Kiffmeyer/Hatch kick the IP off the ballot

[no name no slogan]

What does everybody think of this great new cockamamie idea from our glorious Secretary of State?

In case you didn't hear about this: Kiffmeyer sent a recommendation to Attorney General Mike Hatch that the Independence Party (IP) be removed from all ballots in the state this year because they failed to get a minimum threshold of votes in our primary.

Hatch "supported" this idea, mainly because he saw that there was room for a credible legal challenge to it. The IP has (of course) taken up the challenge and is petitioning the courts for another opinion.

Now, I'm not a big fan of the Independence Party (Gee, another 'centrist' political party? What a novel idea-- NOT!), but I still think they have every right to a ballot line this November. After all, Tim Penny (their gubernatorial candidate in 2002) did get 10%+ of the vote, which is more than enough to qualify them for major party status in MN.

Never mind the fact that this year's primary had one of the lowest voter turnouts on record-- mainly because there are no statewide races this year (Governor, US Senate, etc), and also because most local candidates didn't have primary opposition. As a matter of fact, NONE of the IP's endorsed candidates even had a primary opponent this year-- which means there was no point for an IP primary at all!

I hope this case gets tossed out, as it rightly should, and proves to be yet another embarassment to Kiffmeyer and her (mis)management of the S.O.S.'s office. Not only are her actions undemocratic, but they are based on the most flimsy of premises.

Remember 2006 folks: we need to do some serious housecleaning in the Secretary of State's office.

[Wickerman]

1. Actually, as was pointed out in my precinct, the only reason TO vote

was to cast your support for the IP candidate. There were no races in my town, so the vote was meaningless unless you voted indie, then you sent support to the party.

And yes, Kiffmeired is wrong and a loser once again.

[ButterflyBlood]

2. I think Kiffmeyer's toast in 2006

she barely won last time and has become just a big joke with her "terrorist warning" posters she sent out this time.

But I suspect she might not run again, if Mark Kennedy runs against Dayton and they get her to hold the seat. Minnesota's own Katherine Harris in a House seat, ugh.