The top dozen or so candidates within the two major parties are receiving the lion’s share of the attention from those who collect political memorabilia.

And yet, as in every election year, there are other parties and other independents also waging a campaign for nomination or for election in 2008, 52 in fact. Some of the names are recognizable from previous campaigns such as Ron Paul, who ran as a Libertarian, and is now running as a Republican. If he loses this race, he will probably be picked up as the party nominee for president by possibly the Libertarians and at least one other political party, as well. Another example is Ralph Nader who ran on the Green Party ticket in 1996. Other candidates aren’t quite so recognizable, for example, Brian Moore, nominee of the Socialist Party; Gene Amondsen, nominee of the Prohibition Party; and Co Martin who is running as an Independent.

So who said you had to collect only the most noticeable and winning candidates? Many of the independent and third party political campaign buttons are at times just as highly collectible as the more traditional party buttons simply because fewer of them were created and fewer still routinely survive over a generation.

I’ve provided a few of the past 3d party and independent candidate buttons from the website of my friend John Low at http://www.banningandlow.com to give you an idea as to what you’ll find when you do your own ‘campaigning’ for independent and third party political buttons. They could still use your ‘collectible’ vote.

Others running as Third Party or Independents for 2008 (from Wikipedia):

Constitution Party: Don J. Grundmann, Bryan Malatesta, Diane Beall Templin

Green Party: Jared Ball, Jesse Johnson, Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay, and Kat Swift.

Libertarian Party: Daniel Imperato, Bob Jackson, Mike Jingozian, Steve Kubby, Alden Link, Robert Milnes, George Phillies, Wayne Allyn Root, Christine Smith

Prohibition Party: Gene Amondson, nominee

Socialist Party: Brian Moore, nominee

Declared Independents: Steve Adams, Blake Ashby, Don Cordell, Richard H. Clark, Orion Karl Daley, Nick Farmer, Mark B. Graham, Jon A. Greenspon, Arnold Jones, Steven Kissing, David Koch/Ken Goldstein, James H. McCall, Frank McEnulty, Co Martin, David J. Masters, Charles T. Maxham, Tom Millican, Frank Moore, Arthur Regan, Joe Schriner, Jonathan Sharkey, Ben Thompson, Michael Tienken, Lanakila Washington, Ruth Bryant White, Kelcey Brian Wilson.

Possible Draft Candidates: Michael Bloomberg, Sam Nunn, Ralph Nader, Ron Paul, Barry Hess, Ed Thompson

Ron Paul, the former Libertarian turned Republican candidate for president in 2008 has an energetic following to say the least. They are very creative when it comes to getting funds for his long shot campaign. Recently, they set a record for the most money raised at an event, some $14 million in one day!

Well, they are at it again. A group of supporters based in Evansville, Indiana calling itself the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act & Internal Revenue Code (NORFED) began minting “Liberty Dollars”. They are made in silver, gold, and copper and one features the profile of Ron Paul, the candidate. They are circulating the coins as legal tender and that has gotten the attention of the FBI, because they are not legal tender.

The group was raided by the FBI and the coins already minted were removed and the operation shut down. However, many of the coins, particularly the copper ones that were being minted and released on the day of the raid, have been found on Ebay selling rather well.

It is important to reiterate that these coins are not legal tender and are now just political curiosities. They may become collector items in the near future, but the market should settle first to determine whether they warrant the large amount of money some have been offering on Ebay for a copper one or a silver one, nearly $150 in some cases.

Candidate Ron Paul and his campaign have stated that they have no connection with NORFED and have not authorized the production of any minting of coins.