Is Mike Gravel the challenger Ralph Nader was alluding to? Gravel says he will challenge Obama if he can raise 1 million dollars.
Despite speculation that President Barack Obama will face a primary challenge from disaffected liberals in 2012, no candidate has emerged. That may be about to change.
“Somebody should challenge Obama, there’s no question about it. He is what he is, and it’s not what we want,” former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel said in an interview with The Daily Caller. “I’d be happy to do it, but it takes money. Without enough money to be heard, you come off as somewhat foolish.”
Gravel said he will challenge Obama if there is sufficient financial backing.
“If [supporters] would put up $1 million, I probably would run. And that would at least fund enough activity to get a message out,” Gravel said.
Red, he can take pledges without one, though. Which, really, I suspect it’d be better in this case to make a pledge to be honored upon completion of the goal than a contribution at this point, because if he gets half the goal that’s $500k wasted.
Legally to take donations he needs to establish an exploratory committee I think. Are there other options like an established PAC?
Ross, if you hope to raise a million bucks, you can’t have “email me if you want to get in touch with Gravel” be a go-to method. That is not going to work.
Don Lake, FYI, not necessarily a unilateral endorsement // Aug 16, 2011 at 4:16 pm
paulie // Aug 16, 2011:
“some people will never vote for a Republican no matter what. IMO we should have anti-establishment choices in both major parties as well as outside of them …….”
[Lake: or if you support, actively support, a Dem overtly contemptuous of his own party. Then get dog piled by [so called] Reformers (Texans Sandy Madison, Beverly Kennedy, and the Fosters) whom turn out to be GOP moles!]
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
paulie // Aug 16, 2011:
“some people will never vote for a Republican no matter what. IMO we should have anti-establishment choices in both major parties as well as outside of them …….”
[Lake: or if you support, actively support, a Dem overtly contemptuous of his own party. Then get dog piled by [so called] Reformers (Texans Sandy Madison, Beverly Kennedy, and the Fosters) whom turn out to be GOP moles!]
Here’s my email address again: [email protected]
Email me if you have any interest in donating. I’m not connected with any potential campaign, but I CAN put you in touch with the Senator.
Well Ross has not yet replied to me / us.
You should make it much easier than that.
@Steve some people will never vote for a Republican no matter what. IMO we should have anti-establishment choices in both major parties as well as outside of them.
Right again.
If he is indeed the only “name” challenger to Obama, rather than a distant also-ran in a crowded field, seems to me that will get some coverage….and kook factor is good for a few stories at least.
It’s a substantial niche market, so Gravel will probably do better as a result. I don’t remember him being associated with that issue in 2008.
Knapp is on the money on this one.
LP is the only anti-censorship organization that gives you a chance to vote for freedom of speech
[Lake: when small party hype starts to stink ……… Oh by the way, LP is the one and only American Peace Party. Yeah, Right, Sure!]
[Lake: Remember, the Electoral College and the illegal FACT [‘representation with out taxation’ *sarcasm*] that lots of fully certified American citizens are not ALLOWED to vote for Representatives, Senators, and Presidents ………..]
[Bet you were not told of the Hitler like, Stalin like (British Empire like, Roman Empire like) disenfranchisement of the regular voters all over and total federal abuse of folks in Guam, DC ……….. Bet if you were, your teacher got into nearly as much trouble as I did …….]
Ross, Gravel needs to get a web presence ASAP to capitalize on the recent press.
If anyone would like to donate, please contact me – RossMLevin at gmail dot com – and I can put you in touch with the Senator.
I would love to put up $1K for Mike to challenge Obama, I would love to recommend him to my friends… but there is no mechanism to do so!
Mike’s web site asks for donations to http://www.demofound.org/donate.htm but there is no indication that a fund exists to propel Mike forward.
I’m a libertarian but I support a primary challenge of Obama by Gravel. I don’t agree with him on a lot of things but at least he doesn’t support the status quo, and that is saying a lot.
I fixed the Gravel Truth Party post above, but for some reason the comments are off, and I don’t know how to turn them on. Any other administrators know how to fix it?
If he’s the only one who steps up, I’ll donate to him.
No more corporatists.
The post referenced above will appear later. I’m having connection problems and can’t get it to post correctly.
I like Gravel, and wish he would have stayed in the LP and found a way to help us out. Now I hope he stays out of this race because I want all those anti-war, anti-corporate welfare left wing protest votes coming to Ron Paul or Gary Johnson. There’s already a somewhat prominent Democrat in Iowa urging his followers to caucus as Republicans.
