We’ll have plenty of choices when we go to the polls February 3rd. There are 17 people who want Missourians to help them become President. Eleven Democrats, three Libertarians, and even two Republicans challenging President Bush have filed for Missouri’s presidential primary in February. We have not seen many of the presidential candidates so far, but Secretary of State Matt Blunt thinks traffic will pick up in the next two and a half months. Blunt points out the fact that one of the Democrats running for president is from Missouri, Congressman Richard Gephardt of St. Louis, might make other Democrats reluctant to campaign much in the state. Still, he expects some of Gephardt’s primary opponents to visit Missouri nonetheless. The president’s opponents are businessmen from St.Louis and the state of California. The three Libertarians are a radio talk show host, a maintenance technician and a jazz musician. Lyndon Larouche, a perennial Libertarian candidate in years gone by, is one of the Democrats. Also joining the familiar Democrats in the race is New York businessman Fern Penna. Blunt says he doesn’t know why some people get into these races, but he says it’s a democracy and everybody has an opportunity to participate.
