Those Who Won't Be President, We Salute You

While Mitt Romney and Barack Obama battle for the title of Almighty Ruler of the Kingdom of the Electoral College, let's take a moment to remember the candidates who won't win… but run anyway.

Last fall we launched a little interview series we called Undercision 2012: Running with the Underdogs. Here's our conversation with Fred Karger, the openly gay Republican who did not end his campaign after Mitt Romney became the GOP's presumptive nominee. (He waited until June.)

Our interviews with Gary Johnson, Jill Stein and more after the jump…

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Tags: Cheri Honkala, Election Day 2012, Fred Karger, Gary Johnson, Green Party, Jill Stein, Libertarian, Republicans, Thaddeus McCotter, Third Party

Election Day Survival Guide for Third Parties

This morning, Mary shared an Election Day Survival Guide for Republicans and an Election Day Survival Guide for Democrats, which is all well and good, except that people who cast their ballots for one of those two parties only make up a vast majority of voters.

What about the minute number of people are taking a stand against the tyranny of the two-party system by voting for candidates like Jill Stein, Gary Johnson or the Lizard People? Don't they deserve an Election Day Survival Guide of their own? Yes, they do! And here it is…

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Tags: Election Day 2012, Election Day Survival Guide, Gary Johnson, Green Party, Jill Stein, Libertarian, Third Party

Third-Party Debate Bingo

What, you thought last night was the end of presidential debate season? Not so fast. Tonight at 9pm Eastern four third-party presidential candidates–the Green Party's Jill Stein, the Libertarian Party's Gary Johnson, the Constitution Party's Virgil Goode and the Justice Party's Rocky Anderson–will face off, with Larry King moderating.

Point your browsers to freeandequal.org to watch the debate online, grab your favorite runner-up snacks, play along with our debate bingo and be sure to follow us @indecision, where we'll be livetweeting the whole thing.

 

Previously
Exclusive: Jill Stein & Cheri Honkala on Romney, Biden and Being Un-PAC'd
Undercision 2012: Gary Johnson [VIDEO]

Tags: Debates, Gary Johnson, Green Party, Jill Stein, Larry King, Libertarian, Rocky Anderson, Virgil Goode

One of a Kind Candidate: Art Goodtimes, County Commissioner, San Miguel, CO

Who is Art Goodtimes? Some might call the incumbent candidate for San Miguel County Commissioner a father, some might call him a brother, and some might call him "a dream-spinner whose heart is made of Earth, fire, stone, water. … [An] artist, author, poet-performer, bioregionalist, paleohippie… fungiphile, and basket weaver."

Some might call him that. He definitely does.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for folks who are up-front with their surnames. With Art Goodtimes, you know what you're going to get. Isn't this how people used to be? Think of all the Smiths and Masons and Fletchers and Whippingboys. Your name should tell us who you are. It helps prevent us from accidentally striking up a conversation with Stan YouTubevideorecommender at parties.

Goodtimes is a member of the Green Party, which maybe isn't necessary to say. A name like Art Goodtimes isn't going to end up on a Republican ticket unless he's shortened his name from Archibold Goodtimesington III.

But don't write off Goodtimes as just another Earth/fire/stone/water-hearted politician/paleohippie (and lord knows there are plentyof those). Although Goodtimes is a poet-in-residence and an heirloom potato farmer who represents a county with rich hippies and escorts the king and queen of the Telluride Mushroom Festival in the back of his polka-dotted truck, he also represents a conservative mining community, and he keeps winning, year after year. He led San Miguel County into an environmental lawsuit against the Department of Energy, proving he can be Art Savvytimes. And after the economic downturn, he also made the tough decision to cut spending and freeze merit pay and cost-of-living increases–hello, Art Toughtimes.

Now, Goodtimes has challengers for his seat. Two candidates are running to oust him from the San Miguel County commission, even though they know he's not Art Easytobeattimes: as one of his opponents told the Telluride Daily Planet, "There's no doubt about it that Art Goodtimes is a formidable opponent."

Indeed. Will the people of San Miguel County find their county commission Goodtimesless this November? Or will this basket-weaving dreamer continue his gentle, gentle reign?

Only votingtimes will tell.

Photo by Rob Huber Photography

Previously: Linda Thomas, "Insanely sane candidate"

^{Our friends at Dr Pepper are going to send Mr. Goodtimes a one-of-a-kind t-shirt, and you get to choose its slogan:}

^{Want a custom t-shirt of your own? Of course you do! Head to DrPepper.com and get started.}

Tags: Colorado, Green Party, One of a Kind Candidates