Minor Party Only Election Series 1972

[nolesfan2011]

3 days, 5 choices (excluded a few totally unnoticeable candidates though they received more votes than Hall and Hospers, gave both Hall and Hospers and exemption.)

Far right former Republican Congressman John Schmitz is the nominee of the AIP, Schmitz is to the right of the John Birch Society famously and has fears of communist infiltration while also being a strong proponent of gun rights. Schmitz is also very conservative on social issues such as abortion and his running mate is writer and conservative advocate Thomas Anderson, who is also a Bircher.

Socialist candidate Linda Jenness is 31 and thus not eligible to hold office, none the less she is on the ballot with 20 year old running mate Andrew Pulley, a Vietnam vet and civil rights activist.

Psychiatrist and pediatric doctor and expert Benjamin Spock, a noted self help writer, is the nominee of the People's party, which is a loose coalition of leftist parties combined together, very similar to the more notable Peace & Freedom party.  Spock is a leftist strongly opposed to the Vietnam war among other things. 

Gus Hall of course is the famous CPUSA ringleader and his party and its policies are closely tied with the Soviet Union, over other forms of Communism.

Professor John Hospers is the nominee of the new Libertarian party, Hospers has a somewhat close relationship with Ayn Rand and shares many of her philosophical positions.


Spock for me, none of them are great choices.

[RI]

Just goes to show that having more candidates doesn't guarantee that you have more choices.

[H. Ross Peron]

Spock seems to be the least objectionable.

[ElectionsGuy]

Hospers (L).

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Write-in:

[Goldwater]

Hospers.

[Redalgo]

Spock/Hobson - also my preferred choice if one includes the major party candidates.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Hospers, though Rand had repudiated Hospers by this point.

[nolesfan2011]

one last bump since this is close

[TDAS04]

Hospers. 

[nolesfan2011]

Super close election and it really comes down to a couple of western states, the midwest and Virginia. Hospers ekes it out 275 to 252 over Spock. Schmitz places third and wins 3 states for a grand total of 11 electoral votes.

winning tickets so far for those wondering.

1876: Peter Cooper/Samuel Cary (Greenback) 55.2% 222-147 Electoral Vote win
1880: James Weaver/Benjamin Chambers (Greenback) 50% 204-165 EV win.
1884: Belva Ann Lockwood/Marietta Stow (Equal Rights) 62.1% 211-160-30 EV win.
1888: Alson Streeter/Charles Cunningham (Union Labor) 60.7% 212-189 EV win.
1892: Simon Wing/Charles Matchett (Socialist Labor) 45% 208-143-93 EV win.
1896: John Palmer/Edward Bragg (Gold Democrat) 50% 243-204 EV win.
1900: Eugene Debs/Job Harriman (Socialist) 40.9% 243-146-54-4 EV win.
1904: Eugene Debs/Benjamin Hanford (Socialist) 56.7% 279-166-31 EV win.
1908: Thomas Hisgen/John Graves (Independence) 37.5% 288-171-49 EV win
1912:Teddy Roosevelt/Hiram Johnson (Progressive) 37.9% 357-174 EV win.
1916:Allan Benson/George Kirkpatrick (Socialist) 60% 511-20 EV win.
1920: Eugene Debs/Seymour Stedman (Socialist) 48.3% 364-103-64 EV win.
1924: Robert LaFollette/Burton Wheeler (Progressive) 63.3% 505-26 EV win.
1928: Norman Thomas/James Maurer (Socialist) 40% 332-163-24-12 EV win.
1932: Norman Thomas/James Maurer (Socialist) 40% 236-178-92-25 EV win.
1936: Norman Thomas/George Nelson (Socialist) 48% 301-175-52-3 EV win.
1940: Norman Thomas/Maynard Krueger (Socialist) 39.1% 257-234-40 EV win.
1944: Norman Thomas/Darlington Hoopes (Socialist) 63.6% 399-132 EV win.
1948: Henry Wallace/Glen Taylor (Progressive) 43.3% 342-148-28-10 EV win.
1952-1964: No election
1968: Eugene McCarthy (Write-In) 42.3% 415-114-6-3 EV win.
1972: John Hospers/Theodora Nathan (Libertarian) 42.9% 275-252-11 EV win.