Pony Up for Vermin Supreme
Campaign2020 United States presidential election (Libertarian primaries)
CandidateVermin Supreme
Perennial candidate and performance artist
Spike Cohen
Podcaster
AffiliationLibertarian Party
StatusInactive
AnnouncedMay 18, 2019
SuspendedMay 23, 2020
Key peopleDesarae Lindsey (campaign manager)
Richard Manzo (chief strategist)
ReceiptsUS$59,068.35[1] (May 13, 2020)
SloganThis is the way.
In on the joke.
Pony up America.
Website
verminsupreme2020.com
(archived November 14, 2020)
inonthejoke.net
(archived May 21, 2020)

The 2020 presidential campaign of Vermin Supreme began on June 26, 2019,[2][3] and ended during the 2020 Libertarian National Convention; Supreme failed to win the nomination.

Background

Vermin Supreme is a perennial candidate who has run in several United States presidential primaries. Supreme has run in the 2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries,[4] the 2008 Republican presidential primaries,[5] and the 2012[6] and 2016[7] Democratic Party presidential primaries.

After having announced plans in 2018 of running for the 2020 Libertarian Party presidential nomination, Supreme filed his candidacy with the FEC on June 26, 2019.[8][3] According to FEC filings, he chose Desarae Lindsey as his campaign manager. He also chose Richard Manzo, budget committeeman in Goffstown, New Hampshire as his chief strategist. Supreme has described his campaign staff as including "about a dozen people around the country with the various state coordinators," and his effort as "ultimately [his] first real campaign".[9]

Campaign

Vermin Supreme appeared on Fox News' Watter's World on May 18, 2019 to discuss his campaign for the Libertarian nomination.[10]

In December 2019, Supreme selected Spike Cohen as his running mate.[11][12]

On January 11, 2020, Supreme won a non-binding presidential preference poll conducted internally by the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire, winning 26 out of 44 votes cast.[13][14][15] The primary was tabulated using Bucklin voting.[16] On the 3rd of March 2020, Supreme was declared the winner of the Massachusetts primary.[17] On May 23, Supreme placed third on the party's final round of balloting. Supreme's former running-mate, Spike Cohen, went on to win the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nomination.[18]

Satirical candidacy

Many have cited Vermin Supreme's presidential campaign as harmful to the credibility or image of the Libertarian Party.[19][20] As Supreme told New Hampshire magazine, "It’s been a very interesting sell trying to convince the Libertarian Party that a serious party can take a joke candidate and get their 5% without being pegged as a joke party."[21] Spike Cohen, Supreme's running mate, remarked that their campaign is "perfectly serious". Explaining the campaign's message, Cohen said, "it's the system that's a joke and it treats us as a joke and it treats the idea of having more than two options as a joke. We're changing the punch line by trolling the system."[22] Supreme has said that, in contrast to his past runs for the presidency, he considers this campaign a "serious" bid.[23][24]

References

  1. ^ "Pony Up for Vermin Supreme – committee overview". FEC.gov. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  2. ^ De Leon, Andres (19 April 2019). "2020: The Year of the Libertarians?". The Libertarian Republic. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b "FEC Form 2 : Statement of Candidacy" (PDF). Docquery.fec.gov. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  4. ^ Franke-Ruta, Garance (January 9, 2004). "Running Gag: A campaign veteran comes to the D.C. primary". Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  5. ^ Johnson, Bridget (8 August 2009). "Final 2008 tally in: Bill Clinton edges out Santa". The Hill. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  6. ^ Grossman, Samantha. "Vermin Supreme: The Presidential Candidate Who Promises Free Ponies". Time. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Can a Zombie-Powered Presidential Candidate Go Legit?". National Journal. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Adam Kokesh vs Vermin Supreme 2020". May 28, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2020 – via YouTube.com.
  9. ^ Diavolo, Lucy (5 February 2020). "Vermin Supreme Is Getting Real for 2020". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  10. ^ "Vermin Supreme makes his 2020 bid for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination". Fox News. May 18, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  11. ^ "Please Meet my Vice President Spike Cohen". December 17, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2020 – via Twitter.com.
  12. ^ Bouchelle, Sydney (January 4, 2020). "Presidential Hopeful Campaigns in Wilmington". WWAY. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  13. ^ Brown, Elizabeth Nolan (January 13, 2020). "More Holes in the 'Imminent Threat' Story on Soleimani". Reason. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  14. ^ Dwilson, Stephanie Dube (12 January 2020). "Yes, Vermin Supreme Won the New Hampshire Libertarian Party Primary". Heavy.com. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  15. ^ "Vermin Supreme Wins New Hampshire LP Primary!". Free Keene. 12 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  16. ^ Dance, George J. (January 14, 2020). "Strange doings in New Hampshire". The Nolan Chart. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  17. ^ "PD43+ » Search Elections". PD43+. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  18. ^ Black, Melanie (June 22, 2020). "Libertarian Party nominates Presidential candidates". Corsicana Daily Sun. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  19. ^ Bentley, Robert J. (March 16, 2019). "Vermin Supreme Is What's Wrong With The Libertarian Party". The Liberty Herald. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  20. ^ Henderson, Luke (June 7, 2019). "Vermin Supreme, Volodomyr Zelensky & Political Spectacle – World Liberty Weekend". Being Libertarian. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  21. ^ Frantz, Elizabeth (December 18, 2019). "Meet the Primary Superfans". New Hampshire. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  22. ^ Papantonis, Nicholas (January 29, 2020). "Myrtle Beach man plans to ride ponies and plutonium to 2020 VP nomination". WPDE-TV. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  23. ^ Sullivan, Max (July 28, 2019). "Seabrook's Abramson seeks Libertarian presidential nomination". The Portsmouth Herald. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  24. ^ Diavolo, Lucy (February 5, 2020). "Vermin Supreme, the "Elder Statesman of Wingnuts," Says His 2020 Presidential Campaign Is for Real". Teen Vogue. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
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