Re: [Marxism] Nader ballot woes

["LouPaulsen" <LouPaulsen@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Eli Stephens" <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>

> Sorry, Louis, but it seemed like, given the attention being given to Nader
> on this list, the question of where his support was coming from (as well
as
> his marginal ability to even get on the ballot in the first place) which
be
> an interesting "data point" for the discussion.

But the petitioning requirements for getting on the ballot are so
obstructive and undemocratic that I don't think it's at all reasonable to
build a political case out of however people choose to get past them.  They
are a chore, not a reflection of real support.  When we got on the ballot in
1980 in Illinois, none of us ever had any illusions that all of the 30,000
signatures we got were "real WW supporters".  Lou, correct me if I'm wrong,
but didn't the SWP used to hire petitioners to get on the ballot in New York
where you had to get so many signatures from each county?

If a lot of Democrats want to freeze Nader off the ballot undemocratically,
and a lot of Republicans are willing, for their own reasons, to accord Nader
the democratic right to be on the ballot, what's unusual about that?

Lou Paulsen
member, WWP, Chicago


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