OpinionTrending Commentary

Libertarians Claim Romney Cannot Appear on the Ballot in November

On August 15th, the Libertarian Party in Washington State petitioned to have Mitt Romney’s name removed from the Republican ticket in November. They are claiming that the GOP is no longer ‘significant’ enough to qualify as a major party under Washington law.

2012 Republican Candidate for President Mitt Romney (AP)

Chapter 29A of the Revised Code of Washington defines a major party as:

a political party of which at least one nominee for president, vice president, United States senator, or a statewide office received at least five percent of the total vote cast at the last preceding state general election in an even-numbered year.

The lawsuit by the Libertarian Party claims that Republican Dino Rossi, who received 48% of the vote for the U.S Senate in 2010, was not officially nominated by the GOP. Therefore, no Republican nominee qualifies to be on the November ballot, because no Senate candidate reached the ‘magic number’ of votes.

Much to no one’s surprise, the GOP disagrees. Per the Associated Press, the Republican-led state election committee points to an administrative code that essential repealed the rules cited above. Chairman of the committee, Sam Reed, argues that the enacted election regulation of 2004, defines a major political party as, “a party whose presidential candidate received more than five percent of the vote in the last white house vote”.

Using this standard, both the Republican and Democrat party qualify as major political party, and should both be represented on the presidential ballot come November.

But whose definition is the correct definition?

John Mills, the attorney representing the Libertarian Party, calls for a separation of powers. He argues that laws passed by the state legislature carry more weight than regulations passed by separate government agencies.

“As a legal matter, that’s kind of a frivolous argument,” Mills said. The Legislature hasn’t repealed the old laws, and an effort to make those changes a few years ago failed.

State Republican Party Chairman Kirby Wilbur is calling the lawsuit “silly.”

However, does any of this really matter? If you know anything about the Electoral College and how states lean, you know that Washington state is almost a guaranteed Democratic state every presidential election. So does it even really matter if Romney is on the ticket? Some say no, but Republicans in Washington will make sure Romney is on their ticket, that I am sure of.

 

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Chris Enloe

I am a 16 year old Conservative based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I am currently a senior at North Davidson Senior High School. You can follow me on Twitter @chrisenloe.

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2 Comments

  1. Chris, you make some valid & accurate points that happen to enhance my thoughts that Ron Paul & the Libertarian Party being…used.. to futher divide the Conservative voter? The Libertarians have always shared many of the values with conservative Republicans such as myself. Yet they never before have taken an ‘in your face’ approach. For more years than I’ve known Ron Paul, he has wanted to be president. He has worked dilegently in Congress to insure the Constitution is a bases for law, as a registared Libertarian. His ‘followers’ have been registered as Libertarians. Most are well versed in the Constitution to include acknowledging the ‘majoity’ decides who is the nominee. They have always acted in a respectful way. SO WHY now have their voices suddenly raised to a fevored pitch with a euphoria that approaches inebriation? And WHY have they all become “registared Republilcans”? HOW did Ron Paul’s financial campaign funds, as claimed, barely keep him on the trail & once he announced he would seek no more donations has he be able to continue his campaign? Curious. IS RON PAUL & HIS PARTY BEING USED to futher the less honorable, nefarious goal of others???While living in Texas & working on various campaigns, I seen Congressman Paul get a little cranky, but always honest w/ good intentions. He may not agree w/ you, but alwyas respectful…Republican or Libertarian, we must remember that…divided,…we fall.. with a good possibility of dropping all of our valuables into the Obama pot

    1. Jan,
      The reason the libertarian wing is getting more animated is because of how we feel like our movement is being treated. In the last 2 elections the Republicans have treated libertarians as a joke. Ron Paul has been treated terrible and the all the rules at state primaries have been broken and twisted to keep libertarian ideas from infiltrating the party.
      After this last primary, anyone who was a Ron Paul supporter got the message loud and clear, “WE DONT WANT YOU” if we are not wanted and are considered enemies, so be it.

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