Rebuilding Constitution Party sees hope

Political activists in Pettis County are seeking to capitalize on voter frustration with the two major parties with the establishment of a county committee for the Constitution Party.

The party, which stresses strict adherence to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and following the intent of the Founding Fathers, is rebuilding its state party infrastructure after it lost ballot access in 2004. The party’s state chairwoman, Donna Ivanovich, said the party’s showing in the 2008 state treasurer’s race — where the party’s candidate, Rod Farthing, secured a little more than 2 percent of the vote — had opened the door for re-certification. The party was originally recognized in 1992. The Secretary of State’s Office officially re-certified the party on July 2, 2008.

“We had to start over, almost like starting a new party, and rebuild it from the ground up, but I think we are coming back stronger than ever,” Ivanovich said.

Curtis Shipman, the party’s Pettis County chairman, blasted Democrats as “standing for immorality” for their support of gay rights and abortion access and was equally critical of Republicans, who “tend to lean more toward people who have a pocket full of money.”

Shipman said he was raised a Democrat but was drawn to the Constitution Party because “elections have become one-sided. There is no reason every time you vote you should be choosing between the least worst candidate.”

“The Constitution Party is really the centrist party because we want to move back to where our forefathers wanted us to be — a nation of free and independent citizens who could take care of themselves,” Shipman said.
Ivanovich said the party now has county committee’s established in about a third of Missouri’s 114 counties, and would focus its attention on continuing to build the party and seek viable candidates as it prepared for the general election in November. She said the party expects about 25 candidates to file for a range of races.

Among the party’s field of candidates is Greg Cowan, a retired Naval officer from Laclede County, who has filed with the Federal Election Commission his intent to run as the Constitution Party candidate for the 4th Congressional District seat now held by Rep. Ike Skelton.

Ivanovich and Shipman both stressed that voter dissatisfaction over the bank bailout, stimulus funding, and a growing federal bureaucracy could translate into gains for third parties this fall.

“I think both the major parties will be stunned at how voters react in November,” Shipman said.

“What is so exciting is that people are really tired of both parties. We will use our candidates to rally around, build the party and build a support system. These Republicans and Democrats are not cutting it and with everything that is going on I think we will get a lot of protest votes, but it is the people that are really interested in what is going on in this country ... They are the ones joining us and getting motivated,” Ivanovich said.

For more information on the Constitution Party, see their Web site at constitutionpartymo.org. For more information on the party’s activities in Pettis County, contact Shipman at 851-0778.