Weigel

Roementum: It Surges On

Yesterday I asked the leading vote-getter in Americans Elect’s primary if he intended to end his campaign. He didn’t really answer. Today, Buddy Roemer clarifies.

I am taking the next few days to review with supporters how best to proceed from here. A political system corrupted by special interest money and a Party duopoly addicted to that same money demands reform.
Several options exist for Roemer if he wants to keep running for president. The most opaque scenario, right now, involves the 29 existing Americans Elect state ballot lines. In most states, it’s within the rights of the people listed as state chairmen to determine who finally goes on the ballot. Might there be rogue Americans Elect-ers who feel the Roementum? There might be. Could Roemer seek an even smaller party’s nomination? Possible, but he tried to rule that out in a statement one week ago. “I run to win,” he said on May 11. “I am not a single-issue candidate or someone who is merely trying to make a statement. I am not Ralph Nader.” I’m convinced that Roemer, had he been allowed into presidential debates, could have experienced a mini-surge of support from Occupy-curious voters. But now he’s homeless. Convicted felons and Randall Terry are pulling down big numbers in Democratic primaries.