Why is being on the ballot such an important thing for a presidential
candidate?  For such an important occasion as the quadrennial
presidential election, wouldn't a voter be willing to take an
additional 15 seconds to actually write out the names of their
presidential and vice presidential choices to choose the candidate
that represents them the best?

Are there American voters who are actually not aware that they are
allowed to write in anybody that meets the qualifications for
election? (natural born citizen, at least 35 years of age, etc.)

Looking forward to the 2008 election, when I can finally vote for the
most deserving candidate...myself!

---

Clarification of Question by hailstorm-ga on 01 Nov 2004 16:45 PST

While we wait for an answer, I invite all undecided, hard-working
Americans who may have found this by searching for "presidential
election", "United States election", or "who will win the presidential
election?" to take a brief look at what the Libertarian Party has to
offer:

http://www.lp.org

They are the largest third party organization in the United States,
and the only one in recent times to ever earn a vote in the Electoral
College (their vice presidential candidate at the time was also the
first woman to ever receive a vote in the Electoral College)  Their
party platform advocates a greatly reduced role of government, the
complete abolition of the IRS, and a promise not to get involved in
unnecessary, ill-advised quagmires like the search for WMD in Iraq.

While they will probably not win a plurality of votes in any state, a
national result of even 2% in such a close election will represent a
significant voice that the ruling government will not be able to
ignore.

Vote for Kerry or Bush if you like, but please do it because out of
all the candidates they represent you the best, and not just because
you "don't want the other guy to win"

Well, if I had a vote, I would certainly vote for you at the 2008
Election, if I knew your real name, which I don't.

So pray tell me how can you expect anyone to know who's name to write
in unless such a person has indicated his/her preparedness to do such
a silly job?

Everyone knows Ralph Nader...yet his supporters are desperately trying
to get him on the ballot in as many states as possible.

And *I* am thinking of making a run for the presidency in 2008 for the
not-yet-created Expats For America party...

Huh ... So, who is this Ralph Nader?

He's the old guy who had a heart attack on the side of the road when
you drove past him in your CorvAir the other day...

Nader is a Methuselah
- he probably did sterling work in the 1960s
Google: "Unsafe At Any Speed" nader    
for his opus

Oh THAT Nader!

Well, if I'd known it was YOU who was busy rifling his wallet, I sure
would have stopped.

Out of courtesy.

Good Luck with your 2008 Campaign.

I'll come and sing at your inauguration ...

For my usual fee.

Well, how else am I going to get the money to fuel my rabid penny stock habit?

I penciled you in for the singing gig in 2009.  The campaign theme
song will be "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club.  Please dress
appropriately...

So, anybody care to try and answer the question?

Ralph Nader is the guy partially responsible for all the problems in
the 2000 election.  He should just go away rather than messing
everything up again.

Why is he responsible?  Because over 97,000 people preferred him to
Gore or Bush?  What about the 16,000+ votes that Harry Browne received
from otherwise potential Republicans in Florida that year?

If America wants to call itself a democracy, it needs to accept and
embrace the fact that there are more than just two viewpoints.

Interesting, Hailstorm, because I had the opposite question today. Due
to my immense support of the Charles Jay/Marilyn Chambers (Personal
Choice Party, and see my comment here
<http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=421696>), I began to
think: What's the use of being a Presidential candidate if you're not
running in all 50 States?

There is no chance of being elected anyway, and because of the
structure of the American political system, also not much chance that
the elections would bring their ideas or ideology closer to the
public. Why run as a write-in or with a small party, that is not even
on the ballot in all 50 States?

Great point, PG.

At the end of the day, only one of the two main candidates will become Prez.

I would have thought that the rational voter would have wanted his/her
vote to count. The other candidates are either on an ego trip or
living on another planet.

I guess this is just one of the cosmetics of the supposedly democratic
system: the truth is that there are only two viable candidates and
whoever wins you'll get the same basic product with a different
package and brand name.

Well consensus politics have been around for a long time and they do
seem to work, so do we need all this razmataz?

It leaves me cold.

Long Live the King!

Yes ... I do mean Elvis.

Of course you don't need to be on the ballot in all 50 states.  In
fact, in an election this close, all you really need is to be on the
ballot in one state.

Imagine that a person of Arnold Schwartzenegger's stature (not Arnold
himself, unfortunately, because he's not a natural born citizen)
decided to run for president, and dedicated his efforts exclusively to
California.  If our Arnie stand-in took the 55 electoral votes of
California, he would almost surely prevent either George Bush or John
Kerry from claiming a majority of the electoral votes, meaning that
the House of Representatives would elect the next president, at which
point anything can happen...

Wow, Hailey, I never realised THAT!

OK, so let's start planning your campaign for 2008  ...

My guess is that with all the brainpower available PLUS

Your hard earned fortune ... (from the Penny Shares thing) 

Sunny Cal is the way forward ...

Let's do it!

Of course, we would still have to fix the House of Reps and they go
for the Prohibition Party candidate after all.

Risky?

If elected, I promise that my Cabinet will be composed entirely of
Google Answers Researchers!  And Missy and Pinkfreud will be first in
line as my choice of appointments to the Supreme Court!

Sorry, Hailey

You have just lost my vote.

ONLY Researchers????

You did used to have some friends among us commoners.

Just like a politico!

You are all the same: after getting our votes with BIG promises, you
now pass out all the favours to your friends.

Sadly Disillusioned. 

A Committed Ex-Haler.

Arnie might not be such a bad idea

Reagan was a 'B' Movie actor, yet I have a certain respect for some of
the things he did - especially the 'Mini Memos'

Imagine an 'A' Movie actor - with total 'script control'

The Third time stuff was just invented to stiff FDR, and with a huge
Hispanic population the 'Not Born Here' rule is very amendable.

I also promise to make probonopublico Ambassador to Ghana!

>> And Missy and Pinkfreud will be first in line as my choice 
>> of appointments to the Supreme Court!

I always fantasized about being a member of The Supremes. Missy and I
will probably have to duke it out over who gets to be Diana Ross.

Well, OK then, I'm mollified!

But, of course, there were THREE Supremes ...

Don't tell me that we have yet another Prez who can't count?

Or are you faking it, as part of your image?

Good point, Bryan. I was really hoping that Hailstorm himself would
put on a bouffant wig and sing backup with Missy while I do the Miss
Ross thing and hog the spotlight.

If not, perhaps we can coax Archae0pteryx to take up the microphone. I
bet she warbles like... um... like an extinct bird.

Sorry, Pink, but Archae0pteryx would not be eligible.

I think that Haily has made it perfectly clear that ALL the plum jobs
will be handed out to Researchers and despite her undoubted talents I
am afraid that the mellifluous Archae0pteryx does not qualify as such.

For your information, Pink, the names of ALL Researchers are now
underlined in blue or is it cyan? This indicates that they are
HYPERLINKED. Whatever that may mean. Maybe they are on something that
makes them hyper?

So, please think again.

Remember, we need THREE FEMALE RESEARCHERS who can sing!

(Having heard Kriswrite-ga, I think we rule her out.)

I can sing, if we all preform in my shower.

Gottverdammich Politicalguru!

What would your husband say if he caught you with the Ambassador for
Ghana in your shower?