Bloomberg/Paul on Ballot in Virginia?

Sam Stein of The Huffington Post reports that the Independent Green Party of Virginia gathered enough signatures to get New york City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the ballot in that state as a candidate for President without the knowledge of Bloomberg. The group also placed former Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul on the ballot as Bloomberg's running mate.

Whether or not Bloomberg will ultimately be on the ballot will likely come down to whether or not Bloomberg decides to allow his nomination. The chairman of the party Carey Campbell, who referred to the party as "happy hillbillies", claims to be acting on a promise made by the party to Bloomberg, although an aide to the Mayor told Stein that Bloomberg was "unaware of the effort."

If Bloomberg/Paul stays on the ballot in Virginia, would their ticket take more votes from John McCain or Barack Obama? In a poll taken over a year ago, Barack Obama gained two points with Bloomberg in the mix. So the effect of a Bloomberg run seems minimal. Paul, however, has an enthusiastic and loyal following among conservatives that could turn out to vote for Bloomberg/Paul. Paul finished third in the Virginia primary, pulling in 4.5% of the vote.

Paul supporters have launched their own write-in effort.