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Iowa judge to decide whether Abby Finkenauer can appear on Democratic primary ballot

I read a KCCI article on it. Feel free to quote the parts that address the questions I asked.

It's in the article Press-Citizen article that @cigaretteman linked in the original post. Here you go:

"Republicans argued in their suit that Iowa's State Objection Panel, which oversees disputes about candidates' nominating petitions, incorrectly allowed one signature in Allamakee County and two in Cedar County that did not include the date.

The panel found that it was clear when the petition was signed because of the dates written next to the previous and subsequent signatures on the petitions."

And further down the article...

"Matt Gannon, an assistant Iowa attorney general representing the State Objection Panel, said the panel was correct under its past precedent to allow the signatures to count. One signature had an unclear date, one was blank and for one, the signer wrote their ZIP code."
 
One would think. I’m guessing she’s not the only one whose people stop as soon as they hit the magic number. Also guessing you could find a handful of issues for any candidates signature list.


My understanding is that the GOP people disputed 3 of these signatures, not 1500.
But wait.... If they had 1500 signatures more than needed, why would 3 bad ones matter?
 
Franken may be a better candidate based on looking at his resume. Would seem to have a little more gravitas than the Fink tho I have never seen him speak or debate. This may be a knockout blow to her political career. Very sloppy and reminiscent of her campaign against Hinson
There really is NO excuse for an experienced pol to phuque this up like she did.......NONE! You got to pay attention to the details!
 
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But wait.... If they had 1500 signatures more than needed, why would 3 bad ones matter?
They might have all been in one of the 19 counties she had to get 100 signatures in.

U.S. Senate candidates were required to submit at least 3,500 valid signatures on their nominating petitions, including at least 100 signatures in 19 different counties. Finkenauer's campaign submitted more than 5,000 signatures overall, but after the state board meeting, she was left with just enough signatures to meet the 19-county requirement.
 
The court takes no joy in this conclusion,” he wrote. “This court should not be in the position to make a difference in an election, and Ms. Finkenauer and her supporters should have a chance to advance her candidacy. However, this Court’s job is to sit as a referee and apply the law without passion or prejudice. It is required to rule without consideration of the politics of the day.”

That's fair and the law is the law. Is it pretty much what happened to Ron Corbett for governor a few years back?

Edit: Yep, they even eat their own
 
Welp, I signed twelve different times... so it isn't me! ;)
Yet another advantage to having a multiple personality disorder.

For example, whenever anyone yells at me for having 20 items in the 10-item checkout line, I just tell them

"These 10 are for me. And these 10 are for . . . me."​

Which leads to one of my favorite Valentine's Day cards
Roses are Red​
Violets are Blue​
I'm Schizophrenic​
and so am I​

[Yes, I know that schizo and MPD aren't the same thing, but it's a joke. And, no, we shouldn't joke about mental disorders. Four years of Trump should have taught us that.]
 
They might have all been in one of the 19 counties she had to get 100 signatures in.

U.S. Senate candidates were required to submit at least 3,500 valid signatures on their nominating petitions, including at least 100 signatures in 19 different counties. Finkenauer's campaign submitted more than 5,000 signatures overall, but after the state board meeting, she was left with just enough signatures to meet the 19-county requirement.
Thanks for the explanation.
 
But wait.... If they had 1500 signatures more than needed, why would 3 bad ones matter?
Because you need at least 100 in at least 19 counties. And she only had 19 counties with over 100 signatures, and three of them had 100 or 101 signatures. Throw out 2 signatures there and she doesn't qualify to be on the ballot. Like has been said earlier, or on Twitter(?), if you want to be on the ballot, maybe actually put in a little effort, and make sure the big bad R's can't mess with you like this. If you want to defeat Grassley, you should be able to come up with the requirement without too much difficulty.
 
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It's in the article Press-Citizen article that @cigaretteman linked in the original post. Here you go:

"Republicans argued in their suit that Iowa's State Objection Panel, which oversees disputes about candidates' nominating petitions, incorrectly allowed one signature in Allamakee County and two in Cedar County that did not include the date.

The panel found that it was clear when the petition was signed because of the dates written next to the previous and subsequent signatures on the petitions."

And further down the article...

"Matt Gannon, an assistant Iowa attorney general representing the State Objection Panel, said the panel was correct under its past precedent to allow the signatures to count. One signature had an unclear date, one was blank and for one, the signer wrote their ZIP code."
And I was also asking how often this happens for other candidates and people don’t go over it like this. I know she got disqualified because of those 3 signatures.
 
feel free. I was just wondering how often this could happen across the board. Not one of those burning questions I have to answer right this minute.

If it does turn into a burning question for you...let us know. I don't really care enough to look but would be fine with others doing the legwork.
 
