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Constitution Party Only 3rd Party to Make Gains
Constitution Party of Oklahoma ^ | 13 Nov 2004 | Thom Holmes

Posted on 11/14/2004 10:34:21 AM PST by Ahban

CONSTITUTION PARTY GAINS STRENGTH WITH PEROUTKA/BALDWIN TICKET - The Constitution Party was the only alternative party that increased it's vote totals this year compared to the 2000 election!

Constitution Party members have cause to celebrate! Their 2004 presidential ticket – Michael A. Peroutka for President and Dr. Chuck Baldwin for Vice President – received 30% more votes this year than in the previous election!

Nationally, the Peroutka-Baldwin ticket received 132,067 votes compared to 101,278 for the Constitution Party’s 2000 candidate, Howard Phillips. The increase in Peroutka's tally is particularly significant when compared to the decline in voter support for other minor parties and candidates. Ralph Nader and the presidential tickets of the Green and Libertarian parties all received FEWER votes in 2004 than in 2000. The Constitution Party’s vote was up 30 percent, while the combined Nader-Green Party vote declined 83 percent, and the Libertarian vote dropped 2 percent.

The Constitution Party’s Peroutka-Baldwin ticket was on the ballot in 36 states and was qualified as a write-in for 8 more states. The Libertarian presidential ticket qualified for the ballot in 48 states, and the Green Party ticket or Ralph Nader as an Independent were on the ballot in 39 states. Thus the Peroutka-Baldwin voter gains are particularly impressive since the Constitution Party was on few state ballots.

Peroutka’s largest vote total came from California, where he received 21,057 votes. The largest percentages of total vote recorded for the Peroutka/Baldwin ticket came from Utah, Alaska, and Idaho.

CONSTITUTION PARTY CANDIDATE RICK JORE WINS SEAT IN MONTANA LEGISLATURE !!!

Rick Jore, of the Montana Constitution Party won a seat in the State House of Representatives in the November 2, 2004 election, becoming the first State legislator in the nation to be elected on the Constitution Party ticket.

Jore is not a newcomer to the Montana Legislature. He was elected to the Montana House as a Republican in 1994, 1996, and 1998.

A leading conservative in the Montana House, Jore left the Republican Party in 2000 and joined the Constitution Party because he did not see the Republicans changing direction to restore Constitutional principles. “My concern is that the Republican Party simply takes conservatives for granted,” he said. “The inclination is generally to compromise toward the Democrats. The conservatives are simply left out in the cold.”

In the 2000 and 2002 elections, Jore sought to be re-elected to the legislature under the Constitution Party banner, but was defeated by fewer than 200 votes each time.

This year, Jore ran again in a highly competitive three way race. Rick Jore was elected by two votes: 1,559 for Rick, 1,557 for the Democrat, and 1,108 for the Republican.

Jore of the Constitution Party returns to the Montana House of Representatives in a powerful position to determine the partisan organization of the House which has 50 Republicans, 49 Democrats, and 1 Constitution Party member, Rick Jore. The newly elected Governor of Montana is a Democrat.

An experienced legislator, Jore will use his leverage for the benefit of conservatives and taxpayers. Meanwhile, both establishment parties are courting him, for it is he who will decide their destinies when the Legislature organizes.

CONSTITUTION PARTY STATE ELECTION HIGHLIGHTS

The Constitution Party and its State affiliates ran candidates for the U.S. Senate in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Utah.

Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News says: “I am impressed. This year, for the first time the Constitution Party has more candidates for U.S. Senator than the Green party, more candidates for Governor than the Green party, and more candidates for state legislature than the Green Party.”

Candidates of the Constitution Party, and its State affiliates, chalked up some impressive vote totals in the 2004 election. Here are a few of the highlights:

PENNSYLVANIA (State Affiliate is the Constitution Party of PA)

Jim Clymer, Constitution Party national chairman, received 213,986 votes for U.S. Senator, in his 3 way race for the seat of liberal Republican incumbent Arlen Specter. Specter spent much of his campaign time denouncing Clymer, and President George Bush was so concerned about Clymer that he sent letters to many Pennsylvania Republicans that mentioned Clymer by name urging them to vote for “my friend” Arlen Specter.

