Third Party Summit

Veteran Libertarian Party activist Tom Stahl is organizing a "Third Party Summit" to explore areas of common interest. Current plans include a meeting at 1:30 P.m. on February 5, 2005, at the Bellevue Public Library to discuss recent changes in the Washington primary, its effect on minor parties and a minor party response, if any. I understand we have commitments to attend from the Green and the Constitution Parties, and perhaps others.

I will reserve my analysis of the new election laws for a later day. For now, suffice it to say that I fear that the powers in Olympia will attempt to sucker third parties into playing along with the "top two" system because candidates will not need to hold conventions or collect signatures. The problem is, neither will the parties be assured that the candidate is an adherent to the party message or that the party message will survive to the general election.