Rocky Anderson is the former Democratic mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah. He held that office from 2000 until 2008–he is also the Executive Director of High Road for Human Rights. He recently announced his intention to form a new party, the Justice Party, and now it has come to light that he is making plans for a Presidential run.
Since organizing the Justice Party, he has filled out paperwork for a presidential exploratory committee. The party must also go about the arduous task of getting on election ballots nationwide. Criteria varies state to state but may include past electoral performance or a petition process.
University of Utah political science professor Matthew Burbank said establishing a new party is a “very, very difficult endeavor” that requires lots of time and money.
“I think he has kind of a long-term issues agenda, but that is separate from what it takes to get a third party up and running,” Burbank said.
Anderson was against the War in Iraq, has campaigned against the War on Drugs, and is a supporter of GLBT rights. There is speculation that Anderson might be aiming at joining the ticket of the Americans Elect effort.
“Is Rocky Anderson a multimillionaire willing to spend a lot of his money on ballot access? If not and he thinks he’s going to get on a lot of state ballots with his newly formed “(in)Justice Party,” then that means he’s mentally off.”
OR… he hasn’t ever listened to Richard Winger!
Is Rocky Anderson a multimillionaire willing to spend a lot of his money on ballot access? If not and he thinks he’s going to get on a lot of state ballots with his newly formed “(in)Justice Party,” then that means he’s mentally off.
@7 “Seems like the Left in the US will be as splintered as ever.”
That’s just what the Kleptocracy wants you to be. No real competition to them. Hope you can get this together. Obama needs a real challenge from somebody on the left!
As far as getting in touch with Anderson, there is a seemingly official Rocky Anderson Facebook page. I don’t find any FEC info on an exploratory committee yet.
I doubt Anderson is unaware of the Green Party. That said, I think we can assume he has already considered and discarded the idea. Maybe not, but again, I can’t help but assume he has considered the Greens.
And this is different from Nader ’04 and ’08, Anderson is setting out to create a new political party, as compared to Nader’s independent campaigns.
I’ve written an open letter to Rock Anderson and created a Draft Rocky Anderson To Run As A Green For President In 2012.
I really want to impress on my fellow Greens just how big a deal this is. I don’t want to repeat what I wrote in my letter but Rocky Anderson really would be a PERFECT candidate for us AND the prospect of having essentially two Greens in the race would be disastrous. I hope everyone joins the page and puts pressure on him to join the Green Party.
http://ggpmusings.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/an-open-letter-to-rocky-anderson/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Draft-Rocky-Anderson-To-Run-As-A-Green-For-President-In-2012/145043468931669?ref=ts
What Ben Schattenburg said.
Mr. Lantz- Here is his Facebook page-http://www.facebook.com/YourFriendRocky
Can someone tell me how to get in contact with him or his committee?
I’m not so keen on “Justice Party”, I suggested Progressive Party, yes that brand has been rolled out three times, but it really sums up what Anderson is talking abt. Or; Independent Progressive Party.
I honestly think that the Greens are headed toward being like the Socialist Workers Party; always run ssomeone for pres, garner 20,000 votes.
Hopefully a new Left of Center party can be created and many people who try to find refuge in the GP will have somewhere more productive to go.
And we still don’t know how the national meeting of the National Organizing Comittee 2012 is going to go, if there will be anysort of unified socialist presidential ticket. Seems like the Left in the US will be as splintered as ever.
Don
Honeymoon was fantastic, thanks for asking.
As for the invisibility factor, trust me when i tell you that is about to end. In the very near future.
As for the Green Party thing, well you all know my position on that. I am really excited in helping a campaign which will actually challenge the corporate plutocracy in a serious, meaningful way.
Hopefully over the next few months the Greens can work with him so that there’s not such a conflict between them. This is exciting and something that, if we’re wise, the Greens should try to work with, not against.
Dumbest. Idea. Ever.
The Justice Party? Really? He is angry with the two party system and agrees with literally everything the Green Party stands for but he thinks a new party is necessary. Having Nader and a Green running for president didn’t work at all in ’04 and ’08 and a similar scenario would be disastrous in ’12. I really hope he reconsiders.
[a] how was the honey moon ????
[b] you still the invisible man of north central America ???????
I have already been contacted by his campaign.
Our campaign intends to help his.
I am really excited about this.
I also have seen speculation abt Anderson and Americans Elect. But is Anderson to Left of Center for AE? Anderson has also come out in support of Occupy Wall Street, which seems anathema to a political party set up and run by hedge fund managers? I also saw a couple blog menetions of Anderson and the Greens? That also seems unlikely. Anderson seems pretty committed to running for president and Jill Stein is a very strong candidate already.
I wonder who he has advising him on ballot access and his campaign staff?