OBAMA'S THIRD PARTY STALKING HORSE TAKING SHAPE - JUST AS I PREDICTED

(AS I WROTE HERE), THE SPECIAL ELECTION IN NY26CD PROVED THAT OBAMA NEEDS a 3rd PARTY TO SIPHON GOP VOTES IN ORDER TO WIN RE-ELECTION.

REPEAT: OBAMA CAN WIN ONLY BY DIVERTING THE ANTI-OBMA VOTES AWAY FROM THE GOP AND TO A THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE.

THAT 3RD PARTY CANDIDATE COULD BE RON PAUL AND/OR A RUN BY SOMEONE OUT UP BY THIS NEW GROUP:

Americans Elect is a collection of Republicans, Democrats and independents who say they're fed up with the polarization that has poisoned American politics. Some of its backers have previously contributed to Obama, Romney or other candidates. Several are fans of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has flirted with the idea of running as a third-party centrist. The group's central figure is Peter Ackerman, a wealthy investor and former banker who considers himself an independent and who was active four years ago in a similar effort called Unity08.

The group plans to hold a national primary election on the Internet — a mass-participation exercise that anyone can join. Candidates can nominate themselves, and voters can form committees to "draft" candidates, including politicians drawn from the major parties — Hillary Rodham Clinton, for example, or Jon Huntsman. ...

... Who will its candidate be? Bloomberg is frequently mentioned, even though he says he doesn't plan to run. So is Huntsman, even though he says he's only interested in the Republican nomination. It might be former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer, who has been trying to break into the Republican race; former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who retired after denouncing both parties; or independent business figures such as Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who has called on his fellow moguls to stop giving money to politicians.

Americans Elect says it plans to choose a presidential nominee (and a vice presidential candidate, who by the group's rules can't come from the same party) by June.

What happens then depends mostly on the shape of the contest between the Democratic and Republican candidates.

I EXPECT OBAMA AND SOROS AND PODESTA GET THEIR WAY AND THE 3RD PARTY CANDIDATE TO BE HUNTSMAN/BLOOMBERG ON THIS LINE - AND THEY MIGHT EVEN GET RON PAUL TO RUN AS A LIBERTARIAN.

(YEAH: SOROS & PODESTA: I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THEY FUNNEL MONEY THROUGH SHADOW GROUPS TO PAUL AND AMERICANS ELECT.)

MORE HERE.