Dark horses and primary immortality

The "leading" candidates for the democratic nomination are still running their TV ads in the Granite State. Ads for John Kerry and Joe Lieberman are the most frequently encountered recently by this observer.

At the same time, there's been something of a breakthrough on the radio, not in the way of candidate ads, but with issue and interest group ads encouraging us to "think about . . .(fill in the blank) before we vote" and to "ask the candidates for president about their position on (fill in the blank)". There is a "non-partisan" health care ad, featuring the voices of a local republican, democrat, and "independent," as well as a regularly broadcast radio message from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

What is missing as yet (and what I hope to see before the fat lady sings) are some ads from the "lesser-known candidates," and I'm not talking about Dennis Kucinich or Al Sharpton. In New Hampshire, presidential primary ballot access is easy to achieve. All you need is a thousand bucks and a willingness to be humiliated on election day. In the past, we have had as many as 60 candidates on the ballot for one or the other party.

There are a few crackpots among the lot, but most often these "dark horse" candidates are civic-minded citizens who, at great personal sacrifice, simply wish to meet with their fellow citizens, put their stamp on the debate, raise certain issues, and hope to go home with 60 or 100 votes. One day they'll tell their grandkids "I ran for president in 2004." Most of the so-called "dark horse" candidates, while providing a welcome relief from the hyper-serious "mainstream" candidates, cannot afford to pay for the TV time that the "major" candidates buy. The catch is that they consequently poll nothing, receive no media attention, and so do not get invited to the debates.

From time to time, however, a few have spent money on TV ads, and so attracted wider attention, even managing in a few cases to make it on stage with the anointed of their party. And, they have offered some of the more interesting ads in my collection. Jim Lehnane, Morry Taylor, Charles Woods, Larry Agran, and Tom Laughlin (of "Billy Jack" fame) are among those "fringe" candidates who have in past campaigns added unusual flavor to the primary ad menu.

There's a week remaining in the filing period for the NH primary. So, if you're of a mind to discharge some civic responsibility, and make your mark on history, and if you have some disposable income with which you can produce an ad or two, believe me, we'll be watching. Give it a try. Run for President. You'll go down in the annals of the primary along side side those whose names are forever enshrined on our past ballots: Billy Jo Clegg, Russell Fornwalt, Heather Harder, Sal Casamassima, Willie Carter, Georgiana Doerschuck, and Bob Dole.