GORE TO BE ON BALLOT: Bay State Democrats will draft Gore == Collecting Signatures

[L. Coyote]

Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Bay State Democrats try to draft Gore
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2007/09/bay_state_democ.html

Al Gore isn't volunteering to jump into the presidential race, so some Massachusetts Democrats want to draft him.

A new statewide group announced today that it will launch a petition drive on Sept. 18 to try to get the former vice president on the March 4 primary ballot.

It needs to collect at least 2,500 verified signatures of registered voters by Dec. 21, but the group's leaders said they want to collect many more to show the depth of support for Gore.

"This is that rarity in American politics -- a genuine draft movement organized by citizens who believe firmly that America needs a specific candidate to lead the country. Gore received more than 50 million votes when he ran for President in 2000 and most of those voters still believe that he won," Fred Koed of Cohasset, a member of the Massachusetts State Democratic Committee, and the chair of Draft Gore Massachusetts, said in a statement.

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor at 02:07 PM

[wildhorses]

1. wo0t!

:applause:

[kansasblue]

2. hmmm... maybe we could do that in Kansas too.

Very nice. KandR

[kansasblue]

4. KANSAS

But I think this process would make him an Independent candidate.

Still researching.

No primary in Kansas.

Gore supporters need to attend the caucuses.

The Kansas legislature, meeting over the weekend of April 28-29, dropped the appropriation for a presidential primary in 2008, so the major parties will use caucuses instead of a primary. The outcome is a disappointment to U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, who is from Kansas and who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination. If Kansas had decided to hold a presidential primary, it would have been on February 5.




Kansas parties planning caucuses in early February
Story by The Associated Press
9:28 p.m. Monday, July 30, 2007
Both Republicans and Democrats in Kansas are planning to have presidential caucuses in early February 2008.
Those caucuses will determine how delegates to the parties' national conventions are allocated among presidential candidates.
Democrats have drafted a plan for caucuses on February fifth. At stake will be 32 of the state's 40 delegates to the party's convention in Denver in August 2008.
At least 20 other states expect to have caucuses or primaries that day.
Kansas Republicans plan to have their caucuses on February ninth. At stake will be 36 of the party's 39 delegates to the GOP convention in Minneapolis in September.
State law once called for a primary in 2008, but lawmakers canceled it because of its $2 million cost.



Caucuses are a multi-stage process that typically begins at the precinct level and proceeds through a series of steps to a state convention. Because the caucus system requires a citizen to take the time to go to a meeting and sit through some speeches, there is generally a very low participation rate. On the plus side, caucuses entail a deeper level of participation and involvement than merely going to the polling place to cast a ballot. Caucuses can be an inspiring example of democracy at work.

[L. Coyote]

7. This is for the PRIMARIES, of course.

[kansasblue]

8. thank L. I've made some updates. :-) nt

[L. Coyote]

11. The Caucus system will require a state-wide Draft Gore effort to be effective

I like caucuses for this reason. People really have to be behind a candidate and show up at a meeting, or they have no vote.

[Mabus]

23. I was a delegate in 2004

I've been through the caucus system. The most important thing is to show up at the first caucus. I was elected there and then made the final cut at the regional level.

Where are you? I'm in Lawrence. PM me. I know other people in Kansas that want Gore too.

[L. Coyote]

3. Please report your State laws on placing a draftee on the primary ballot.

Is it possible? How many signatures, deadlines, timelines, etc.

[FreakinDJ]

5. How many sigs we need for Calif.

[rosesaylavee]

10. FreakinDJ - check this out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=260x1463

There is a movement in CA that you may want to get connected to...

[FreakinDJ]

17. Thnks

[spanone]

6. God Lovem'

[Jack Bone]

9. Run, Al Run!!

:patriot:

[MonkeyFunk]

12. Why do you want a candidate who doesn't want to run?

[rosesaylavee]

13. Eisenhower was a reluctant candidate too and was drafted by the people...

He is considered by many to be our last decent Republican in the White House.

