Union Leader article on Free Staters (partly)

[Dave Ridley]

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=State+House+Dome%3A+Libertarians+'swap'+parties+on+election+ballots&articleId=cebbceb1-749b-4415-b911-b7e274dda802


State House Dome: Libertarians 'swap' parties on election ballots

By TOM FAHEY
State House Bureau Chief
Sunday, Jun. 18, 2006

WHEN IS A Libertarian not a Libertarian? When he or she runs for office as a Democrat or Republican.

There's plenty of that going around this year. In fact, former Libertarian candidate for governor, John Babiarz of Grafton, estimated last week that about two dozen of his party registered for state races this year, split evenly between Republican and Democratic tickets.

He's running for the House as a Democrat and his wife, Rosalie Babiarz, is running for state Senate, taking on Sen. Peter Burling in District 5. She ran as a Libertarian against Ray Burton of Bath for Executive Council in 2000.

John Babiarz said the major parties had a chance to keep Libertarians at bay, but they blew it because they didn't open the candidate filing system to all comers. Major party candidates can file for state Senate with $50, he said. Those in parties that don't reach 4 percent of votes in the previous election for governor or U.S. Senate need 150 signatures on a nomination petition to qualify for general election.

State law requires a person to be a member of the party he runs with. Babiarz said the group knows what it's doing.

"We haven't done anything to violate the law. We've followed right to the letter of the law. And the last I knew, there are no McCarthy-like hearings asking us 'Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Libertarian party?'" he said.

Babiarz said he knows some of the Free Staters group are among those he said are infiltrating the traditional party structure. Free Staters, who want minimal government intrusion in private lives, want to build their numbers in the state and had an open invitation from former Gov. Craig Benson.

Democratic Party state chairman Kathy Sullivan said she'll advise her executive board to drop its policy of being neutral in primaries to meet the Libertarian challenge.

"John Babiarz is chairman of the Libertarian Party in this state, so there is no question he is not a Democrat," she said. "We will most likely go ahead and endorse the real Democrats."

Republican state chairman Wayne Semprini said Babiarz's announcement was news to him, although he had heard that Mrs. Babiarz filed.

"With respect to most fiscal issues, Libertarians are usually in lock-step with us anyway. I think they agree with us on some of the real core Republican beliefs," he said. "If we're talking about social issues, that's where we part company sometimes."

Like Real ID.

Babiarz said defeat last month of a bill that would have pulled New Hampshire out of the national identification system, "kind of got me upset." Free Staters, who vigorously opposed the Real ID bill, felt the same way. "They have decided that this is their best method of getting in and working at the system," he said.

Joel Winters, who headed an anti-Real ID group this year, has filed as a Democrat for a Manchester House seat. He said his decision was out of frustration with the Republicans in the Senate who blocked passage of the bill, overcoming an eight-vote Democratic block.

[AlanM]

This is cool. Mess with the system.
No party should be denied access to the ballot. Every party should have to satisfy the same requirements to be on the ballot each year. If it is a $50 fee for Reps and Dems, it should be the same for Libertarians and everyone else.
The 2-party system is a fraud. It is in reality a 1-party system. Lenin would be proud.

[lildog]

I always thought they should toss out the party system anyway as there are far too many people who vote for the party and not the person.

Last state elections in Merrimack, the republican party had I believe about 400 MORE straight party voters then the democrats.  So as a result we have people register republican just to get part of the party votes.  We have state reps who are everything but republican yet they run and continue to get elected year after year because of the R next to their name.

Heck, most people don?t even pay any attention to who?s running for what beyond major elections.  Do they really think the system is going to improve just by showing up and picking someone at random?  And these are usually the same people complaining that their taxes are too high or that their rights are being infringed.  It?s time to toss out the party system and get people to actually vote on people and their platforms!

[Kat Kanning]

150 signatures to get on the ballot?  I thought it was a lot more.

[Dreepa]

150 signatures to get on the ballot?  I thought it was a lot more.

You are right I think it is 1500.

[president]

The article is talking about state senate....so it is 150.

[president]

No party should be denied access to the ballot.

What party is?

Every party should have to satisfy the same requirements to be on the ballot each year.

That is how it is now.

If it is a $50 fee for Reps and Dems, it should be the same for Libertarians and everyone else.

It's not about Reps or Dems. It's about parties that can get more than 4% of the vote. Do the Libertarians want that at 2%....1%....0% ???  If the Dems didn't get 4% they would also have to collect sigs.

"Those in parties that don't reach 4 percent of votes in the previous election for governor or U.S. Senate need 150 signatures on a nomination petition to qualify for general election."

[AlanM]

No party should be denied access to the ballot.

What party is?

Every party should have to satisfy the same requirements to be on the ballot each year.

That is how it is now.

If it is a $50 fee for Reps and Dems, it should be the same for Libertarians and everyone else.

It's not about Reps or Dems. It's about parties that can get more than 4% of the vote. Do the Libertarians want that at 2%....1%....0% ???  If the Dems didn't get 4% they would also have to collect sigs.

"Those in parties that don't reach 4 percent of votes in the previous election for governor or U.S. Senate need 150 signatures on a nomination petition to qualify for general election."

Hello, it IS about equal access to the ballot because of the 4% threshold. 0% is what I am talking about. Let there be more parties, more choice.

[president]

Then they should also get rid of the money part.
Should you have to show a state issued photo ID to run? 
What sould the requirement be?

But why are you so into party politics?

I want to see more people run who are not in any party.

[Russell Kanning]

I like the disappointment with the Republican party ..... then some of them can get sick of the Democrats ...... and eventually they can join the non-violent revolution.

[Atlas]

Hopefully, NH voters will quit bouncing back and forth between the two parties and be more issue-oriented. Most people don't realize what they have until it is gone.

[lildog]

Hopefully, NH voters will quit bouncing back and forth between the two parties and be more issue-oriented. Most people don't realize what they have until it is gone.

That?s one of the things I really like about local elections here?. They don?t have party next to those running.  You are voting on the people on the ballot and not the party.  And in some cases this also helps to expose some of those who run for state offices as republicans or democrats who don?t line up with what you?d expect for that party.

But even in local elections you see people split into one of two groups? those who seek to keep taxes low at all costs and those who support spending on this that and the other thing.  And the problem is those who want their little pet project funded are the ones who usually always show up to vote? those who want taxes low don?t turn up until the others create a situation completely out of control.

[Atlas]

True, unfortunately.

[intergraph19]

Free Staters, who want minimal government intrusion in private lives, want to build their numbers in the state and had an open invitation from former Gov. Craig Benson.

I miss Benson.   

[jgmaynard]

Whenever there is only one person running for an office, I always write someone in...... I know that I have voted for both Kat and Russ for office. Yeah, I know you two don't want it. 

JM