@ 28 – THANKS ! George, your heart and mind are in the correct place !! May million$ join you and me in our continued struggle for “FREEDOM IN OUR LIFETIMES”.
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Each dollar $pent on the LP carrie$ on for decade$. Each dollar spent on a “flash in the pan” cult campaign fades away in a HURRY !!!
(Can you spare a dollar a day for liberty!?)
LP Membership Center https://www.lp.org/contribute
Mr. Gravel’s recent efforts have been in 9-11 truth. He possible could raise a million from that movement, but is Mr. Gravel at eighty years, plus or minus, the one to challenge B.O. and his hundreds of millions !? As a 9-11 truther he certainly WON’T be receiving any positive media from the MSM.
~ ~ ~ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ~ ~ ~
The Libertarian Party carries on today in the tradition of the Founders:
•The Libertarian Party didn’t wait for the Internet to become popular to stand up for principle: The LP has always supported freedom of speech and the press, and has had language specifically supporting freedom of online communication in its Platform since 1991.
•The Libertarian Party joined with thousands of concerned Internet users in “turning its web pages black” in protest of President Clinton’s signing the unconstitutional “Communications Decency Act” in 1995.
•The Libertarian Party continues to speak out today against the attempts by Democrats and Republicans to find loop-holes in the First Amendment, so they can turn the Internet into a government-controlled medium.
– http://www.lp.org/contribute
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Hi Kleptocracy,
Thanks for the reminder. I will donate to help the Libertarian Party have ballot access in New Hampshire and South Dakota.
Andy @ 26,
You’re right. A million isn’t anywhere close to enough to challenge Obama over the whole primary cycle.
But a million may be enough to start challenging Obama.
If Gravel can raise a million bucks in August and September, he can have a real operation working Iowa and New Hampshire in October.
That’s seed money that gets him his shot at shocking Obama in the Iowa caucus or the New Hampshire primary.
Or it’s the perfume that attracts another candidate who might have a better shot.
If Gravel can pull a McCarthy, then Feingold could possibly pull an RFK (minus Sirhan Sirhan of course).
Not saying it’s likely, but if you’re a disappointed Democrat it looks like maybe a shot at taking your party’s soul back from the dark side.
$1 million isn’t really enough to challenge Obama.
KaY@24,
“When Nov. ’12 rolls around the LP will be my (and your) ONLY hope !!!”
If that were the case, we’d be righteously fucked.
Fortunately, it’s not the case.
Mike’s age ? 82 or what ?
I see even less MSM this time. They will justify it by the “kook” factor.
The words “Libertarian Party” will be mentioned a few extra times since he did seek the nomination in ’08.
I wish the old gent well if he tries it !
As for sending money, well I have a MUCH better idea !
Please donate for ballot access
Dear Friend of Liberty,
Will you donate to help fund ballot access petition drives in New Hampshire and South Dakota?
https://www.lp.org/contribute
^ ^ ^
When Nov. ’12 rolls around the LP will be my (and your) ONLY hope !!!
I can’t finad anything at the FEC or on Facebook or G+.
I think one of Gravel’s main difficulties is his trutherism, because of that alone I don’t see him having any more success than he did in ’08.
IfKucinich hadn’t run twice, and alienated so much of the US “Left” (such as it is), and with him not having much chance for Congressional reelection. He would seem an ideal left of center challenge to Obama’s right of center campaign?
Has he formed a committee?
How does Mike Gravel expect to raise money when he doesn’t have a website, doesn’t have a PAC to donate to, has yet to release a single press release?
He’s as serious about running as Trump was this year and Alan Keyes was in 2008.
Are there possible candidates who might be able to raise more money and get more votes than Gravel in a 2012 Democratic primary run against Obama?
Sure. Sanders. Feingold. Maybe Kucinich.
Have any of them stepped up to the plate?
Nope.
Gravel has.
From a tactical point of view, if you are interested in seeing Obama challenged in the 2012 Democratic primaries, you should be pulling out your checkbook for Gravel, for two reasons:
1) He may be the only game in town;
2) If he raises significant money, one of those “fresher horses” might think to himself “if Gravel can raise a million bucks, I can raise fifty million … let’s do this thing.”
Like the ladies at Emily’s List say, “Early Money Is Like Yeast” (it helps raise the dough). A million bucks thrown at Gravel this summer makes a tens-of-millions primary campaign — with Gravel as the horse or not — much more likely.
