Weak Faction Fights

By Fester

In 2004, the Democrats were racing up hill to beat Bush. The Kerry campaign was worried about losing support from the left from Ralph Nader, therefore the Kerry campaign played some serious hardball. Democrats, myself included, looked at every damn signature on Nader's ballot petition and challenge most of them. He got knocked off the ballot with 60% to 70% knock-out rates that included signatures for Daffy Duck and Ronald McDonald.

But these actions were the actions of a coalition that was facing an uphill fight. It was not a unified party or coalition. It worked in Pennsylvania as Kerry won the state and Nader's vote totals in all the other states were non-decisive.

This cycle, the shoe is on the other foot. Republican Party officials are challenging the ballot access for the Liberterian Party in Pennsylvania. The Liberterians used a local placeholder candidate when they collected signatures earlier this year, and replaced that candidate with Bob Barr. The local GOP is claiming deception and fraud. I don't know where this case will go, but it is nice to see fractures and factious faction fights in the Republican Party.