The decision of the Board of Election to remove my name from the ballot proves once again that the political system in New York is rigged by professionals to make sure that average citizens are excluded from the process. While the two major parties could choose their candidates in a smoke-filled room, they made us go out and attempt the impossible: obtain 3500 valid signatures in just 12 days. We came very close but ultimately, the technicalities they built into the law to disenfranchise the people proved too strong to overcome.
In addition, I faced baseless allegations of wrongdoing and threats of criminal prosecution in a lawsuit brought by Tedisco supporters. While I wanted to file a lawsuit in Albany County to overturn the Board's decision, we got stuck down in Dutchess County where the machine felt they would have a friendly bench. While the court there should have dismissed that lawsuit as moot, the judge instead was prepared to keep us down there litigating silly issues concerning the Libertarian Party emblem and whether witnessing signatures from outside the district constitutes fraud. There was no end in sight and we might have been down there for days facing the inevitable loss with no time to appeal and no time to campaign either. The Tedisco supporters who brought the case sought and received an order requiring me to be present in Court, thereby preventing me from campaigning.
I was also concerned that continued litigation would jeopardize the ballots of military personnel and disabled voters who use special machines that need to be programmed several days before the election.
Faced with the prospect of spending much of the rest of campaign on the witness stand being harassed by the machine's hired gun, I chose not to play that game. Since I could not file suit in the county of my choosing, I decided to end my candidacy and not subject myself and my family to any further abuse, threats or harassment from the political machine.
Thus, the Stalinist New York Election Law forced us to spend the first half of the campaign getting signatures and the second half fighting a lost cause in court.
The voters will be deprived of any choice but the two parties that have destroyed the nation's economy in recent years and have us bogged down in two land wars in Asia.
Mr. Tedisco denies any involvement with the concerted effort by his supporters to knock me off the ballot. I don't believe him. The ruthless effort by his supporters to knock me off the ballot without a word of protest by him proves his unfitness for any office let alone Congress in these critical times.
I will be voting for Scott Murphy on Tuesday. While we disagree on some important issues, I find him to be a man of honor, a good family man and successful businessman. Unlike Tedisco, he actually lives in the District. And, unlike Mr. Tedisco, I view Scott's business success as a virtue, not a vice.
I urge my supporters and all those who believe in open and free elections to show their disgust at the tactics of the Republican political machine to win at all costs. Please join me in voting for Scott Murphy on Tuesday.
I want to thank all those who worked tirelessly on my behalf and who donated their precious funds to help this effort. And I wish to thank the media for all their courtesies during this Sysiphean struggle.
We live to fight another day.
Eric Sundwall
Eric, Thank you for everything you do.
Questions - Who creates the physical petitions? Can TWO spots be placed on a petition one for POSTAL ADDRESS and the other for TAXING JURISDICTION?
Also, who do we request changes to me made by(I know that could be futile, but still... I mean, would calling/writing to Gillibrand be the wrong person... for example)
-Mike
Dear Eric,
I am so very sorry to hear that the voters of New York's 20th Congressional District will not have the best available candidate on the ballot. Eric, you have done a remarkable job to build what you could - and accomplish what you have - in the short time available under this sham of "Two-Party" theater. The abomination of the New York machine of the Republican/Democratic party is a terrible disservice to citizens and voters in this fading Republic. But I, and many others, appreciate your tireless efforts.
Your message above is well-considered and - though sadly unexpected - well explains your reasoning and you have my great respect for running and subsequently knowing where and when and how to pick your battles.
Though I am not a voter in the 20th, I am saddened that the good people of upstate New York will not have the only reasonable choice during this special election - that of an honorable, intelligent, and articulate citizen working to restore Constitutional principles to this once-glorious republic - a Libertarian.
Thank you for your efforts and hard work, Michael
"Michael W. Lurie for U.S. Senate (Ind.-NY) in 2010"
Eric,
Thank you so much for running. Its appalling that the same thing happened again. I have trouble finding the words to express my outrage at the courts lack of conscience for our rights. I have trouble understanding how in this country where we supposedly have a freedom of expression that something as plainly obvious as the right to run for public office is disregarded. I for one hope for the day when such wrongs can be set right... perhaps a libertarian majority is in the future with the way the 2 parties are pissing off the electorate... hey a guy can dream can't he?
best of luck to you in your future endeavors... keep fighting the good fight.
