Republicans Helping Nader to Help Themselves
By Brian Faler
Washington Post
Monday, July 19, 2004; Page A04
The Michigan Republican Party submitted more than 40,000 signatures last week in a bid to get independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader on the state's November ballot.
Of course, this is not really about helping Nader. It is all about helping President Bush and hurting Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry's campaign in a closely contested state.
The Michigan GOP denies that, of course. Matt Davis, a spokesman for the group, said it was merely concerned about third-party candidates being left off the ballot. He could not name, however, another third-party or independent candidate his party has helped.
Nader may need the Republican signatures. He has been endorsed by the Reform Party and had planned to use its line on the Michigan ballot. But a dispute over who runs the party's state chapter -- and which candidate it supports -- has thrown that into question.
Nader's campaign, assuming that he would run with the Reform Party there, stopped collecting signatures more than a month ago -- and turned in fewer than 6,000 of them by Thursday's deadline. He needed about 30,000 valid signatures to qualify as an independent.
Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese said the campaign still hopes to run with the state's Reform Party. But he said it may have to use the Republican-sponsored signatures: "We have to get on the ballot somehow."
― rasheed wallace (rasheed wallace), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)
nader had a really feeble explanation of all this in the nader/dean debate on npr.
what a fuckhead.
― amateur!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)
Update.... and when the story first broke in the Free Press, the head of the Michigan GOP had this thinly veiled explaination about how they were promoting choice. But it's really good to see that Nader's campaign is really concerned with principles.
Nader Says He'll Now Accept Signatures Collected by GOP
From Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. — In an about-face, Ralph Nader decided Monday to accept thousands of petition signatures collected by Michigan Republicans if that was the only way he could qualify for the state's presidential ballot.
On Thursday, Michigan Republican Party officials submitted 43,000 signatures — far more than the 30,000 needed — to ensure Nader could appear on the ballot as an independent. Republicans began collecting signatures after it appeared that Nader would not get on the ballot as the Reform Party's candidate for president.
Nader's campaign had turned in about 5,400 signatures. But spokesman Kevin Zeese said it stopped collecting them a month ago after the national Reform Party endorsed Nader and it looked as though he could get on the ballot as its candidate.
But there has been a growing dispute over who controls the Reform Party in Michigan. One group claiming to be the legitimate Reform Party of Michigan plans to nominate a presidential candidate for the ballot at its state convention Saturday.
Another Reform Party group already has nominated Nader for the spot on the state ballot. Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land has said she can't accept that nomination until the dispute over who controls the state Reform Party is resolved.
― Aaron W (Aaron W), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 16:06 (twenty-one years ago)
One would think that given his stature as a litigator and an activist Nader would relish the opportunity provided to him by Secretary Lynn to challenge an unjust ballot-access rule in court.
― rasheed wallace (rasheed wallace), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)