election follies

[rm]

If you didn't think this campaign season was already orbiting Mars for the sheer level of batshit crazy involved, you will now.

You see, it seems that neither Obama nor McCain met the deadlines they needed to do actually be on the ballot in Texas. And Bob Barr? He's all over this.

More here: http://zarq.livejournal.com/808589.html

Meanwhile, I expect Ron Paul to start crawling all over this mess at any second.

Comments

[lllvis.livejournal.com]

I found out about this a couple of weeks ago, possibly more, and have been waiting for the kerfuffle! When I first heard and checked the state's website, sure enough only Barr's name and the acceptable write-in's were on it. The following Tuesday (must've been Labor Day weekend) there was Obama and McCain. Hmmmmm....

[rihani.livejournal.com]

I can't help but laugh at this point. This entire election is fucking absurd these days.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

OK. Now it's official. The Yanks are not ready for Home Rule.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I saw that. Someone associated with the Texas government has said that it's actually okay, and they'll be on the ballot, since they only had to update already submitted forms, but man, how crazy.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Bob Barr has filed suit, so it's going to get dragged through court anyway I think.

[p-zeitgeist.livejournal.com]

Depending on the precedents and the exact wording of the relevant statute and regs, it may be possible for the court to dispose of this one quickly and easily. If wordsofastory's Texas official is right, this may be a case where all that will need to happen is for the major parties to move for the Texas version of summary judgment/judgment on the pleadings/dismissal for failure to state a claim. Presumably the facts won't be in dispute, so this will be a matter of law. And courts will normally defer to a regulatory department's interpretation of law, unless it's patently unreasonable.

So if an official associated with whatever Texas agency handles elections says the major-party candidates are okay, and that the already-submitted forms were sufficient under its interpretation of Texas law, in general a court will have no trouble dismissing the case.

Of course, that's making a lot of assumptions. But still. It sounds as if this is very likely to go away quietly, for all that it's not likely to be a big problem for the Democrats if it doesn't.

[sethg]

I assume this is a consequence of both parties scheduling their conventions so late.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

No doubt Charles Dickens, satirist of the absurdities of British electoral politics, is snarking Colbert-like from the hereafter...

[abbismom.livejournal.com]

It would happen here.

Did they both forget that we are still one of the states? Or did they think we abdicated into our own country?

[pennswoods.livejournal.com]

Seriously? It's hard to believe that both major candidates missed the deadline, but then again, everything is so incredibly half-assed down here in Texas - why the heck would a national election be any different?