NEVADA (State Affiliate is the Independent American Party of NV)

In Nevada, Las Vegas attorney Joel Hansen of the Independent American Party received 196,799 votes for Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court. Running against an incumbent, Hansen secured almost 26 percent of the vote. The establishment politicians and media were so afraid of a Hansen victory that they deluged the State with negative attacks on him during the final days of the campaign.

.....

Voter registration in the Independent American Party has doubled since the fall months of 2000. IAP registration was then 15,754. Today that registration has grown to 31,517, almost 3 percent of the total statewide voter registration. The IAP is the third largest political party in Nevada, and remains ballot qualified for the 2006 election.

............

MICHIGAN (State Affiliate is the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan)

In Michigan, to maintain ballot qualified status, a statewide candidate of the U.S. Taxpayers Party was required to receive at least 17,003 votes in the 2004 election. All of the party’s statewide candidates far exceeded this total.

Crystal Van Sickle, running for the Michigan State Board of Trustees, received 129,845 votes. Gail Graeser and Stephanie Poortenga received 92,854 and 79,463 votes respectively for the State Board of Education. Karen Adams and Joe Sanger received 144,968 and 73,618 votes respectively for the University of Michigan Board of Regents; and Philip Adams received 97,627 votes for the Wayne State Board of Governors.

Joe Sanger, Constitution Party treasurer, is elated with the results, saying: “Our leading statewide candidate doubled the number of votes received by our leading statewide candidate of two years ago. In most races we did better than the Greens and Libertarians.”

UTAH (State Affiliate is the Constitution Party of Utah)

Gary Van Horn, the Utah Constitution Party’s nominee for U.S. Senator received 16,348 votes, just 286 short of the number needed to keep the party on the ballot without petitioning. In at least two legislative districts, the Constitution Party candidates received more votes than the difference between the winning Democrats and the losing Republicans “Those two losses to the GOP, will not go unnoticed by the liberal GOP leaders,” says Frank Fluckiger, Utah Constitution Party State Chairman.

Utah gave presidential nominee Michael Peroutka the highest percentage of the vote that he received in any State. Says Fluckiger: “Nationally the Constitution Party was the only alternative party whose presidential candidate got more votes in 2004 than in 2000. This is very significant, especially when one realizes that the Constitution Party was on the ballot in five less states this year than in 2000.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 3rdparty; 5columnists; cinos; constitution; constitutionparty; cutoffnoses; demhelpers; election; enemywithin; gains; nutjobs; thirdparty; udelesswins; weirdos; zeros
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The only party to gain votes- and finally catching on that the key is to start with other races besides the Presidency.

I hope that in 10 years the two major parties are the Republican and the Constitution parties.

1 posted on 11/14/2004 10:34:21 AM PST by Ahban
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To: Travelgirl

Hi lady!

maybe after the latest amnesty fiasco you are in the mood to ping-list this one?


2 posted on 11/14/2004 10:36:10 AM PST by Ahban
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To: Ahban

Wow!!!!!

They went from a zero, zilch, nada, zip party to a zero, zilch, nada party!

Way to go!!!


3 posted on 11/14/2004 10:36:18 AM PST by politicket
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To: Ahban

Actually, at the present rate of increase, it will take approximately 8,000 years, not 10.


4 posted on 11/14/2004 10:43:46 AM PST by jim_trent
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To: politicket

Gee, you are really negative. A 30% gain is better than a decline, especially in an environment where the others are declining. So what do you want as an alternative? Right now the GOP swings leftward to get democrats. The demos are collapsing. As soon as their hand-out constituencies realize that it is the GOP who is picking our pockets for them rather than the powerless Democrats they will shift to the GOP.

If we don't have another serious party to the right of the GOP then the competition will be to go left, not right. The conservatives need a crediable "other place to go" to keep the GOP from "beating" the Democrats by BECOMING the Democrats.


5 posted on 11/14/2004 10:44:08 AM PST by Ahban
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To: Ahban
OK, so they got more votes than in 2000 but still at 1/3 of the Libertarian vote total. Just shows you how you can make statistics say whatever you want them to.

Seriously though, the freedom loving parties had better get together and put up one candidate next round. Everyone will be disgusted with the Republicans by then and they are already disgusted by the Democrats so a single true freedom candidate has a chance but 2 or more splitting the vote hasn't got a shot. That scenario will make Hillary president.

Just find some compromise on the abortion issue that we all can live with and put up ONE candidate that advocates a return to a constitutional republic.

