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NEWS AND VIEWS THAT IMPACT LIMITED CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with
power to endanger the public liberty." - - - - John Adams

Friday, April 5, 2013

GOP trys to rig Montana elections


Our Founding Fathers Died for Freedom
Just what the Hell does the GOP stand for any more?
"Corruptus in Extremis"


Top-Two Primary Bill Introduced in Montana
  • The "freedom loving" GOP passes a bill to take away voter choices by effectively banning opposition parties from all future general election ballots.
  • Previously California Republicans and Democrats worked together in a corrupt deal that also banned opposition parties and independents from general election ballots. 


Now the Montana Republican Party wants to join the ranks of dictators from Caesar to Mao Zedong and rig the state's elections to remove small opposition parties and independent candidates from all future general election ballots.

Pure 100% Fascist Bullshit.
            
Ballot Access News reports that, a new bill to create a top-two primary for Montana was introduced. SB 408, though not a proposed state constitutional amendment, would ask the voters if they wish to pass the measure. Because it goes to the voters, it does not need to be signed by the Governor. If it passes, it will be on the 2014 ballot.

On April 2, SB 408 passed the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee by a vote of 4-3. 

The Libertarian Party is
to be banned by the
"freedom loving" GOP.

All Republicans on the Committee voted “Yes” and all Democrats voted “No.” Because this is a bill that, if passed, then goes on the ballot for a popular vote, it needs the votes of at least 100 Montana legislators. Montana now has 90 Republican legislators and 60 Democratic legislators.


The bill appears faulty because it doesn’t re-define “political party.” Currently, in Montana, parties are groups that polled at least 5% (of the winning gubernatorial candidate’s vote total) for any statewide race.

It appears that if the bill were enacted, the Democratic and Republican Parties would remain on the ballot because they always poll 5% for President (top-two bills never try to change presidential elections). But there would be no way for a party to remain ballot-qualified unless it could poll 5% for President, because under the bill, except for President, parties wouldn’t have nominees.

No one testified against the bill in committee because opponents did not know about the bill. The bill is being pushed forward by Republicans who are angry that the Libertarian Party held the balance of power last year in both the gubernatorial election and the U.S. Senate election, and Democrats won both.
 
Independents and smaller parties are at a monster disadvantage against the two large parties that are funded with billions in corrupt special interest cash.  But against all odds some do manage to hold office.
 
Here are a few non-major party office holders:
  • Angus King (Independent)  -  Governor, current US Senator from Maine
  • Joe Lieberman (Independent)  -  US Senator from Connecticut
  • Bernie Sanders (Independent)  -  Current US Senator from Vermont
  • Dean Barkley (Minnesota Independence Party)  -  US Senator
  • James Buckley (Conservative Party)  -  US Senator from New York
  • Lincoln Chafee (Independent)  -  Current Governor of Rhode Island
  • Jesse Ventura (Minnesota Independence Party)  -  Governor
  • Lowell Weicker (A Connecticut Party)  -  Governor
  • Wally Hickel (Alaskan Independence Party)  -  Governor


From Ballot Access News


The Montana GOP wants to keep the Libertarians off the ballot


Montana gubernatorial election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DemocraticSteve Bullock229,96549.06%-16.41%
RepublicanRick Hill221,29147.24%+14.72%
LibertarianRon Vandevender17,3643.70%+1.69%
Write-ins
Margin of victory86741.85%-31.10%
Turnout468,620*
Democratic holdSwing
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United States Senate election in Montana, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DemocraticJon Tester (inc.)236,12348.58%-0.58%
RepublicanDenny Rehberg218,05144.86%-3.43%
LibertarianDan Cox31,8926.56%+4.01%
Write-ins
Margin of victory18,0723.72%+2.84%
Turnout486,066
Democratic holdSwing


The Conservative Montana Republican Party wants Libertarians like Senate candidate Dan Cox banned from all future general election ballots.  Under the corrupt GOP proposal only the two large political parties would be on a November ballot. 
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Smaller opposition parties and independents would be "removed" from the November ballot for the good of the State so voters would not become confused by having too many choices on election day.

California GOP Corruption
Under the corrupt leadership of GOP State Senator Abel Maldonado and GOP Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (and backed by other Republicans) party primaries were abolished in California and only the top two vote getters were allowed on the general election ballots.
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Four opposition parties from both the Left and the Right were effectively banned from the November ballot - The American Independent Party, the Green Party, the Peace and Freedom Party and the Libertarian Party.
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Both Republican and Democrat leaders were happy to eliminate ballot opposition.

"I support the GOP efforts in Montana."
Fidel Castro
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Dictators from Caesar to Napoleon to Stalin were ahead of the GOP in abolishing free elections.  It looks like the "Conservative" freedom loving Republican Party is in good company.
 

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