[MonkeyFunk]

25. And he was convinced to run and he DID run

he wasn't just put on the ballot and then won. And there was only one other real competitor - Robert Taft, not 8 like there are today. And Eisenhower was eventually chosen at the convention, not by winning all the primaries.

If Al Gore doesn't want to run, I don't want him to be the candidate. I want someone who wants to run and who wants to win.

[rosesaylavee]

26. He hasn't said that he doesn't want to run...

[MonkeyFunk]

27. Neither have I

but it would be a safe bet that I'm not going to.

Now Gore may still run - but I think drafting him is dumb. If he wants to run, he will.

[L. Coyote]

28. You have my support, but we might need to change your name a bit

:rofl: How about MonkeyPunk?

[MonkeyFunk]

31. no way

if Kucinich isn't changing HIS name, I'm not changing mine!

[FreakinDJ]

14. California laws

6041. The Secretary of State shall place the name of a candidate upon the presidential primary ballot when he or she has determined that the candidate is generally advocated for or recognized throughout the United States or California as actively seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party for President of the United States.
http://law.justia.com/california/codes/elec/100-106.html

6061. Any unselected candidate or uncommitted delegation desiring to be placed on the presidential primary ballot shall have nomination papers circulated on behalf of the candidacy. In order to qualify for placement on the presidential primary ballot, the candidate's or uncommitted delegation's nomination papers shall be signed by voters registered as affiliated with the Democratic Party equal in number to not less than 1 percent or 500, whichever is fewer, in each congressional district of the number of persons registered as members of the Democratic Party in the report of registration issued by the
Secretary of State on the 135th day preceding the presidential
primary election.

The unselected candidates or uncommitted delegations shall meet the statewide signature requirements from each congressional district in order to be eligible for placement on the ballot in any one congressional district.
http://law.justia.com/california/codes/elec/6060-6061.html

[rosesaylavee]

15. K & R n/t

[catgirl]

19. careful

[Duppers]

16. but isn't Mar. 4th after Super Tuesday?

His name has to be on ballots on that day. He needs to get started now....the support is here (and out there) for him. It's his for the taking. But I can understand if he doesn't. It's nasty out there.

[catgirl]

18. You purposely posted a misleading title

"to be on ballot" and "will draft Gore" is BS. Clearly
you are up to no good here. Quite obvious when you
read the article which I posted in LBN. You're fake
exuberance doesn't work.

Disruptors will be disruptors.

[L. Coyote]

29. If you say so. Are you saying they won't get the signatures??

Collect at least 2,500 verified signatures of registered voters by Dec. 21. Think about how easy this will be. I've worked on an initiative petition. Only 2,500 verified signatures is so much easier!

[malaise]

20. Al Gore

#44. Run Al Run!!

[Clark2008]

21. What good would that do?

Honestly.

I think most of our choices this year are shit. None of them can win the general election whether I agree with them or not, but, honestly, what would this do?

Enlighten me/

[Matariki]

22. hmmm. great idea.

maybe we should coordinate a state by state effort.

anyone in Washington State want to do this?

[Control-Z]

24. k n r

I think Al will answer if we call.

It will take some serious effort and organization to make the call loud and clear, though.

[RiverStone]

30. OK, so lets say Gore wins the primary - then what?

Would that convince Al to run? I'd say possibly if this same effort was repeated in EVERY state with equal results.

Otherwise, it's simply an exercise in wishful thinking...

Though if I were to wish for anything in politics, it would be an AL GORE run for Pres in 08!!!

[L. Coyote]

32. If there is a substantial block of Gore delegates at the convention, they can green

and influence the party platform, for one thing. Gore could have a large impact on the convention with a block even if not a candidate.

But, I'm quite sure these activist want Gore to enter the race and think that a non-candidate win or landslide in the primary will make the convincing difference.