6 posted on 11/14/2004 10:44:23 AM PST by Mike4Freedom (Freedom is the one thing that you cannot have unless you grant it to everyone else.)
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To: Ahban; GatorGirl; maryz; afraidfortherepublic; Antoninus; Aquinasfan; livius; goldenstategirl; ...

If you know Catholics (and I do) who think the GOP is weak on abortion, this is a good alternative. It keeps them active and often, when the crunch is on, they vote with the GOP. It also reminds the GOP that the SPECTRE of SPECTER is very real.


7 posted on 11/14/2004 10:47:54 AM PST by narses (Free Republic is pro-God, pro-life, pro-family + Vivo Christo Rey!)
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To: jim_trent

Better check your math- I got about 5 million votes in just five election cycles. That's 20 years, not 8,000.

And once the CP is seen as serious contenders the rate of growth could well top that. A lot of people are reluctant to suppor the CP "because they can't win". Once they see that it can happen, they will jump in.


8 posted on 11/14/2004 10:48:07 AM PST by Ahban
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To: Ahban
A 30% gain is better than a decline, especially in an environment where the others are declining.

That gain is so low the numbers are buried in the noise. You could rise 30% just by a change in the weather at those levels.

Now to be fair the Montana legislature win is progress, and that is exactly where third parties have to start---at the state and local levels where grassroots campaigning can still have an impact.

At the national level, the Constitution party will continue for the indefinite future to wield zero political clout---and possibly serve as an occasional spoiler causing the national race to move farther left than it would otherwise. In other words, fielding candidates at the national level is counterproductive to the cause.

Now if we could only get approval voting, THEN I would be all for unbridled third-party activity at the national level, because it would eliminate the spoiler effect and allow third-party candidates to get true and accurate gauge of their support level.

9 posted on 11/14/2004 10:50:03 AM PST by mcg1969
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To: Ahban

Bush 286 31 51% 60,480,957
Kerry 252 20 48% 57,123,038

Constitution Party 132,067
WOW a real power house


10 posted on 11/14/2004 10:51:58 AM PST by MEG33 ( Congratulations President Bush!..Thank you God. Four More Years!)
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To: Mike4Freedom

I agree with you that we need to get together. There are pro-life libertarians, so I don't think that will be as big an obstacle as the LP's open borders and open trade policies.

The stats can't say WHATEVER we want them to, I mean, the CP did gain while the LP lost votes, even if on a smaller base. Still, your point about getting together is well taken.


11 posted on 11/14/2004 10:52:07 AM PST by Ahban
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To: narses
If you know Catholics (and I do) who think the GOP is weak on abortion, this is a good alternative.

Now that's callin the kettle black ...

With such 'catholic' politicians as Kerry and Kennedy, I will take the GOP anyday on it's abortion blank over anything the Catholics say. When the church makes its beliefs and enforcement a bit less like the waffling of John Kerry, this might be a fair vote to go after.

12 posted on 11/14/2004 10:54:28 AM PST by AgThorn (Go go Bush!! But don't turn your back on America with "immigrant amnesty")
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To: Ahban
Dr. Chuck Baldwin for Vice President

Balwin's nuttier than a fruitcake.

13 posted on 11/14/2004 10:54:42 AM PST by AmericaUnited
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To: MEG33

They're as impressive as Dr. Keyes was in IL. :)


14 posted on 11/14/2004 10:54:49 AM PST by freedom44
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make that 'plank' not blank! ;-)


15 posted on 11/14/2004 10:54:58 AM PST by AgThorn (Go go Bush!! But don't turn your back on America with "immigrant amnesty")
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To: MEG33

*chuckle*


16 posted on 11/14/2004 10:55:20 AM PST by No Blue States
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To: narses
when the crunch is on, they vote with the GOP.

As long as this is TRULY the case I am all for it. But there are a few wackos on this forum who vote Constitution (for President) regardless of whether the "crunch is on" or not. They justify their choice by saying that it is a "vote for principle." And yet, all they end up doing is risking a spoiler vote that that national race moves further to the left. What good is principle if it is coupled with a strategy that at best is ineffective, and at worst is counterproductive?

Any vote for Peroutka in states such as Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico in this election were flat out negligent. At least the votes in California were "safe".

17 posted on 11/14/2004 10:55:41 AM PST by mcg1969
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To: Ahban
Gee, you are really negative. A 30% gain is better than a decline, especially in an environment where the others are declining.