Thank You Again
Mike Gurecki
Eric,
Thank you for running.
Your efforts in 2009 have brought together a bunch of folks who have, like you, been challenged for ballot access.
We have requested meetings with the Election Law Committees in both the Assembly and the Senate at which time we will attempt to have them address the subject of the nomination petitions and try to get them changed (amended) to simply have a person's name, town, and county. We also will ask that nomination petitions ask for the same information from witnesses to nomination petitions.
If we get them to work with us we would like to call this the Sundwall Law to reflect the hard work and effort you have put into making ballot access available to anyone who feels called upon to serve their communities as an elected official.
Best,
Morris Guller
Lexington, New York
Thank you - Morris
Your support in this effort has been tremendous. The Sundwall Law ? hmmmm . . .
Dear Eric,
While I too am, of course, angered by the two-party fascists and their stranglehold over our democratic process, I still can't help being terribly disappointed by your endorsement of Scott Murphy (D). Why did you choose him over endorsing Anthony Cerro, the independent running a write-in candidacy?
Murphy's fake political party is every bit as responsible for our resource wars, our pork expenditures and our tyrannical ballot access laws as Tedisco's fake party is. Why endorse either one?
I too see Murphy as the lesser evil but that's the old standby argument we hear every election cycle from two-party sheeple. Its not what I expect from a fellow compatriot in the battle for meaningful and alternative democracy. What gives?
With much love and respect,
Matt
Don't ever call yourself a libertarian again, Eric. No self respecting libertarian would endorse a man who supports $1,000,000,000,000+ deficits for the next 10 years. No self respecting libertarian would vote to add a person who will give Nancy Pelosi another voice in Congress. You are a fraud and I will devote my life to destroying any chance you have of ever running for office again. You're a pathetic imbecile.
And don't blame "the system" for your ineptitude in gathering signatures. That is all on YOU.
Matt,
while I agree with you that Murphy is by far not the ideal candidate, I think Eric in this case isn't voting for the lesser of two evils, but rather for the guy who isn't actively punching him in the face. I think that's a very natural response, and he has every right to vote for whomsoever he chooses. In addition, perhaps this will send a very clear message to Republicans that a Libertarian on the ballot might steal some votes, sure, but a Libertarian off the ballot doesn't necessarily gives those votes to you.
That being said, I'm kinda glad I can't vote in the 20th because I really don't know who I'd vote for.
Eric, I hope the petitioning laws get changed. If they do, all real alternative parties and candidates in New York will owe it to you. Whether or not they name it the Sundwall Law, you and your sacrifices will be remembered. This turn of events might well be a far, far better thing..
"the Stalinist New York Election Law forced us to spend the first half of the campaign getting signatures and the second half fighting a lost cause in court."
Eric,
Likening NY election law to Stalinism is unfair and denigrating . . . to the Stalinists! ;-)
This ordeal is a major loss for the people of New York, and yet another reminder of the anti-democratic and anti-republican principles upheld and enforced by the political strait-jacket which is the two-party system.
"Who Watches....." you launched some very classless comments and needless attacks on what overall was a very well run campaign.
Eric, his staff, and the VOLUNTEERS that came to his assistance during the campaign should be commended for staying out of the political pig sty that Murphy and Tedisco find themselves wallowing in. There was NEVER a negative comment coming from the Sundwall campaign, and Eric answered openly and honestly every question, even the really tough and uncomfortable ones, that came from the press.
It's the mentality of "...I will devote my life to destroying any chance you have of ever running for office again. You're a pathetic imbecile...." that is the reason people need to support candidates like Eric, rather than threatening to destroying any future campaigns by Eric. Politics is unfortunately a very filthy business, although i'm not sure it has to be this way. If we, the people of the United States, demand better from our public officials, they will be forced to clean up their acts.
While i don't agree with his publicly supporting Scott Murphy, Eric has every right to support whomever he feels is the better candidate. I disagree with supporting EITHER of these other candidates, as i feel that the "lesser of the two evils" is still evil, therefore i would support NEITHER!
You throwing your support behind Scott Murphy, even with what you claim Tedisco has done to thrwart your campaign, is disgusting.
You would rather have this so-called "man of honor" in office, so he can spend help spend this country into bankruptcy, and tax the citizens more and more.
You are no libertarian, you have proved to be a politican just like the rest. Perhaps it is a good thing you are not on the ballot.
