Romer resigns presidential bid

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I was saddened today to receive notification that Buddy Roemer has suspended his presidential run.  While I am not, specifically, a Buddy Roemer supporter, I am a supporter of choice – especially as we enter an election cycle that already has the wealthy striving to purchase the election.  Roemer has been staunchly against big money, yet he has been dealt a death blow by not being able to stand up to the Super PACs as, at first, a Republican candidate, then through American’s Elect, and at last the Reform Party.

Roemer’s failure comes on the back of Mitt Romney suring up his candidacy.  Of course, today the Libertarian candidate for President, Gary Johnson, reached the threshold to begin receiving Federal matching funds for his campaign.  As one Independent falls, another gets thrust ahead a bit.  But, it is a long way for any Independent to garner enough of the popular polling (15 percent) to become eligible to participate in this fall’s Presidential debates. 

One interesting note here – both Buddy Roemer and Gary Johnson were popular Republican Governors (of Louisiana and New Mexico, respectively) that started this campaign cycle striving to become the Republican candidate for President.  Both were shunned by the Republican establishment and eventually left the party.  It makes me wonder how this happened.  Of course, they both have taken stances that made Republican leadership nervous – Roemer by being anti-Super PAC, lobbyist, and corporate contributions, and Johnson by being a bit too liberal on social issues.

So, as Roemer leaves the fray, I am left to wonder if any third party candidate can break through the fray, if not to get elected to maybe wake up the Democrats and Republicans to the rest of us in America.