I'm sorry...I just like to laugh at the Constitution Party's self-importance. They like to throw percentages around like they mean something. I look at hard numbers.

Don't get me wrong, the Constitution party COULD be a great thing, but there are a lot of folks in it that are more concerned with the 'Cause of the South' than building a true conservative party.

I use the analogy of the Pilgrims and the Puritans. The Pilgrims are the conservatives that want to change the Republican party from within. The Puritans are the separatists that have given up on the Republican party and have formed the Constitution party.

I have found that the current Constitution party is more concerned with telling everyone how rotten the Republicans are (especially George Bush who is a professing Christian) than running biblical campaigns. Read some of Mr. Peroutka's press releases and you'll understand what I mean.
18 posted on 11/14/2004 10:56:55 AM PST by politicket
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To: Ahban
President George Bush was so concerned about Clymer that he sent letters to many Pennsylvania Republicans that mentioned Clymer by name urging them to vote for “my friend” Arlen Specter

I'd like to see it. I live in PA and didn't get anything like that.

19 posted on 11/14/2004 10:57:43 AM PST by Tamzee (The Odyssey... "By their own follies they perished, the fools.")
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To: Ahban
A lot of people are reluctant to suppor the CP "because they can't win". Once they see that it can happen, they will jump in.


20 posted on 11/14/2004 10:57:51 AM PST by No Blue States
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To: mcg1969

If the trend continues, the dems will keep shrinking. See http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/1279039/posts?page=1340 for the Great Divide in the GOP. We need a vehicle to get ballot access for if the GOP nominates a pro-abortion socialist (and they may well) we, as Catholics, cannot stay. At least not imho.


21 posted on 11/14/2004 10:57:53 AM PST by narses (Free Republic is pro-God, pro-life, pro-family + Vivo Christo Rey!)
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To: Tamsey
http://stopspecter.savethegop.com/

Lest you think this is fiction - these signs started to appear in the Philadelphia area just before the election, paid for by Arlen’s former campaign manager. This particular picture originially appeared in the Philly Daily News.

22 posted on 11/14/2004 10:59:32 AM PST by narses (Free Republic is pro-God, pro-life, pro-family + Vivo Christo Rey!)
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To: politicket
I just like to laugh at the Constitution Party's self-importance

Is Chuck Baldwin moving to Canada? After all, "The Anti-Christ" (according to one of his articles) won the election.

23 posted on 11/14/2004 10:59:53 AM PST by AmericaUnited
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To: politicket
I have found that the current Constitution party is more concerned with telling everyone how rotten the Republicans are (especially George Bush who is a professing Christian) than running biblical campaigns.

They are no different than John Kerry, always attacking and tearing down the good guys. "Sowing discord among the brethern..."

24 posted on 11/14/2004 11:03:19 AM PST by AmericaUnited
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To: narses

And you're no better than Michael Moore. Specter had nothing to do with those signs, he ran a healthy and solid lead through the entire campaign and the only candidates the signs helped were Hoeffel (Dem) and Clymer (Constitution Party). Those signs were put up by 2 democrats and Roger Stone, yes, someone Specter worked with eight years ago.

But what has Roger Stone been doing since? Why, what a surprise... working with third party candidates to sabotage moderate Republicans.

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:YqlU2NYf49QJ:www.nyindependence.com/The%2520New%2520York%2520Observer.htm+%22independence+party%22+%22roger+stone%22&hl=en&client=googlet


25 posted on 11/14/2004 11:05:09 AM PST by Tamzee (The Odyssey... "By their own follies they perished, the fools.")
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To: narses

I voted for the Constitution Party candidate, against Specter.


26 posted on 11/14/2004 11:06:14 AM PST by St. Johann Tetzel
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To: narses

You imply Spector had something to do with those signs...Care to back that up?(no, I am no fan of Specter's)


27 posted on 11/14/2004 11:08:26 AM PST by MEG33 ( Congratulations President Bush!..Thank you God. Four More Years!)
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To: narses
narses, the problem with your thinking is, again, it's counterproductive. It is not good enough to simply vote for the candidate who most closely aligns with your ideals---if that candidate does not have a snowball's chance in hell of winning.

