Posted at JoeKennedyForSenate.com:
WE EXCEEDED OUR GOAL !!!
Our original goal was 13,500 signatures / 10,200 validated signatures. Not only did we exceed both goals but we BLEW THEM AWAY! Everyone said it couldn’t be done without companies in our back pocket, significant funds or as part of one of the 2 main parties (which have companies in their back pocket and significant funds). We are ecstatic to have proved them all wrong. I want to thank everyone for their efforts and urge you more than ever to spread the word. Now that we are done collecting signatures it’s on to collecting votes.
WE NOW HAVE A FUND RAISING COORDINATOR
Jake Witmer and team are now making calls on our behalf. Jake’s team will be calling from 907.250.5503
PO Box and online contribution information is on the website.
10,000 write-ins.
An older law, knocking the number down to 5000, was repealed after the 1996 elections. Massachusetts General Laws more or less up to date are on the internet.
The suggestion was that Joe do a sticker campaign as Libertarian in addition to his exiting ballot line. Winger’s blog reports that would take 1300 write in votes…I’ll repost that here a little later if I’m still awake, or tomorrow if I remember.
On one hand, if Joe got the Libertarian primary, it would just be a second word of description following his name. On the other hand, so far as I know the required number of votes would be 10,000 — as many votes as there are required signatures — rather than 1300.
A writein (sticker) campaign can put anyone eligible to run in the general onto the ballot. For example, if Joe had run as a Libertarian, and been placed on the Libertarian line by petitioning, then one of the Democrats or Republicans in the race could have launched a sticker campaign on the Libertarian line, and if they beat Joe say 20 votes to 19 they would become the Libertarian candidate, and Joe would be off the ballot.
It takes 1,300 recorded write-in votes, and the voting systems many states use make it difficult to properly submit a write-in vote and make it count. A larger organization with more money and people could conceivably get 1,300 properly recorded write-in votes, but as a practical matter I don’t think either LPMA or the Kennedy campaign have the means to organize that – and even if they did, there are many other things such an amount of effort would probably be better spent on.
If they did get 1,300 properly recorded write-ins, I’m not sure if it would be a second ballot line or just a second description on the same ballot line. Also, can write-ins place someone on the ballot as a Libertarian candidate who was not registered to vote as a Libertarian on the state’s chosen day? I know a petition could not qualify such a candidate.
I wonder if anyone will get the Lib nomination. If Joe Kennedy got that too (theoretically) from write-ins, could he be on the ballot as both an indy and a Lib?
Paulie, Jake, and I played a big role in getting Joe Kennedy on the ballot.
I am 99% sure none did, but you can check the Secretary of the Commonwealth website if you want to be absolutely sure. The smaller qualified parties did not get any candidates in the race either, due to onerous Mass. ballot access laws which make it difficult even for Republicans to run candidates.
Does anyone know if any other independent candidate made it on the ballot?
Joe Kennedy has filed his signatures and is on the ballot!
Oh… okay.
Indeed, Catholic Trotskyist tends to be a nonviolent peaceful person. His ice axe was stolen from him by the Planned Parenthood/Protestant Stalinist attacker’s accomplice. He has recovere dfrom his injuries and has returned to his mission for the Vatican and Hugo Chavez. However, he is expected to complete the mission next week and will return to IPR sometime this month.
Congrats
….. no pointalism here, painting with a five inch brush ………..
The greens are no better than the liberals and close as well to communism
Yes, I’d like to know more about it also. How is he? You said he went to MA to campaign for the PLAs and was attacked by Protestant Stalinist. I asked whether he carries a concealed ice ax just in case an opportunity presents itself for payback to Protestant Stalinist-whack him upside the head. But evidently Catholic Trotskyist is a non-violent peacenik. How is he doing?
#5 The Last Conservative… just what DID happen to Catholic Trotskyist?
I mean the Iowa caucuses. & yes road repair is a progressive issue & subsidizing an aging mall is corporate welfare, which both progressives and libertarians are against. So that worked out really well. There are many such issues that libs & progressives(Greens) have in common. If both Libertarians & Greens were elected en masse & swept out a lot of dems & reps, there is a lot that could be immediately accomplished like decriminalization of drug usage & ending the wars etc & a lot of possible compromises. So, LET’S GET DOWN TO IT!
The Last Conservative, thank you very much for pointing that situation in Cedar Falls, Iowa, out to all here at IPR. That went right under my radar. I checked out Taiber’s website. The only tell of libertarianism is the mentioning that he is reading Atlas Shrugged, which is not a definite statement that he is a libertarian. So I don’t know how anybody knows that. But yes, if he was willing to compromise with the progressives & got their votes, that is a PLAS Strategy. Iowa apparently has a strong progressive preszence. Obama was catapulted to prominence by the progressive vote operating within the democratic party there in the primary in 2008.
Yes, I am beginning to believe Robert, now that the PLAS was used successfully, if unconsciously, in that town in Iowa. But I won’t be able to travel to that California, nor Massachusetts, after what happened to Catholic Trotskyist.
Congratulations to Mr. Kennedy. Did any other independent candidate make it on the ballot?
OK. Now all you need to do is run a PLAS campaign. Priority is to educate the voters. In this case it is educate the progressive voters to vote for the libertarian Independent instead of mostly for the democrat. In exchange or in concert with a similar effort in the CA special election for State Assembly candidate Jane Rands, Green. There is no Libertarian on the ballot there. Also emphasize Libertarian, Green, progressive & Independent voter turnout as alternative to dems & reps. We need any/all activists to go to MA & CA to campaign. Door to door to educate the voters. And to be outside polling places on election day with signs & literature. I personally am willing to go to MA to campaign for Joe Kennedy, libertarian Independent for U.S. Senate, if I am able.
Good Work! Congratulations.
GO JOE!
His web site is JoeKennedyForSenate period Com.
He can take money via PayPal.
The Libertarian Association of Massachusetts invested $1000 in Joe’s ballot access campaign.
That’s $1000 more than the LNC has budgeted for candidate support next year.
George Phillies
almost maxed-out Kennedy Donor
Yes, I put my money where my mouth is.
Well over $2000 more than the LNC has budgeted for Volunteer Activism and Candidate Support put together in 2010.