A post about nothing

As master of my domain - in this case, johndeeth.com -  I am writing a post about nothing. Well, about very little anyway.

No new update on today's candidate list from the Secretary of State, and the only names added Tuesday were the winners of Monday's Republican conventions in Linn County - Ryan Flood in Senate 34 and Lance Lefebure in House 70. (The SoS staff was kind enough to shoot me some numbers for use in District Of The Day 3, though. So if I'm posting less than my flurry of activity last week, don't worry, I'm still writing.)

So it looks like the filing activity is going to hit heavy next week. Iowa usually has about eight presidential candidates on the ballot, and at the moment we only have two filed.

Which begs a question: The national conventions of both major parties are AFTER the August 17 Iowa filing deadline. Obama's formal nomination isn't till a record late September 5. Isn't that a bit unfair to the third parties out hustling for signatures? Two solutions. 1) Give the little guys equal time and 2) the conventions are too damn late, too damn long, and should be put to sleep along with lame duck periods and the electoral college.

I like the way the Brits do it. John Major and the Tories lose in 1997, first thing next morning the moving van is backed up at Number 10, and the Blairs are unpacked in time for tea. It took longer in 2010, but even the intricacies of forming a no-majority government out of a hung Parliament took less time than the average Senator spends clearing his throat during a filibuster.

As for the electoral college, my pet peeve yet again: You are not an "elector" until your candidate wins the state. Till then you are a candidate for elector. That, and the two offices you can win with less votes than your opponent are Johnson County Soil and Water Commissioner and President of the United States.


The Deeth Blog Research Staff has found just a bit more info on huh? out of nowhere presidential candidate Jerry Litzel of Ames. There's a prior run for office on the resume. Apparently winning 5% as an independent in a 2004 state House race against Beth Wessell-Kroeschell is the new stepping stone to the White House. Hey, if Rick Santorum can turn a 20 point re-election loss into a caucus win and a  prime time convention speaking slot, I guess a fella can dream.

And locally, according to the North Liberty Leader, we've got one more item on the ballot: a pair of one-year terms on the Tiffin city council. Chris Ball is resigning to take a job as Wilton city administrator. To spare the cost of a second special election, fellow council member Travis Weipert, the currently unopposed Democratic nominee for auditor, is stepping down early too. First candidate to announce: former mayor Royce Phillips, on the comeback trail.