If your goal is to end abortion (an absolutely admirable and important one), then when the time comes you have select from among the candidates THAT HAVE A CHANCE OF WINNING and pick the one from the coalition or party that is closest to your ideals. Elections are not about individual candidates, not even for President, but about coalitions, caucuses, and majorities. It means we try and elect as many pro-life candidates in ALL offices as possible---but at the same time, we don't sacrifice our status as the majority party to achieve it. You have to have both the candidates AND the majority party; without one or the other, the pro-life issue doesn't move our direction.

You know what that means? That means that if Giuliani is the GOP nominee in 2008, you hold your nose and pull the lever for him---because he's the most conservative candidate on the ballot THAT CAN WIN. Yes, it sucks but what would suck WORSE is for a Democrat to take office and push the abortion issue even FURTHER to the left. Now having said that you can bet that I'm not going to be supporting Giuliani at the primary level, and I'm going to be pushing for a pro-life GOP candidate. But if I don't get one, I just have to wait another 4-8 years in that race, and work on my representatives, Senators, etc.

Sometimes you push, and you take steps forward. But sometimes you push your hardest it's still all you can do to keep from moving backwards. Either way YOU KEEP PUSHING. You don't step out of the fight to take time to restrategize, because the other side then gets a free push in THEIR direction. That's the reality of war.

28 posted on 11/14/2004 11:08:36 AM PST by mcg1969
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To: politicket

And what would you suggest is a 'biblical campaign'? As the Republican party moves further to the left, what should conservatives do? Continue to vote for those that don't honestly believe as we do in the hopes that one day they may change? Reagan once said 'Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem.' Quite the contrast to Bush's plan of government providing the solution for us. I think it's a good thing a conservative third party has made some ground, no matter how small.


29 posted on 11/14/2004 11:11:37 AM PST by billbears (Deo Vindice)
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To: Ahban

Nationally, the Peroutka-Baldwin ticket received 132,067 votes compared to 101,278 for the Constitution Party’s 2000 candidate, Howard Phillips.



Yep with a few more elections they may get back to where Howard Phillips was in 1996 at 182,723 votes... What's that only some 50,000 to go.....


30 posted on 11/14/2004 11:19:09 AM PST by deport (I've done a lot things.... seen a lot of things..... Most of which I don't remember.)
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To: Ahban

Years of progress by the Libertarian party went to sh!t when after 9/11/2001 their Harry Browne blamed America first.

So cut through the statistics crap. Would the Constitution party fight back against the muslim hordes, or remain in denial in North America?


31 posted on 11/14/2004 11:20:07 AM PST by truth_seeker
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To: Ahban

I saw a "debate" between four of the 3rd parties and I liked what I heard from the Constitution Party. I am a strong believer in the Constitution being the absolute supreme law of the land and the courts being absolutely bound by it. While some may respond that the Constitution is in fact the supreme law of the land, many would be surprised to see how often the courts simply ignore the Constitution to get the results they want.


32 posted on 11/14/2004 11:20:50 AM PST by bushisdamanin04
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To: Ahban

The CP is the only true party left for conservatives. Picking the Republicans over the Democrats is the same as going in the slow lane ratehr than the fast lane...both lanes are going the same direction. Only the speed changes.

Every true conservative should seriously consider the CP in the future.


33 posted on 11/14/2004 11:26:43 AM PST by worldclass
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To: Ahban

"Nationally, the Peroutka-Baldwin ticket received 132,067 votes compared to 101,278 for the Constitution Party’s 2000 candidate, Howard Phillips."

How silly! Do you realize how few votes this is in a national election? Who cares if it went up 30%. A 30% increase in a totally insignificant number is not worth mentioning.

Never mind.


34 posted on 11/14/2004 11:34:32 AM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: truth_seeker

Of course we'd fight- but Iraq was a mistake. Saddam was killing some of the same nuts that we are now having to kill. And as far as hanging around until Iraq becomes a democracy goes- forget it. In a democracy they would vote to kill all the Christians and Jews and nuke Tel Aviv and LA. They are not virtuous enough for democracy yet. A benevolent dictator is the best we can hope for.

If a nation supports terrorists against the US we need to hit take 'em down. We don't need to strike first "just in case". A lot of those people we killed, most of them, whould have never attempted to kill an American were we not occupying their country.

We need to limit our commitments to these size of our military. That way the bad guys will not be tempted when they see us strecthed thin- like now. That is how you prevent wars- by having so much in reserve that the bad guys know you could nail them.