Yeah name, date and last four of your ss# is a tough assignment for her voter base. Even tougher is finding someone to check the signers info was completed correctly.
What has made you this way? Did your wife recently divorce you? The hate at half of the country is just odd.
 
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Yeah not sure how they eff that up.

But I think Franken actually has a better shot against Grassley. Not that it’s a great one.
As I have said before, if it is Franken look for the GOP to attempt to disqualify him on some grounds, and then label him as a communist loving, cop hating, East Coast elitist.
 
feel free. I was just wondering how often this could happen across the board. Not one of those burning questions I have to answer right this minute.
Well, as linked in post #45, it did cost Ron Corbett his shot at the Republican primary the last time around.
 
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As I have said before, if it is Franken look for the GOP to attempt to disqualify him on some grounds, and then label him as a communist loving, cop hating, East Coast elitist.
‘18 saw a ridiculous amount of money spent in that senate race (I’m forgetting who the Dems trotted out) if Iowa sees even half of the what? $500m? spent on the race this fall I will be shocked. Only thing I can think of here is if Iowa GOP internally does see Chuck as vulnerable in the fall.
 
‘18 saw a ridiculous amount of money spent in that senate race (I’m forgetting who the Dems trotted out) if Iowa sees even half of the what? $500m? spent on the race this fall I will be shocked. Only thing I can think of here is if Iowa GOP internally does see Chuck as vulnerable in the fall.
Grassley could croak tomorrow and get reelected.

But the current controversy with AF might indicate how she managed to lose to that idiot Ashley Hinson.
 
‘18 saw a ridiculous amount of money spent in that senate race (I’m forgetting who the Dems trotted out) if Iowa sees even half of the what? $500m? spent on the race this fall I will be shocked. Only thing I can think of here is if Iowa GOP internally does see Chuck as vulnerable in the fall.
It isn't internal polling, it's been discussed here. Lot's of Republicans are luke warm on sending Chuck back to DC.
The thing Dems have going for them this year in Iowa is a lackluster governor candidate, means Kimmie will cruise to re-election, so there won't be much energy there, and Donald Trump isn't on the ballot. An energized GOP turnout won the 1st and 2nd districts for the Republicans. MMM loses without the Trumpers turning out.
 
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Franken may be a better candidate based on looking at his resume. Would seem to have a little more gravitas than the Fink tho I have never seen him speak or debate. This may be a knockout blow to her political career. Very sloppy and reminiscent of her campaign against Hinson
Democrats doing things half-assed and trying to get away with it. BAU
 
The whole signature thing has and always will be a folly. That being said, Abby dropped the ball. I'll be voting for the Admiral.


Jimmy is back with a new computer after being shit on by Russians :)
 
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With judges appointed by Branstad sand Reynolds.

It's just a bad look for Dems to have even have gotten to this point.

But it does pose the question..."What are these few Republicans that dug into this worried about"?
Absolute power corrupts absolutely! The Iowa GOP are in a position of absolute power. There is nothing Iowa Democrats can do to stop bad legislation.
 
Assuming the Iowa Supreme Court upholds the decision and Finkenauer is left off the ballot, what happens to all the money she had raised? Can she just stash it away for her next campaign or does she have to give it to the DNC? Or will she use it to run as a write-in candidate?
 
Absolute power corrupts absolutely! The Iowa GOP are in a position of absolute power. There is nothing Iowa Democrats can do to stop bad legislation.

Only if we stop the brain drain. I totally get why young educated want to get out out of Iowa.
 
Absolute power corrupts absolutely! The Iowa GOP are in a position of absolute power. There is nothing Iowa Democrats can do to stop bad legislation.
Not if they are too stupid to make sure that they do a little more than the minimum to get onto the ballot.
 
Assuming the Iowa Supreme Court upholds the decision and Finkenauer is left off the ballot, what happens to all the money she had raised? Can she just stash it away for her next campaign or does she have to give it to the DNC? Or will she use it to run as a write-in candidate?

She can do all things with it. Trump is paying his personal legal fees with contributions. I think it is BS on both sides. They should have to give the money back.
 
She can do all things with it. Trump is paying his personal legal fees with contributions. I think it is BS on both sides. They should have to give the money back.
Not sure how the process of giving it back would work. She has already spent about half of it. Would she give prorated refunds out of what’s left?
 
Not sure how the process of giving it back would work. She has already spent about half of it. Would she give prorated refunds out of what’s left?

She can keep it for the House, donate it to another candidate (doubtful), pay her staff hefty amounts. I'm no campaign expense expert, but I do know she has options
 
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Nothing says “I’m not a serious candidate “ more than just submitting the bare minimum requirements. She has no one to blame but herself. I wasn’t going to support her in the primary anyway.
 
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