Pennsylvania Spoilers

03 August, 2004

Two stories in today's paper shed some light on the lack of idealism among Democrats when it comes to third parties. The stage was set by yesterday's 5:00 deadline for candidates to submit signatures in order to get onto Pennsylvania's ballot.

First, it seems that just when he thought he had secured his right flank by beating out Pat Toomey in the primaries, Senator Arlen Specter faces a Nadering by Jim Clymer of the Constitution Party. Clymer's petition was boosted by the efforts of supporters of Democratic challenger Joe Hoeffel (though nobody officially affiliated with the Hoeffel campaign was involved). Given the strength of Toomey's run, there's a good chance that Clymer -- assuming he can generate some name recognition -- could tip the race.

Specter's campaign had no plans to challenge Clymer's ballot slot. The same could not be said for Democrats anxious about Ralph Nader. Nader's campaign officials rushed from Kinko's to the Election Board office to submit their signatures with just a minute to spare. Democrats immediately annouced that they would challenge Nader's signatures, as the party has done in other states. Is this, as Howard Dean says, simply to ensure that the race is being run cleanly? Not according to H. William DeWeese, the state House minority leader. The Allentown Morning Call reports:

"Obviously, we are going to do everything humanly possible to intercede against Mr. Nader," said state House Minority Leader H. William DeWeese, a Pittsburgh area Democrat.

DeWeese said Nader, a nationally respected consumer advocate since the 1960s, was once one of his heroes, but he now condemns him for "his inexplicable and selfish behavior" to run for president and potentially ruin Kerry's chances to defeat President Bush.

He's got a tough road ahead of him, though, as nearly half of Nader's 50,000 signatures would have to be invalidated in order to bump the independent candidate from the ballot.

Stentor Danielson