The presidential election just got a little more interesting
in Virginia after former VA Congressman Virgil Goode delivered 20,500
signatures to the State Board of Elections to qualify for the presidential
ballot.[1] If
the signatures are upheld in Virginia, Goode’s name on the presidential ballot
could play the spoiler for Mitt Romney’s presidential ambitions.
State Board of Election officials will now send the signed
petitions to local registrars to verify their authenticity.
Earlier this week, a Republican Party challenge to the
validity of the Constitution Party’s signed petitions in Pennsylvania forced
Goode and his running partner, James Clymer, to drop off of the presidential
ticket. If the Republican Party smells blood in Virginia, it is likely to
repeat this maneuver.
To many conservative Americans, including Virginians,
Goode’s policy positions on immigration, Medicare, abortion, and gun rights,
present a more attractive presidential choice than those offered by President
Obama and presidential candidate Romney, even though the latter has proclaimed
many of the same policies.
Thus, Goode could play the role that Ralph Nader played in
the 2000 presidential election between Al Gore and George W. Bush: the role of
spoiler. In that election, Nader
“pulled” from Al Gore’s voting bloc, chiseling away at the popular vote that
Gore was able to garner.[2]
If nothing else, Goode’s presence in the presidential race
could cause Team Romney to move even further to the right of the political spectrum
to prevent Goode from staking claim to that position. If
Team Romney were to make this political move, it could isolate the all-important
independent voters in key swing states like Virginia.[3]
[1] http://washingtonexaminer.com/former-rep.-virgil-goode-hands-in-20000-signatures-to-make-virginia-presidential-ballot/article/2505808
[2] http://articles.cnn.com/2008-02-24/politics/nader.politics_1_ralph-nader-democrats-can-t-landslide-presidential-race?_s=PM:POLITICS
[3] http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/08/anti-obama-ad-earns-romney-independents/
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