The names behind online 50-state presidential push

Americans Elect, a nonprofit group seeking to get on the ballot in all 50 states for the 2012 election, has an “eclectic” board of advisors, as noted by the Times’ Matea Gold this morning.

The list of names offers fresh hints as to who supports the new effort, which plans to select a presidential ticket via an online nominating committee next June. The group, formed as a non-profit 501(c)4, does not disclose its donors.

This morning’s story mentions notable board members former FBI and CIA chief William H. Webster and Republican strategist Mark McKinnon, a cofounder of No Labels, a group that seeks to transcend partisanship in politics. Among other noteworthy advisors:

• Lynn Forester de Rothschild: an entrepreneur and investor who was a major fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primary, then crossed party lines to endorse John McCain in the general election. She hosted a fundraiser for GOP presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman Jr. in late June.

• Morton H. Meyerson: chairman of Alsbridge, Inc., an outsourcing consultancy firm based in Dallas. The company describes Meyerson as “an innovator of a concept called outsourcing” and credits him with the first offshore development centers in Latin America and Asia.

• Stephen Bosworth: current Special Representative for North Korea Policy, as appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009. Bosworth was the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea during President Bill Clinton’s second term.

• Gerald Rafshoon: former White House Communications Director during the Carter administration. Rafshoon was one of four founding members of Unity08, an effort to promote an independent ticket during the last presidential election.

At least 11 of the 50 board members work in the finance sector—including hedge fund manager John H. Burbank III and W. David Lawson, a managing director at JP Morgan Chase.