To those who bemoan the lack of better choices in presidential elections, third-party fantasies come easily at this stage in a campaign. End hyper-partisanship and Washington dysfunction: Vote Bloomberg-Petraeus in 2012!
Those dreams are even more vivid than usual this time around, and not just because polls show striking levels of discontent within both parties about politics as usual...
In 2012, courtesy of a group called Americans Elect, some lucky independent candidate will have the chance to enter the race all but guaranteed nationwide ballot access. And as that fact — or threat — has begun to dawn on the Democratic and Republican establishments, it is setting off new chatter about the prospect for a high-profile unity ticket, or at least about someone emerging to play the role of national gadfly and potential spoiler for one party or the other.
...to some members of both parties, Americans Elect is a shadowy cabal financed by hedge fund money and undisclosed donors who could have a secret agenda to tilt the election one way or the other.
While some of the big initial backers, including Mr. Ackerman’s father, Peter Ackerman, a wealthy investor, have publicly acknowledged their contributions to the initial $35 million budget, other have not. And while the selection of a ticket will play out transparently via the online convention, the process also includes a provision for a committee to screen candidates who do not have traditional credentials in politics, business, the military and other fields, leading to accusations of potential skulduggery.
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