[EL] presidential primary ballot access is easy

Thu Mar 8 14:03:20 PST 2012

In fairness, Rick Santorum's main ballot access troubles aren't technically ballot access; it is that he didn't find enough delegate candidates in Illinois and Ohio.  Of course we know about Virginia, and that is a ballot access problem.

Santorum is also on in DC, but all he had to do to get on was pay a filing fee, or collect 298 signatures of registered Republicans.

Even though the Virginia presidential primary turnout in Virginia was under 5% of the eligible electorate, no bill is even pending in the Virginia legislature to ease ballot access in presidential primaries (although there is a bill to permit write-ins in primaries, if the party approves).  Virginia voters ought to be complaining to their state legislators.

Richard Winger

415-922-9779

PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147

--- On Thu, 3/8/12, Jeff Hauser <jeffhauser at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Jeff Hauser <jeffhauser at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: presidential primary ballot access is easy
To: richardwinger at yahoo.com
Cc: law-election at uci.edu
Date: Thursday, March 8, 2012, 1:56 PM

Just a follow-up from last October; predictably, ballot access problems remain for Santorum. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/rick-santorums-delegate-woes-trying-hard-in-some-states-in-others-not-so-much/2012/03/08/gIQAM3IgzR_blog.html

On Thu, Oct 20, 2011 at 7:06 PM, Richard Winger <richardwinger at yahoo.com> wrote:

No state will require Herman Cain, or any other Republican who is in the debates, to submit more than 3,000 signatures, except that Indiana requires 4,500 and Virginia requires 10,000.  Ballot access in presidential primaries, for candidates who are discussed in the news media, is automatic in about half the states, and in other states it is automatic for candidates who qualify for primary season matching funds or who pay a filing fee.

Severe ballot access laws are reserved for outsiders, like independent candidates, minor parties, and presidential primary candidates in the major parties who aren't discussed in the news media and who don't qualify for primary season matching funds.

Richard Winger

415-922-9779

PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147

--- On Thu, 10/20/11, Jeff Hauser <jeffhauser at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Jeff Hauser <jeffhauser at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [EL] the wiliness of Herman Cain
To: richardwinger at yahoo.com

Cc: law-election at uci.edu
Date: Thursday, October 20, 2011, 3:52 PM

Is there a good summary of the calendar of the GOP ballot access and whether cain has a real chance to get on all 50 GOP primary ballots?  Because I wouldn't assume he will accomplish that.

On Thu, Oct 20, 2011 at 6:46 PM, Richard Winger <richardwinger at yahoo.com> wrote:

I am starting to think Herman Cain has the same aptitude for presidential politics that Ronald Reagan had.

Cain has sometimes taken extreme stands, but then he finds a way to back away.  The value of this is that when he initially takes the extreme stand, that makes an emotional connection with the voters who share that emotion.

For example, abortion.  Political Wire earlier today had a description of something he said somewhere recently, an interview or a speech.  He said he is totally pro-life, "no exceptions" for pregnancy caused by rape or incest.  But then in the next breath he says that it doesn't follow logically that his values should be enshrined in law and enforced on everyone else.

Gays in the military...first he was adamantly opposed to repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell.  But then later he says this is a
 settled issue and we should forget about it.

On illegal immigrations, first he says he is so opposed to illegal immigrants, he wants an electrified fence.  But later he backs away.

In each case, his initial extreme stand, in my opinion, makes an favorable emotional impact on voters who like to hear that, even though that voter knows inside that the extreme stand is not really sensible or viable.  So the voter now "likes" Herman Cain, because there has been a shared emotion.

Ronald Reagan did that also.  In his years as a spokesperson for General Electric, he was very, very anti-government.  When he got into office as Governor, of course he doubled the California state income tax, signed a bill liberalizing abortion, etc.  As president he was also pragmatic.

Another trait Reagan and Cain have in common is their sunny good-naturedness.  One would not see either one of them attacking a fellow
 Republican the way Romney and Perry have been attacking each other.

Richard Winger

415-922-9779

PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147
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