35 posted on 11/14/2004 11:44:25 AM PST by Ahban
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To: deport; Ahban
In 96 Phillips (no relation) was running against a weak Dole who was bound to lose. In 2000, Buchanan probably got some of the votes that the CP would have gotten. This year should have been a good year for the CP. Bush is so obviously not a conservative. Peroutka was able to advertise in American Conservative and Human Events and some TV adds in some States. Yet the lap dog conservative establishment was able to scare conservatives into believing Kerry was so bad that they had to vote for Bush. Unlike Dole, however, who was more often seen as a lesser of two evils, many Christian Conservatives actually believed Bush was one of them despite all evidence to the contrary. Until the Christian Conservative wake up and see that they are being used, the CP is likely to continue to garner a small amount of the vote. Esp. in 08 when they are very likely to hear the cry of anybody but Hillary.

Whether real conservatives should work within the Republican Party or in a third party, is a great discussion. However, I suspect if a real conservative tried working in the GOP they would face resistance both from RINOs and establishment conservative types. On a recent thread I had a discussion with someone about Con. Ron Paul, God Bless Him, and he said he wasn't really a Repub., he was a Libertarian. Well you can't have it both ways. If you want real conservatives to run inside the GOP you can't complain when they upset the social democracy apple cart. Like making the observation that we should be abolishing Medicare, not growing it.

The long term prospects of the CP is better than the LP, however, because the CP has a tremendous well of potential members among Christians, who will hopefully someday bolt if the GOP doesn't reform itself.

Can we as members of a conservative forum, grant at least two things. There should be no or very little barriers to ballot access for third parties and the current barriers serve the illegitimate function of propping up the two parties in power. 2nd, that plank for plank, the CP platform is far superior to the GOP platform. Anyone who thinks the GOP platform is better, should go to the Moderate Republic or the CINO (conservative in name only) websites.
36 posted on 11/14/2004 11:50:56 AM PST by Red Phillips (your friendly, neighborhood, ideological gadfly)
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To: Ahban
The Constitution Party (formerly the US Taxpayer Party) won 30% fewer votes in 2004 than in 1996. (132,000 in 2004 vs. 183,000 in 1996)

Using these statistics, I conclude the Constitution Party will receive no votes in 24 years (6 election cycles).

[The purpose of this post is to demonstrate how irrelevant the Constitution Party is and how silly the premise of this entire thread is.]

37 posted on 11/14/2004 11:53:35 AM PST by SolidSupplySide
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To: jim_trent
Actually, at the present rate of increase, it will take approximately 8,000 years, not 10.

If they gain 30,000 voters every presidential election year for 6668 years, they will have the 50 million votes to beat George W. Bush by the year 8672 A.D.

38 posted on 11/14/2004 11:55:32 AM PST by Semi Civil Servant (This space for sale.)
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To: SolidSupplySide; Semi Civil Servant
The reason they are irrelevant is because conservatives like the ones on this forum and the entire conservative establishment don't vote for them. More people also read Dan Brown than read Shakespeare. So what is your point?

Please make a logical argument that Bush is more conservative than Peroutka and that the GOP platform is more conservative than the CP platform. And therefore deserves the support of conservatives more. Good luck.
39 posted on 11/14/2004 12:03:32 PM PST by Red Phillips (your friendly, neighborhood, ideological gadfly)
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To: Red Phillips
The CP represents nothing more than a gnat on an elephants butt in the scheme of the political arena. The gnat has a lot of growing to do before it even represents a fly. 3rd parties generally have a short life to accomplish something of substance and then either die or become absorbed into some other cause.

The political spectrum is made of a lot of varying philosophies of which you have to accumulate a sufficient number in order to be a player with any influence. No single group is that strong all by itself, imo.
40 posted on 11/14/2004 12:10:47 PM PST by deport (I've done a lot things.... seen a lot of things..... Most of which I don't remember.)
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To: MineralMan
More significant in all this talk about 3rd parties is the fact that in 2004 their COMBINED share of the popular vote fell to .96% compared to 3.75% in 2000.

Tiny, tiny fringe elements....