A Mike Gravel challenge is A LOT different than say a Bernie Sanders or Russ Feingold challenge.
I like Mike Gravel. I’d love to see him challenge Obama, although I don’t think he’s strong enough to win. Are there any principled Democrats out there (this is a rhetorical question, of course)?
“Yes, but in 2008 there were three other major Democrats in the race. This time, it’s him or Obama.”
So it’s only because they’re not voting for him, but against Obama. That’s basically an admission he’d do as well as “None of the Above.” Hardly a ringing endorsement for him.
Gravel’s accomplishments prove that he’s not a “flake”. His influence has been far from trivial. It’s even fair to say he’s one of those great individuals who shaped history for good.
@10 Jimmy. Gravel’s nonreligious, but in U. S. politics it’s not a good idea to call yourself that, so then you just say your Unitarian.
No disrespect to Gravel, but I agree with Robert. If Gravel turns out to be THE progressive challenger to Obama, it does have an “is that the best you got” feel to it. It has a “been there done that” perennial candidate feel about it. More Eugene McCarthy in ’88 than McCarthy in ’68.
It is probably unreasonable to expect someone from within the normal political establishment to challenge Obama, but it would be nice to see a “bigger name” from outside the political establishment step forward.
Me too. Far-left progressives should be in the Democratic Party or the Green Party or something.
Very happy to see this
Certainly BHO should be challenged, and hats off to Gravel for being willing to step up. Still, sorry, this feels a mite pathetic, an empty gesture. Hope I’m wrong….
Gravel is not a Mennonite; he’s Unitarian. And, he’s a flake!
Well I’m in for a buck, who ‘s with me?
Yes, but in 2008 there were three other major Democrats in the race. This time, it’s him or Obama.
“He might well be appealing to New Hampshire voters in a full time retail campaign.”
That’s exactly what he did in 2008, visiting thousands of voters across the state in a RV tour.
He got 0.14%.
Mike Gravel is a name that has great meaning to older progressives. He might well be appealing to New Hampshire voters in a full time retail campaign. It worked for Gene McCarthy, after all.
Contact: Concerned Chuck
Telephone: 7
Email: 81WK
For Immediate Release
WORLD FAMOUS HETEROSEXUAL ENDORSES MIKE GRAVEL
Talk Show Host and Multi-Millionaire Concerned Chuck shows his support to Prophet Mike Gravel
Mike Gravel, former two term Senator from Alaska and pickle eating fanatic, has expressed interest in running against the great Satan Barack Hussein Obama- know Mennonite and libertarian- for the Presidency of the United States Of JESUS CHRIST Scientific.
“Mike Gravel speaks directly from God,” Concerned Chuck told assembled journalists at a press conference hosted in his bathtub, “He is our anti-Alan Keyes sent from JESUS CHRIST Himself to fight the great Satan Obama and his gay lover Alan Keyes.”
“Mike Gravel will soon reveal himself as the Maitreya Buddha foretold by Benjamin Creme and as the Great Poop Banana foretold by His Holiness Captain Beefheart. He is our master, our awaited savior.”
Concerned Chuck expressed his interest in forming a SuperPAC to support Senator Gravel. “Since Mrs Pacman left her husband to make illegal and immoral sex with the Nazi-lover Stephan Colbert, it has been legal to funnel as much money from multinational corporations into the pocketbooks of candidates for political office as needed to crush the non-believers. Because of this, I will help to laundry money from extremist groups like the Religious Society of Friends and Al-Shabaab our Master Gravel.”
Reminding everyone that Master Gravel will only slowly reveal his true status as the promised savior, he tells the people they must accept his, Concerned Chuck’s, word as the word of God until the appointed time when Gravel will forfeit his disguised form and take his place as leader of mankind.
“This is indeed a great day for the world and all true Christians,” Chuck proclaimed from his bathtub on the way to a towel, “Soon the blood of all non-believers will flow forth from the sword of Lord Gravel, and the whore Church of the twin fags Obama and Keyes will fall!”
The promised day is nigh, be warned O people!
Deran. Of course we all know that you’re not Mike Gravel.
Brian. Gravel is sane and serious, and he raises the most serious issues.
Mike, you are going to look foolish whether you have one million dollars or not.
I never thought that Obama would get a serious challenger. At the very best I was hoping he’d get a sane challenger; someone to at least raise some serious issues. Too bad.
Alright, well, if that’s how this is going to work I can make the same pledge: I will put on a shirt and run in the Democratic Party presidential primary campaign against Obama if people give me a million dollars US.