Child of the ‘60s Slips

Two political parties were formed in California in 1968, emerging from the turmoil of war and racial tensions of the time. The American Independent Party backed George Wallace for president and he got nearly 500,000 votes. The new Peace and Freedom Party fielded no presidential candidate in 1968. It nominated Benjamin Spock in 1972, but Spock won only 55,167 votes. Even so, Peace and Freedom remained a voice of left-wing causes in California for years. Until now.

Secretary of State Bill Jones has announced that Peace and Freedom has lost its place on the ballot because it failed to attract enough voter support in 1998. To remain qualified, a party must receive at least 2% of the vote for at least one statewide office. The best the party could do last year was 1.85% for Jan B. Tucker of Toluca Lake, the party’s nominee for state treasurer.

Party membership has fallen to 72,969, which is more than 13,000 shy of the number needed. The party has until Oct. 24 to sign up enough new members to meet the threshold for qualifying by registration, which is 1% of the total vote for governor in 1998. The prospects do not seem good.

Minor parties come and go in California as the passion of their causes waxes and wanes. The American Independent Party still has 291,678 registered voters and appears to be in no danger of losing its ballot status, possibly because its major causes now include opposition to taxes and to a woman’s right to have an abortion.

All voices are welcome in electoral politics, but the numbers count too.