Right now, Bob Barr’s campaign is running radio ads in eight states. The campaign is actually planning start running a few television ads. Because of the difficulties of fundraising, it’s rare that third party candidates attempt to run television ads at all.
But the Barr campaign expects to run nearly 14 million households with their television ads. They’ve posted their first TV spot on YouTube:

I think it’s obvious that Barr’s campaign has less cash to work with than John McCain’s or Barack Obama’s in the production quality of the video — but, at the same time, it’s a well put together …read more

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Peter Camejo, Ralph Nader’s 2004 running mate, passed away this weekend. He was a leading member of the Green Party, and ran for Governor of California in 2002, 2003 and 2006.
Camejo marched in Selma, Alabama with Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1968, Ronald Reagan (then Governor of California) put Camejo on the list of the 10 most dangerous people in California because Camejo was “present at all anti-war demonstrations.” The New York Times has an obituary.

Ron Paul told supporters at the National Press Club in Washington this morning that he will not be supporting either Sen. John McCain or Sen. Barack Obama.
Instead, Paul is endorsing the four leading independent candidates:

Cynthia McKinney (Green Party)
Bob Barr (Libertarian Party)
Ralph Nader (independent)
Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party)

Paul said that he is supporting third-party candidates because the two major parties — and the media — have avoided discussing real political issues. The announcement comes after a call that Paul said he had received from the McCain campaign yesterday, asking for his endorsement.
According to Paul, there’s really no difference between McCain …read more

We’ve been running a poll in the side bar, asking you whether Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate for president, should be included in the debates and other events that both Barack Obama and John McCain participate in?
The majority seem to agree that Bob Barr should be included (6 votes), but almost as many (4 votes) think he doesn’t need to be included.
It’s an especially interesting question now that the news has come out that neither the Democratic nor Republican parties managed dotted every i and crossed every t necessary to have their candidates on the ballot in Texas. It looks …read more

As far as third party nominees go, it’s pretty clear that Bob Barr is in the lead. He’s getting national name recognition, but — despite taking the matter to the courts — he’s been excluded from events such as last weekend’s Saddleback Civil Forum.
Do you think he should be included, or should he be excluded?
Vote in the poll we have in our side bar!

Bob Barr’s name will be on the ballot in all fifty states, come November. To say that Barr is a viable third party candidate is putting the situation mildly.
Ralph Nader was accused of ’spoiling’ John Kerry’s run for president in 2004. Nader was only on the ballot in 34 states.
I won’t argue that Barr has come near to either Barack Obama or John McCain’s numbers. But I think that his candidacy is already having a significant affect on this presidential campaign. The margin between Obama and McCain remains narrow enough that both candidates have to seriously consider the chance …read more

The news has been full of potential candidates for the vice presidential slots on both the Democratic and Republican tickets. But Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney has already selected her second: Rosa Clemente.
McKinney has been on the mainstream radar at least a little bit as a member of the House of Representatives. But Clemente’s background is a little different. She’s known as a Hip-Hop activist and journalist. She’s active in efforts to incorporate the Hip-Hop generation’s needs into a political agenda.
Clemente is definitely a different sort of choice.
More information about Rosa Clemente is available through her website.

Image details: Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney Holds News Conference served by picapp.com
I have to admit that I’ve gotten pretty used to seeing Ralph Nader’s name on the ballot, right next to the Green Party. But, according to various sources, Cynthia McKinney seems to have tied up this year’s Green Party nomination. She’s managed to tie up more than half of the Green Party delegates who will pick the nominee at the party’s convention in July, essentially guaranteeing her the nomination.
McKinney has served several terms in the House of Representatives, representing Georgia’s fourth congressional district. She’s gotten pretty used to …read more

The Libertarian Party’s National Convention is off to a good start in Denver. It will run until May 26th, and between now and then over a thousand delegates will decide between 14 different candidates for the presidential nominee. Unlike Republican and Democratic delegates, Libertarian delegates are not pledged to a particular candidate in advance.
Allow me to interpret: nobody quite knows who will be the Libertarian nominee yet. In my opinion, no matter your political party, we’re looking at a far more entertaining convention this weekend than either the Republicans or Democrats will stage in the next couple of months.
Highlights from …read more

Most of the dozens of third parties in the US are state-, region-, or issue-specific. A good example is the Alaskan Independence Party, which claims to have about 13,500 members, making it the state’s third largest party. If you live in Fairbanks, check out their party convention, going on this weekend at the Regency Fairbanks Hotel.
The Alaskan Independence Party is basically a libertarian party with Alaska-specific concerns. Among the party’s primary goals are:

A statewide referendum on statehood status, during which the party will support some form of independence for Alaska. This may not necessarily be complete secession from the US, …read more