Voting for Mike Bloomberg/Ron Paul ... in Virginia

Bloomberg Set To Be On Presidential Ballot In Virginia

August 18, 2008
Huffington Post

The state of Virginia is, for the first time in many decades, a toss up in the presidential election. And with [..] polls showing a tight race, the commonwealth should host a fierce competition between Barack Obama and John McCain.

This past week, however, a small but potentially significant ripple was introduced to that equation. On Friday, under the radar, the Independent Green Party of Virginia successfully gathered enough signatures to put New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's name on the presidential ballot. They did it all without the mayor's knowledge or consent. Moreover, they wrote in as his number two Texas Rep. Ron Paul [..].

The "Indy Greens," as they are known, still have a few more hoops to jump through before Bloomberg's name will officially be put into the presidential queue. Some of them, according to state officials, are relatively minor matters, including getting the party's electoral representatives to provide contact and home address information. Others are very much major, like seeing to it that Bloomberg doesn't object and ask for his name to be removed. [..]

"Indy Greens started the presidential petition drive on January 1, 2008 in Independence, Virginia," explained Carey Campbell, chairman of the party. "Eight months, 15 days later, the cake is baked. The deed is done. We're happy hillbillies. Since January 1st, Indy Greens collected 70,000 petition signatures. Seven successful petition drives to put five candidates on the ballot for U.S. House, and 2 statewide petition drives... and now Michael Bloomberg on ballot for president. We made a promise to Mr. Bloomberg, and now we have kept that promise."

Virginia state law requires that a candidate receive 10,000 signatures of qualified voters, including 400 in each of the state's 11 congressional districts, in order to gain access to the presidential ballot. The Indy Greens, over the course of many months, collected far more than the minimum.

But they also did it without Bloomberg signing off. When contacted over the weekend, an aide to the mayor said his boss was "unaware of the effort." As such, the possibility exists that Bloomberg could publicly ask that his name be removed from the state's ballot, something that Virginia officials say would be cause, at the very least, for an investigation. [..]

UPDATE: Bloomberg's spokesman Stu Loeser emails: "He hasn't made any decisions and hasn't had a chance to speak with [party chairman Carey] Campbell yet... But this is a call for post-partisanship that Mayor Bloomberg hopes the major parties will hear."

Bloomberg lawyer suggests he can stay on Virginia ballot

Politico
August 19, 2008

A lawyer for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has privately advised him that he isn't required to take any action in response to the move by a small party to put him on the general election ballot in a key state. [..]

"There does not [..] appear to be any requirement that the ultimate candidates for president and vice-president file any certification of candidacy," the memo says.

Bloomberg's lawyer is now seeking to confirm with Virginia officials that "Mayor Bloomberg has no obligation to act one way or the other in response to the successful petition of the Independent Greens of Virginia.'

The implication of the memo is that Bloomberg is considering remaining on the ballot in a a pivotal state and the site of recent, close partisan elections. It's a move that could draw votes away from one of the nominees -- though it's not immediately clear whom -- and offer Bloomberg a continuing platform. (Who will be helped by remaining on the ballot is unclear in part because the party could substitute a more clearly partisan figure -- say, Ralph Nader -- if Bloomberg withdraws.) [..]