“Zero. None whatsoever.”

Jim Hedges is the 2016 presidential candidate for the Prohibition party. He isn’t optimistic about his chances of winning.

Nor should he be. The Prohibition party got 270,000 votes in one presidential election, but that was in 1892. In 2012, the party made it onto the ballot in only one state and only 518 people voted for it.

But this time will be different, Hedges says. The Prohibition party is hoping to be on the ballot in six states.

“If I get a thousand votes in each of these six states I’ll be happy,” Hedges says. “It’ll make us look like a going concern again.”library. And I’ve been an officer in some of the town bands. It’s not much compared to the party candidates, but it’s what I’ve done.”

“And you were town assessor, that was for the Prohibition party,” says Carolyn Hedges, Hedges’ wife (who has come along because she wanted to chat to an English person).

“Oh yes, in my township,” Hedges says. “I was elected twice – two four-year terms – as the township tax assessor. But there were no other candidates.”

Hedges’ spell as a tax assessor in the Thompson Township – population 1,098 – represents the only time a member of Prohibition party has held elected office since the 1920s.

The party has been dwindling in size ever since the early 20th century – essentially ever since prohibition was passed. Hedges tells me there are currently about three dozen fee-paying members, who each contributes $10 a year. I originally heard him say as “3,000”, which made him burst into laughter.

Read the Whole Article

The post Can the Oldest 3rd Party Make a Comeback? appeared first on LewRockwell.

“Zero. None whatsoever.”

Jim Hedges is the 2016 presidential candidate for the Prohibition party. He isn’t optimistic about his chances of winning.

Nor should he be. The Prohibition party got 270,000 votes in one presidential election, but that was in 1892. In 2012, the party made it onto the ballot in only one state and only 518 people voted for it.

But this time will be different, Hedges says. The Prohibition party is hoping to be on the ballot in six states.

“If I get a thousand votes in each of these six states I’ll be happy,” Hedges says. “It’ll make us look like a going concern again.”library. And I’ve been an officer in some of the town bands. It’s not much compared to the party candidates, but it’s what I’ve done.”

“And you were town assessor, that was for the Prohibition party,” says Carolyn Hedges, Hedges’ wife (who has come along because she wanted to chat to an English person).

“Oh yes, in my township,” Hedges says. “I was elected twice – two four-year terms – as the township tax assessor. But there were no other candidates.”

Hedges’ spell as a tax assessor in the Thompson Township – population 1,098 – represents the only time a member of Prohibition party has held elected office since the 1920s.

The party has been dwindling in size ever since the early 20th century – essentially ever since prohibition was passed. Hedges tells me there are currently about three dozen fee-paying members, who each contributes $10 a year. I originally heard him say as “3,000”, which made him burst into laughter.

Read the Whole Article

The post Can the Oldest 3rd Party Make a Comeback? appeared first on LewRockwell.