Serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis. © James Conner.

 

10 March 2014

How many Libertarians will file today?

Filing for the 3 June 2014 Montana primary closes at 1700 MDT today. If there are surprises, they’ll pop up by then.

In the Flathead, the big questions are whether a Democrat will file for House District 7 or any of the county offices, especially county commissioner. A smaller question in the Flathead is whether any more Libertarians will join Christopher Colvin on the ballot.

Libertarians could affect the outcome of the races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and Public Service Commission District 5 (Flathead, Lake, Pondera, Teton, Glacier, and Lewis and Clark counties). So far, no Libertarian has filed for any of these contests, but I think more than one will. In a close race, a Libertarian will pull votes from the Republican and improve the Democrat’s chances of winning. Just ask Jon Tester, Steve Bullock, and the Republican Party.

This is also the last day for soapbox candidates like Melinda Gopher to throw their hats in the rings. Running for office is a fine way to raise important issues, or sometimes just to have good, clean fun. Voters my age will remember with affection the runs for President of Pat Paulson, Barry Commoner, Jesse Jackson, and Shirley Chisholm, and the quixotic dash for major of New York by William F. Buckley, who when asked what he would do if he won, quipped, “Demand a recount.”

Less admirable, and no fun at all, are the vengeful and narcissistic, prime examples being John Driscoll and Ralph Nader; the apparently deranged, with no one being more so than Lyndon LaRouche; the tenebrous egotists typified by Newton Leroy Gingrich; and the self-anointed revealers of Constitutional Truth who sip and sup at the Tea Party’s table.

It should be interesting. Balloting (unfortunately) starts the first week of May.