapp, Chris Bennett, and Todd Andrew Barrett, who was recently named the party’s vice chair, replacing the resigning Dr. Tom Stevens.
Christine Smith and Alden Link both gave consideration to becoming nominees of the Boston Tea Party before declining.
The activity level at the party’s Web site is really picking up, and party founder Tom Knapp’s prediction of 500 members may come to pass soon.
I know, but just think about it. It makes my day.
Sean,
You write: “So basically what you are saying you have no clue what the BTP is or what’s going to wind up being, you’re just along for the ride and where it takes you? Am I right?”
Well, I have a few clues. I just don’t trade much in certainties where the BTP is concerned. Every time I turn around, it surprises me. I had it figured for dead at least twice in the last two years, and it keeps flaring back up.
“I mean you just said you may very well be the BTP’s vice presidential candidate and you’re planning on supporting the Barr-Root ticket in Missouri? You’re going to be campaiging against yourself? Am I right?”
No, you’re wrong. The BTP ticket won’t be on the ballot in Missouri. That’s one thing I am reasonably certain of. Ballot access in Missouri is 10,000 valid signatures (which in practice means 20,000 raw signatures) by July 28th. Ain’t gonna happen.
Mike,
You write:
“Milnes/Knapp.”
Ah, another certainty. That one’s not gonna happen, either.
Regards,
Tom
Milnes/Knapp
BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHA HAHAHAHA AHAHA!
GOD DAMN, WHEN YOU HAVE THE BUMPER STICKERS! BAHAHAHAHAH!
I meant to say Republican Liberty Caucus.
So basically what you are saying you have no clue what the BTP is or what’s going to wind up being, you’re just along for the ride and where it takes you? Am I right?
Well, it could take you right out of the LP.
I mean you just said you may very well be the BTP’s vice presidential candidate and you’re planning on supporting the Barr-Root ticket in Missouri? You’re going to be campaiging against yourself? Am I right?
As I said, the BTP has its uses.
Ross,
You write:
“What do you mean by ‘its own ballot line.’ Can’t someone just petition to get on the ballot for a certain party?”
Ballot access laws vary by state.
In Florida, the BTP’s ticket will hopefully be listed next to the ballot line name “Boston Tea Party,” as that state’s party qualification requirements are minimal and the deadline for qualifying a party hasn’t passed yet.
In Louisiana, getting a “Boston Tea Party” ballot line for this November’s election would have required the submission of 1,000 valid signatures by May 22nd. If the BTP’s ticket is on the ballot there, it will be listed as “independent (all that requires is a $500 filing fee and the designation of electors by September 2nd).
In Tennessee, qualifying a party ballot line would require 45,254 valid signatures, by an unspecified date. Qualifying an “independent” presidential ticket takes 275 valid signatures by August 1st. It’s pretty obvious which one the BTP will be doing this year.
Regards,
Tom Knapp
Knapp – no one should doubt the power of a cool name or something as seemingly small as where your name is placed on the ballot. There are plenty of uninformed voters out there, and voting patterns have shown that the names at the top of a ballot consistently get more votes.
Just think of all the people voting this year solely for the presidential election, not even knowing who’s running for Congress near them. They might just randomly pick a name based on placement on the ballot or, say, a cool name.
What do you mean by “its own ballot line.” Can’t someone just petition to get on the ballot for a certain party?
Ross,
You write:
“I just had a thought: would a Congressional race on the Boston Tea Party ticket get more votes than on the LP ticket? The BTP has such an appealing name that it might garner some extra votes just for that.”
If the BTP has its own ballot line in a state (as opposed to running its members as “independents,” which is the likely situation in states other than Florida this year), I suspect a BTP “paper” candidate would do better than an LP “paper” candidate for that very reason.
All campaigns are not, however, equal. At the “third party base margin” of 1% or so of disaffected voters at the congressional level who will just semi-randomly pick a non-D-or-R candidate to support, a cool name probably makes a difference. But once the candidates start (or don’t start) raising money, attending events, getting out yard signs, etc., then they start gaining or losing votes based on their own efforts.
