# GOP helps the Green party get on ballot in NC **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 7, 2018, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977 "2018-04-07T12:15:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/1 "2018-04-07T12:15:53Z")
> **[Republicans helped Green Party get on the ballot in NC](https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article208145974.html)** > > Supporters of lesser-known political parties were disappointed with North Carolina's presidential election ballot in 2016. I guess this is an example of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend. " For many years NC has been the hardest state for 3rd parties to get on the ballot. So we only had the Dems, GOP and Libertarians . ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/2 "2018-04-07T13:04:04Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > [http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article208145974.html](http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article208145974.html) > I guess this is an example of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend. " > > For many years NC has been the hardest state for 3rd parties to get on the ballot. So we only had the Dems, GOP and Libertarians . As much as I hate it, it’s a smart move. The GOP would know the costs of having a third party that attracts even a fringe of the vote: they lost a Pennsylvania district that had barely been contested for decades to Democrat Conor Lamb, in large part thanks to the Libertarian party. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/3 "2018-04-07T13:53:46Z")
It is a smart move. It’s funny, though, watching Republican election strategy. It’s never about trying to increase the Republican vote. Rather, somehow trying to impede their opposition. This move sounds like something that has a good chance of working for them. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/4 "2018-04-07T14:00:40Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > It is a smart move. It’s funny, though, watching Republican election strategy. It’s never about trying to increase the Republican vote. Rather, somehow trying to impede their opposition. This move sounds like something that has a good chance of working for them. It might help in close states, but that also assumes that libertarians don’t get out and protest vote against Republicans and that other Republicans are motivated to come out and vote. Right now the progressives are very motivated and very active at the local level. They have a clear edge in terms of energy and motivation in local races. The question is what happens nationally going into 2020 and whether they can pick a national candidate to rally around. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/5 "2018-04-07T14:21:39Z")
The NC Republican Party has about the same ethical integrity as yer average death-eater, but in this case, their shitty political maneuverings are pro-democracy, so I support them. We should change our policies such that people have an easier time voting for the person they want to vote for. This is a move in that direction, so Go Go Republicans! Let’s next make it easier for folks to vote for the Constitution Party candidate :). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/6 "2018-04-07T15:14:02Z")
It’s really not a move in that direction. The only reason votes have significance is because they can lead to candidates winning elections. But the Green Party getting on the ballot in NC has the same effect as them getting on the ballot in China or Iraq or wherever would: Absolutely none. A _real_ move in that direction would be implementing something like IRV. But if that ever happens in the US, it won’t be the Republicans pushing it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/7 "2018-04-07T15:29:07Z")
Pro-democracy my ass. They’re doing it because it’s anti-Democrat. There’s your effect. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/8 "2018-04-07T15:29:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s really not a move in that direction. The only reason votes have significance is because they can lead to candidates winning elections. But the Green Party getting on the ballot in NC has the same effect as them getting on the ballot in China or Iraq or wherever would: Absolutely none. At the state level, sure–but at the local level, there’s a much better chance. IIRC Carrboro, NC once elected a Green to local office, and it’s not out of the question that other municipalities or even counties could as well. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/9 "2018-04-07T15:29:57Z")
as someone pointed out above, in a close election like the one in PA this year even 1% can swing a seat. I’m surprised it took the GOP 7 years to come up with this plan. They have had veto proof majorities in both state houses since 2010. The NC governor is a Dem but they stripped away a lot of his power after he won in 2016 and almost all of his vetos are laughed at and easily overidden. I guess he issues the vetos as symbolic events. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/10 "2018-04-07T15:35:24Z")
[Yep](https://greenpages.wordpress.com/tag/green-party-elected-officials/)–in both Chapel Hill and Carrboro, Greens have won local office. Twenty years ago. Still and all, I’m all about third parties running for local office, and measures that make this easier for them are good. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/11 "2018-04-07T15:52:32Z")