It is too bad we do not have a good third choice in this election, however it is a relief you are not going to be a third choice, as you have shown your true colors now.
I'm glad there is unity in a minority party....
There is enough evilness in the two party system, and now people want to splinter even more because they disagree with how Eric acts.
Fight the larger fight people. State your disagreements and disappointments with respect and look at the larger picture.
Remember, these two negative posts are making the two party bosses laugh and smile... they want division.
we need addition
I will not be voting on Tuesday.
However, one of the two geniuses will win. This is a fact.
So the question is, will it actually matter afterwards which one will win? That is, do YOU feel that things will be marginally better if candidate A wins over candidate B?
If the answer to that for YOU is 'yes', then in the absence of a 3rd choice it actually makes sense, from a practical standpoint, to vote for the lesser of two evils. If you can stomach it.
I personally do not think it will make any difference at the end of the day which one of these idiots wins. But to say it makes you "not libertarian" because you vote for one is just silly.
I'm also very disappointed by your endorsement of Scott Murphy. I now question your libertarian principles.
How in the world is the idea of liberty advanced by giving one more vote to the Democrats?
Tom Knapp makes this point;
http://knappster.blogspot.com/2009/03/in-support-of-sundwall.html
My family probably won't be voting either. We cannot in good conscience vote for either candidate, since in our opinion they are one in the same , therefore it really doesn't matter who wins. It will be business as usual in Washington. The ONLY good thing that could possibly come about by voting democrat is that it sends a huge shock wave to the Republicans and they take it seriously that a major shift in party policy must happen before they ever get another vote! I don't quite understand endorsing Murphy, save for the need to bring the Republican down hard for the way he treated Eric, not once but twice, and since my family are all republican , ours will be a "vote of no confidence" by not voting, yet we will not support Obamas spending spree party either. We are free to choose if we vote and who we vote for, so I feel Eric can endorse whoever he wants and the reason is understandable. Our government doesn't represent us anyway. So until we have Election Law Reform, the whole " keep the balance" argument is laughable. The Republicans fell right in line and voted like Democrats on more than one occasion, and of all the promising young/new candidates that tried to run as Republicans, none made it to primary, they were quickly dismissed and we were once again left with the same old tired handpicked candidates. I am sure the same is true for the Dems. So I applaud Eric for bringing this ballot access issue to light, and showing us the real dirty side of politicin', and how hard it is for third party candidates to be heard. Eric gained a lot of support very quickly and that scared the by jeepers out of both parties, but the Republicans are so desperate now.... I have listened to many a disgruntled voter - but never as many as this special election has created. They all want to have more choices. I believe it is up to us now to get on the ball and get this Election Law Reform in motion and never give up until it's made right. If I had my way the whole party system would cease to exist and candidates would run on their own two feet!
If so many people are this disgusted with our "routine" politicians, why is someone not suggesting to write in Mr. Sundwall as their choice. Ask your local voting officials how to do this when you get ready to cast your ballot. It is still our choice whether the politicians like it or not. I believe I will still cast my vote for Mr. Sundwall. It's time the people started sending messages to our politicians and telling them enough is enough!!
Well, write ins were tried in previous elections and results may vary... but most were told flat out that the write in votes will not be counted! Again, with election law the way it is , not many of us can interpret exactly what it means! As for asking local voting officials - some are just crooked enough to feed you a fib, and you won't even know it ! I wrote in Chuck Baldwin - he was supposed to be on the ballot but when I got to the polls, nothing..... I tried calling the BOE to get the scoop on why he was not included and if my write in will be counted, but they wouldn't even pick up the phone!! I called and called. Has any one else had any success getting info from them?
Well, I couldn't bring myself around to voting for either candidate, so I gave my best shot at giving my vote to Eric via write-in. Unfortunately, my guess is that it won't be counted. When I arrived, I asked for help on how to do a write-in vote and was given the instructions on how to do it - it seemed fairly straightforward. So, I got into the booth, and when I lifted the tab to write in my vote, there was no paper there to write anything on. Because I was already in the booth, I had to register a non-vote by re-opening the curtain. Then, I was provided a paper ballot where I supposedly now could vote for real and I wrote in Eric's name and filled in the little circle. But, since noone there really seemed to know what they were actually supposed to do under these circumstances, I'm almost certain the vote will get thrown out on some sort of technicality.
I'm feeling quite disenfranchised.
You have my admiration for trying. No corrupt system ever reforms itself.