Of course, even a well-funded, hard-working third party candidate is doing well to break into double digits.
Sean,
You write:
“Let understand this then Tom, in the states where the BTP is not on the ballot BTP will support Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root?”
You’re asking the wrong question. The correct question is not what the Boston Tea Party will do, but what the MEMBERS of the Boston Tea Party will do. I suspect that most of those members will support the LP’s ticket if there’s no BTP ticket on their state ballots.
Anecdotally and for example, I suspect there’s a reasonable chance that I will be the BTP’s vice-presidential candidate (I’m one of three people whose names are in the hat for that nomination).
I don’t expect my own name to be on the ballot in Missouri (as a matter of fact, I’m 100% certain that it won’t be — it’s too late to get it done). I expect to vote for Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root.
I also sit on the St. Louis County Libertarian Party Central Committee and am a candidate for US House of Representatives on the LP ballot line. I expect to campaign vigorously for the LP ballot line as both a candidate and a party official, and to promote the Barr/Root ticket as I do. And another BTP vice-presidential potential, Chris Bennett, has already committed to spending a day or two in the district helping me do that.
“Then what’s the point of the BTP is that’s going to happen? Is the BTP a seperate political party or some sort of extra-party group like the DLC or the RNC?”
The BTP’s members haven’t really decided what it’s going to be yet, but they seem to be moving in the direction of “actual political party.” Doing that is relatively easy. Doing it well, not nearly as easy.
At the party’s organizational convention in 2006, the membership defeated a motion (made by me) to constitute the BTP as an internal caucus of the LP. Now it looks like they’re going to run their own 2008 presidential slate and try to make the BTP a bona fide political party … but maybe not. NOTA is always an option.
I’m somewhat bemused that IPR is giving the Boston Tea Party so much attention; I’m not sure we’ve earned it yet. But we’ll try.
I’m equally bemused by your characterization (and The New Republic’s similar characterization) of the BTP as “frustrated anarchists.” I guess that may be the case on the ground, but in fact the BTP’s platform is more “moderate,” “incrementalist” and “big tent” than the LP’s, and its program isn’t especially inherently radical, either.
FYI, the RNC isn’t an extra-party group (it’s the ruling body of the Republican Party); nor is the DLC (it’s an internal caucus of the Democratic Party).
Regards,
Tom Knapp
Tom Knapp – I just had a thought: would a Congressional race on the Boston Tea Party ticket get more votes than on the LP ticket? The BTP has such an appealing name that it might garner some extra votes just for that.
Let understand this then Tom, in the states where the BTP is not on the ballot BTP will support Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root?
Then what’s the point of the BTP is that’s going to happen? Is the BTP a seperate political party or some sort of extra-party group like the DLC or the RNC?
Peter Orvetti, I’m not quite that desperate for a woman lib. vp. Yet.
Sean Scallon, the lines are shaping up. GOP & conservative libs> barf >losers. Progressives & BTP rational libs>up & coming to win.
Bob,
I don’t “tell my wife” what to do — I ask nice. I did, however, post her response to your request that she seek the VP nomination in the relevant place at her request.
Sean,
I don’t think you have the slightest idea what you’re talking about. In fact, I rather suspect that most BTP members remain active LP members as well, and that those in states where the BTP ticket is not on the ballot will support the LP ticket in their state.
Gee Bob who did you clear your nomination with? Yourself?
Actually the BTP does serve a useful purpose draining the LP swamp of the radicals and crazies and putting them in one big irrelevent basin.
Assuming this comment is directed at me, if the ticket’s tank is on E, it’s not going anywhere. But I must say this looks good; I can see this possibly changing the dynamic of American politics. Now, Tom, I need you to tell your wife to be VP.
“Tom Knapp’s prediction of 500 members may come to pass soon.”
I believe my prediction of possibly 500 members was “by October” (when the party holds its bylaws/program convention).
My prediction for membership by the nominating convention this weekend was 100 members. As of right now, we are at 85.
Presumably the BTP’s presidential ticket, once nominated, will campaign aggressively enough to substantially increase the membership.