Will Former U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode Deliver Virginia to Obama?

Since he was voted out of office, former Congressman Virgil Goode has become a gad fly for both of the national political parties, but especially for the Republican Party.  Now, if Goode can get on the Virginia ballot as the Constitution Party's nominee for president, it is conceivable that Goode could siphon off enough votes from Mitt Romney that he would throw Virginia and its 13 electoral voted decidedly into the Obama-Biden column.  That in turn could assure Obama s re-election.  Needless to say, the GOP will do all it can to keep Goode off of the November ballot.  Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

Former U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode of Franklin County has submitted more than 20,000 petition signatures to get on Virginia's ballot as the Constitution Party's presidential candidate, but will have to wait until after Labor Day for certification from the state board of elections.

The board earlier this month asked Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's office to investigate possible irregularities with some of Goode's petitions, but it remains unclear whether the matter will keep Goode off the ballot for the Nov. 6 election. The state board will meet Sept. 4 to certify petitions submitted by third party and independent candidates.

Goode said Republicans mounted a challenge that kept the Constitution Party off the ballot in Pennsylvania, even though more than 34,000 petition signatures were submitted.  "I'm sure they are looking not just there but in every state they can," Goode said.

Goode said that he has qualified for the ballot in about 25 states, "give or take a few," including battleground states such as Florida, Ohio, Michigan and New Mexico. He also has qualified as a write-in candidate in several states, he said.

But Goode — who has been elected as a Democrat, an independent and a Republican — arguably could have the greatest impact in his home state, where President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are locked in a tight race. Goode said he doesn't buy the argument that he would draw votes from Romney and possibly tip a close race to Obama.

I hope Goode gets on the ballot and makes life most interesting for Mitt Romney and his equally out of touch and greed drive VP oick, Paul Ryan.