Via the Constitution Party national website:
A Happy New Year!
6 January 2015 –
Frank Fluckiger, National Chairman –
Benjamin Franklin once observed: “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”
Only the Constitution Party has those ideals. Thanks to you, our party is the best alternative to the monied elites who run the political operations of the establishment. The Constitution Party Money Bomb was very successful: we reached our goal of $15,000 with a final return of $16,592. Congratulations to all who participated.
In contrast, just like the government budget they manipulate, the Democratic Party is $40,976,725 in the red, and the GOP is $24,914,276 in debt. Our party’s books are balanced and we are ready for 2015.
The first step in strengthening the Constitution Party starts at the grassroots — that’s why we established the Over-The-Top campaign with the aim of raising $2,000 by January 15th. Our appeal is off to a great start: so far, $751 has been invested by patriots. Those monies will immediately be invested in ballot access projects. We need to start 2015 with a leap ahead.
I hope to hear from you before January 15th. In the meantime, whether or not you are able to donate $25, $50, or even $10, my best wishes for a healthy New Year filled with blessings for you and your family.
They also have a ballot access FAQ:
WHAT IS BALLOT ACCESS?
Ballot access is the process by which candidates are allowed to place their name on the ballot, according to the rules of their state.
WHO IS IN CHARGE OF BALLOT ACCESS?
Ballot access is defined by each state legislature. The rules and regulations are put into place by each state’s Secretary of State, then filtered down to the county, parish, or borough auditors, who run and monitor each election in their respective jurisdictions.
IS BALLOT ACCESS EQUAL FOR ALL POLITICAL PARTIES?
No. Ballot access is generally free and open to all candidates running as Republicans and Democrats. Alternative parties and independents have other steps they must follow which vary from state to state. These steps are often expensive, time-consuming, and convoluted.
HOW CAN I HELP THE CONSTITUTION PARTY GAIN BALLOT ACCESS IN MY STATE?
Contact your Secretary of State’s Office and ask the Elections Department how ballot access works in your state. Most states have a signature petition requirement with very specific rules to follow. You can also:
- contact your state party leadership to find out how you can help the Constitution Party gain ballot access in your state.
- sign a petition when asked and/or serve as a volunteer petition gatherer.
- donate to your state or national party. It costs money to pay signature gatherers and occasionally there are court costs associated with litigation regarding ballot access.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BALLOT ACCESS IN AMERICA
Richard Winger of Ballot Access News is the most highly respected expert on what is happening with ballot access in America today. Visit his website to find out more.
Free and Equal Elections: Home Front with Cynthia Davis podcast featuring an engaging discussion on the topic with former national Constitution Party chairman Jim Clymer and Gary Odom, former national field director. They discuss Ron Paul, George Washington, lawsuits, and why they continue to fight the battle against all odds.
If they were the only choice besides the Democrats and Republicans I may or may not vote. It might depends on the specific candidate and what he or she chooses to emphasize. If it’s Chuck Baldwin or Darrell Castle I could probably vote for them if there is no LP candidate, but if it’s someone like Riley Hood – forget it. He may be a bit better than the AFP but even that’s up in the air – is religious bigotry really any better than racial bigotry? And is theocracy any less bad than Marxism? Whenever any of these authoritarian/totalitarian ideologies get into power, it’s never a good thing. Luckily they aren’t in any position of power now, which is the only reason to give them any kind of marginal support – such as with ballot access or news coverage – to help break up the duopoly from all angles.
Agreed, Martin. I’d sign pretty much anybody’s petition, I consider that to be a pretty nonpartisan act. As far as voting for them, if they were the only choice besides the Democrats or Republicans, sure. Truly though, the only parties I’m less likely to vote for if given the choice are the AFP/white supremacist parties, and the more hardcore socialist parties.
I read it. I’d still sign a petition for them to be allowed to be on the ballot. To me that’s just a human right that we shouldn’t even have to petition for, and in some states don’t, and outrageous that some states make existing political parties have to do so over and over again. But vote for them or support them? No way!
Personally, I think anyone that would sign a CP petition needs to read this first-
https://cpowmilwaukeecounty.wordpress.com/2015/01/10/join-us-on-our-own-merits/
I can’t put it up myself since I’m one of the people who is owed some of this money, but I can probably find someone else to do it, if we get an article submission.
Yeah Andy, seriously- just have Paulie do a article on your beef with the CP and don’t keep beating the horse skeleton in the threads, ok?
Stockman is not any more of a big name than Goode, and probably has less money.
There’s now abundant evidence from multiple parties in multiple years, including the CP, that “former member of US House” is just not a big enough deal to take an alt party to the next level.
Goode, McKinney, Barr, Paul ’88… any questions?
“Hey, how about I come to your house and steal over $2,000 from you and see how you like it?”
You’re welcome to give it a shot, but I wouldn’t suggest it.
I think someone (not me, since I am owed money as part of this as well) would probably post it if we received an article submission.
“Rob Banks
January 14, 2015 at 7:01 am
Andy: Didn’t someone offer to post an article here about your pay dispute with them? Did you ever write it?”
The person who said this left IPR.
Andy: Didn’t someone offer to post an article here about your pay dispute with them? Did you ever write it?
BTW if the “big name” guy Trent mentioned earlier on other threads is Steve Stockman…how would he help them with ballot access any more than Virgil Goode did?
Illinois is a challenge state. If that one Green Party guy hadn’t challenged them in Illinois they would have been on.
”
Trent Hill
January 14, 2015 at 3:23 am
You’re not even beating the dead horse, anymore. You’re whacking it’s gravestone. Give it up, man.
Trent Hill
January 14, 2015 at 3:24 am
Honestly, this method isn’t getting you paid, obviously. All it’s doing is annoying everyone who might’ve been receptive to your plight.”
I’ll give it up when I get my money. I could use the $2,000 plus of which I was defrauded. If you don’t think that over $2,000 is a big deal, then perhaps you could send it to me. If somebody cheats me out of over $2,000 I do not forget about it.
The only reason I have not filed a law suit is because I’ve been living on the road year round and it would be a burden to make court appearances. I looked into filing a law suit when I was in Alabama last year, but they told me that it was going to take several months to get a court appearance. I left Alabama shortly after that and I have not been anywhere close to Alabama since then. The attorneys that I spoke to said that I would beat them in court, but that I could not get my travel expenses reimbursed, nor would I receive any reimbursement for lost work time spent traveling to Alabama to sue them.
Hey, how about I come to your house and steal over $2,000 from you and see how you like it?
I am not the only person who got ripped off. They also ripped off a guy who did ballot access work for them in New York out of $4,500.
Honestly, this method isn’t getting you paid, obviously. All it’s doing is annoying everyone who might’ve been receptive to your plight.
You’re not even beating the dead horse, anymore. You’re whacking it’s gravestone. Give it up, man.
Let’s see if the pay the petition circulators who got stiffed on Constitution Party petition drives in 2012.
Ballot access efforts will continue to hamper to CP, unfortunately. They lost California and it all went downhill after that. They can’t get on the ballot in New York, Illinois, Texas, or California. That’s 30% of the voting population right there. Add in Penn, Georgia, and North Carolina (all highly unlikely) and they’re only on the ballot in 3 of the 10 most populous states. That’s 40% of the population…huge crutch. They need a very good ballot access plan and a candidate who will declare early to help, either with money or lots of activity. Barring that, they will continue to struggle in Presidential election years.
I predict that, unless the CP gets a serious presidential candidate that either pumps money into the party, or his/her own ballot access efforts- the CP will be on the ballot in less states in 2016 then it was in 2012.