Democrats May Keep Bernie Sanders Off New York Primary Ballot

[AgingAmerican]

Vermont Senator/Indie Rocker Bernie Sanders is an Independent on paper, which means that he's going to have a hard time getting his name on the Democratic presidential primary ballot in New York to compete with Taylor Swift fan Hillary Clinton next year.

Why? Meet Wilson-Pakula, a very obscure state law. The Wilson-Pakula act, which passed in New York State back in 1947, bars any candidate from running for the nomination of a political party that he or she is not officially affiliated with. Unless, that is, he or she manages to get permission from that party's committee leaders.

Sadly, Wilson-Pakula helped marginalize some of the political movements that Bernie supports. According to the Washington Post, pre-1947, "communist and socialist candidates had been able to become candidates... after winning support from voters." In other words, back then, average New Yorkers got to make candidacy appointments.

Under current law, permission to cross party lines is, apparently, very rarely granted. It doesn't help that the relevant committee in New York State has a lot of Hillary supporters: From Assembly Chair David Paterson, to Governor Cuomo himself who, as Capital put it, "controls most of the party apparatus."

...

http://gothamist.com/2015/06/18/bernie_sanders_new_york.php

I would love to see them even try and pull this off, would make the Hillary camp look very, very anti-Democratic. From some of the tactics I have seen here on DU, it wouldn't surprise me if they did.

[tularetom]

1. Who are the "Democrats" that are trying to do this and what candidate do they support?

I think I know the answer and I'm also pretty sure that the DNC under the "leadership" of Debbie Loserman Shitz is in on it up to their ears.

[orpupilofnature57]

5. A small, usurping faction, in the end 1% servants .

[HappyMe]

2. If they pull this crap off,

I'll write him in.

[NorthCarolina]

3. That would be about the stupidest thing they could do I think.

Would probably guarantee a Bernie win.

[orpupilofnature57]

4. I'm appalled David Paterson would be a party to it, Andrew on the other hand

like Hillary has a touch of megalomaniac .

[fredamae]

6. These are Not Democrats

they're Corp Republicans who choose to use the Dem Label in the grand façade of politics. Kick them out.

[LuvLoogie]

7. From the same article:

"Indeed, as recently as the spring of 2013, Cuomo proposed an end to Wilson-Pakula, following the arrest of then-Senate majority leader Malcolm Smith, a Democrat, after he tried to bribe Republican leaders to grant him permission to run for mayor on their ticket."

The Wilson-Pakula Act was passed in 1947.

Try not to descend into delusions of persecution. It may rain tomorrow. It doesn't help that Hillary owns an umbrella.

[merrily]

8. Not a Democrat on paper? Which paper might that be?

https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/33935/VTVoterApp.pdf

Does this mean no one from Vermont or any other open state can run for President in NY?

The minute Sanders unofficially announced he'd run as a Democrat, the DNC emailed to raise money for the Democratic Party, not Bernie, off his announcement. Keeping him off the ballot in NY will disgust me.

[Renew Deal]

9. I warned about this a while ago.

This is not about Dems keeping him off the ballot. There is a technical issue. Since he is not a Democrat notaries may be needed to get signatures. This is challenging due to the number of signatures and size of the territory.

[4now]

10. Sanders is not a Democrat?

What party does he belong to and do they have their own primary?

[PatrickforO]

19. No, he's always been an 'independent' and has never had any qualms about calling himself a socialist

[catnhatnh]

11. If it comes down to a legal squabble...

I'm betting that caucusing with democrats IS affiliating with them.

[brooklynite]

12. Can I note that NOBODY in the NY Democratic Party has said they'd try to block Sanders?

And given the apparent gap in voting, I don't think Clinton would be particularly worried about the NY vote.

But don't let me ruin your stereotypes...

[stonecutter357]

13. .

[DCBob]

14. Why would Hillary want to keep Bernie off the NY ballot??

She will trounce him there.

[Recursion]

15. Yeah, I wondered that too.

NY is a shoe-in for her and removing Sanders from the ballot would be the last thing she'd want to do.

[AgingAmerican]

16. It's not so much Hillary

As it is her supporters.

[restorefreedom]

18. they are afraid of him.

she may have the confidence of being in a bubble, but her supporters are out there listening to the people. and they have reasons to be worried.

[dmosh42]

17. The gorilla in the room is Jami & the bankers, who control mostly everything!