Chapel Hill and Carrboro think Bernie Sanders is too far to the right. 🙂 A famous NC senator said “we don’t need a state zoo , just put a fence around Chapel Hill” I bet you can figure out who said that. He also said coed dorms were “state run cathouses” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/12 "2018-04-07T15:57:34Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Chapel Hill and Carrboro think Bernie Sanders is too far to the right. 🙂 I was at the NCAE (NEA for our state) conference a couple weeks ago. The Carrboro contingent kept, very earnestly, introducing the most left-wing agenda items imaginable. It was wonderful and irritating at the same time. (For example, they were PISSED that NCAE endorsed Clinton during the primary, and want a measure in place to poll all members before any future presidential endorsements). > [@](#): > > A famous NC senator said “we don’t need a state zoo , just put a fence around Chapel Hill” I bet you can figure out who said that. Figure out? Bijou, I used to quote that line all the time when folks asked where I grew up! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/13 "2018-04-07T15:58:34Z")
And thereby setting up hordes of young men entering college that year for bitter disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/14 "2018-04-07T16:01:28Z")
most local elections in NC are non partisan, they don’t list your party on the ballot. So those people who ran as greens in NC were not listed that way when people voted. Local candidates can list any party they want in ads , signs, etc. But most don’t list a party. Also Durham is very liberal too. But a funny thing is it seems a majority of Duke professors live in Chapel Hill instead of Durham. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/15 "2018-04-07T16:03:27Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > The NC Republican Party has about the same ethical integrity as yer average death-eater, but in this case, their shitty political maneuverings are pro-democracy, so I support them. We should change our policies such that people have an easier time voting for the person they want to vote for. This is a move in that direction, so Go Go Republicans! > > Let’s next make it easier for folks to vote for the Constitution Party candidate :). That would be awesome if we had a different system of government than we do. But we don’t have a parliamentary system, and all the wishing on the left will not give us one. We have a system that really asks us for binary decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/16 "2018-04-07T16:09:53Z")
But you could change that system to make it less of a binary decision. Congressional systems in other countries use variants of proportional voting or ranked voting. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/17 "2018-04-07T16:14:43Z")
Americans don’t like to copy ideas from other countries except in rare cases. After all we are #1 in everything right? If we did copy we would have had national health care a while back. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/18 "2018-04-07T16:30:18Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > But you could change that system to make it less of a binary decision. Congressional systems in other countries use variants of proportional voting or ranked voting. Not without a complete Constitutional Convention. And we can’t even pull off amendments anymore. Not that these other systems are superior. You still have the same representations problems due to first-past-the-post voting. It’s the voting system you have to change, not the government. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/19 "2018-04-07T16:43:07Z")
Check the signatures for validity. We had the same thing happen in Michigan, only it was Dems and a fake “Tea Party”. Couple of guys got convicted over fraudulent signatures. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977/20 "2018-04-07T16:49:03Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > The NC Republican Party has about the same ethical integrity as yer average death-eater, but in this case, their shitty political maneuverings are pro-democracy, so I support them. We should change our policies such that people have an easier time voting for the person they want to vote for. This is a move in that direction, so Go Go Republicans! > > Let’s next make it easier for folks to vote for the Constitution Party candidate :). Those manoeuvres sure made it easier for the Nazi party… > **[Denounced by His Party as a Nazi, Arthur Jones Wins Illinois G.O.P....](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/us/politics/arthur-jones-illinois.html)** > > Mr. Jones, a Holocaust denier and former member of the American Nazi Party, was the sole Republican candidate in a suburban Chicago congressional district. > [@](#): > > Mr. Jones, 70, unsuccessfully sought the nomination five times before, and his victory on Tuesday was a foregone conclusion after the Republican Party failed to draft another candidate to enter the race against him. > > “Even if only myself and my wife voted for me, I’d win the primary because the Republican Party screwed up big time,” Mr. Jones said in an interview. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-helps-the-green-party-get-on-ballot-in-nc/811977.md?page=2)