The Socialist in the Fray
By Sam Smith
The Progressive Review's "Undernews" blog
Tuesday, 17 June 2008

Last fall, while the presidential hopefuls from the two major parties were gearing up for a season of primary elections, the Socialist Party USA chose their 2008 presidential nominee. He's Brian Moore, of Spring Hill, Florida, just north of Tampa. But, being the nominee of a minor party does not necessarily get someone on the ballot.

Moore beat out four other Socialist Party USA candidates on the third ballot at their national convention in St. Louis last October. But unlike the Democrats and Republicans, the elected nominee from the Socialist Party USA, one of several socialist parties in the country, does not automatically get on the ballot in any state. Instead, Moore said, he has to "work at it and earn each state".

Many require tens of thousands of signatures or expensive filing fees. California for one requires about 158,000 signatures if you wanted to run as an independent candidate and 89,000 signatures as a party. Maryland 32,000 signatures, Michigan 38,000 signatures. They just try to beat you down, one way or the other."

The Socialist Party USA has about three thousand members across the country. Instead of working for his campaign, Moore said, volunteers work to coordinate access to each state⿿s ballot.

Moore's platform includes an immediate end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, free and accessible national healthcare, and transferring ownership of corporations to the workers.

Moore is already on the ballot in Vermont and will qualify in six other states soon. He expects to be on the ballot of at least twenty states by November⿿s election.

This story can be found online at www.prorev.com.