The only thing in this entire episode is that my 19-year-old politically active and common sensical son came up with a great suggestion: make the incumbent filing deadline one week (or 48 hours or whatever) prior to the general filing deadline so that sorry episode will not repeat itself. Sounds like a good idea, which makes it likely that it will never see the light of day, much less pass into law.

Harumph!

It’s hard to rig the paper ballots we now use, so best to replace that too-reliable system. His awarding of the contract to Hart has been challenged.

One thing that strikes me as an election observer and even conductor in private sector elections is the primary rule-of-thumb in determining results is that you don’t change the rules or even long standing policy as they existed at the time of the election after the balloting. That doesn’t seem the case here.

This is asking for trouble next time if everything is left as it is. I can see candidates with handfuls of filled out papers trying to fake each other out in a bizarre game of chicken at 4:29 with dueling filings and withdrawal letter in hand.

So it’s perplexing that Caldwell has been eager to do all he can to even challenge himself to sort out the rules supposedly in the public interest. But he leaves this big matzo ball out there by saying he won’t challenge the ruling.

What’s really needed is some ad rules promulgated between now and July 2010.

Lastly you said: ”Election law does explicitly require a candidate’s notice of withdrawal to be in writing, although it does require those withdrawing later for reasons of health to do so in writing”

Didn’t you mean “does NOT explicitly require notice… in writing”- you use of the word although seems to indicate that.

And P.S.- this guy Cronin is a piece of work, eh?