41 posted on 11/14/2004 12:18:42 PM PST by Hessian (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.)
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To: Ahban
I used to be a Democrat that usually voted GOP (late 70-s and 80-s)
then I was a Republican that occasionally voted Democrat (80-s to early 90-s)
Then I was a Hard nosed Republican that would cut off body parts rather than vote for those evil demoncrats. (90-s to present)
Where will I be in 06? I do not know but I am looking at the GOP with real distrust just as I came to feel about the DNC in 92.

I never liked third parties because there is an instability that is inherent with multiple parties. Rarely can any one party claim a mandate because a 50% + majority is rare. Civil wars are a real concern but there comes a time when the major parties just refuse to get it.

The Constitution is broken and no one seems to bother.

I will support a third party for local, state and Congress until I see a change in heart in one or both of the present oligarchy.
42 posted on 11/14/2004 12:20:14 PM PST by Mark in the Old South (Note to GOP "Deliver or perish")
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To: Ahban

BTTT


43 posted on 11/14/2004 12:21:33 PM PST by Fiddlstix (This Tagline for sale. (Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: Ahban

bttt


44 posted on 11/14/2004 12:22:00 PM PST by ConservativeMan55 (http://www.osurepublicans.com)
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To: Ahban
I hope that in 10 years the two major parties are the Republican and the Constitution parties.

Agreed

The Democratic Crime Syndicate and its enablers should be extinct as a political force in The United States of America.

45 posted on 11/14/2004 12:22:35 PM PST by PGalt
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To: deport

Bush 286 31 51% 60,480,957
Kerry 252 20 48% 57,123,038

Constitution Party 132,067
WOW a real power house


46 posted on 11/14/2004 12:38:52 PM PST by MEG33 ( Congratulations President Bush!..Thank you God. Four More Years!)
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To: Hessian; deport
Hessian, I hope by "fringe" you mean numerically, not ideologically. The CP platform is what real conservative are supposed to believe. There is certainly room for in-house debate on things like trade or the speed of change. Should we abolish Medicare overnight or roll it back to nothing over ten years, for example. But that the existence of Medicare is not consistent with anything even remotely described as conservative, does not seem to me to be debatable.

deport, I agree that it takes coalitions to get elected, and at the present time the real conservative position on issues is not popular on most matters. Taking real conservative positions would certainly mean losing elections in the short term. But how do you propose getting where we are going as we are currently doing it? Social Democrat Party A vs. slightly less Social Democrat Party B. We must either reform slightly less Social Democrat Party B and transform it into Real Conservative Party or replace it with Real Conservative Party. Part of that starts with rhetoric. Un-ideological Joe Six Pack thinks the debate is about higher marginal rates vs lower marginal rates instead of between no income tax and an income tax, because no one of any stature is consistently making that argument. I say we start now.

And if either of you think that Medicare or Income Taxes are consistent with conservatism, then I guess we will have to agree to disagree.
47 posted on 11/14/2004 12:48:39 PM PST by Red Phillips (your friendly, neighborhood, ideological gadfly)
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To: Semi Civil Servant

7,000 years, 8,000 years. What's the difference. I rounded numbers in my calculations. You probably didn't. The guy who thinks that they will be able (at the present rate of increase) to win in 10 or 20 years must be a product of public schools. What a marooon.


48 posted on 11/14/2004 12:48:52 PM PST by jim_trent
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To: Red Phillips

Medicare will not be abolished, perhaps reformed, I hope income taxes are reformed..but some form of tax,income, flat or sales will remain....We are living in the 21st century, not the 19th...and we do need a standing army.


49 posted on 11/14/2004 12:56:13 PM PST by MEG33 ( Congratulations President Bush!..Thank you God. Four More Years!)
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To: MEG33
Ah, you have hit upon precisely the problem. What century we are living in matters not at all. What matters is the Constitution. If the Constitution does not grant the Government the authority to spend money on a program, then the Government does not have the right to spend that money and is acting unconstitutionally. You are advocating a "living, breathing" Constitution just like the liberal Specter who many members of this forum are upset with.

Also, you do not need to go back to the 19th Century for the income tax and Medicare. The 16th Amendment was enacted in 1913 and Medicare was not until the late 60s. Again the problem with modern movement conservatism. It is historically illiterate and raised on Hannity and Rush thinks the current limits of the debate have always been. But Conservative Republicans today would have been Pinko Socialist just 50 years ago.
50 posted on 11/14/2004 1:14:03 PM PST by Red Phillips (your friendly, neighborhood, ideological gadfly)
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