Posted at Kn@ppster and emailed to [email protected]. Reposted to IPR by Paulie.
The campaign calendar is starting to come together a bit. Here are some places I expect to be — and hope to meet you — over the course of the next year or so. I’ll update and/or replace this post as necessary.
– 04/18/09: Libertarian Party of Missouri, 2009 State Convention, Jefferson City, Missouri. I’ll be attending this event as an LPMO member. I’m not, as of this time, scheduled as a speaker. I’m looking into the possibility of hosting a Saturday-night hospitality suite.
– 05/30/09-05/31/09: Boston Tea Party “Meatspace Gathering”, Kansas City. I’m a scheduled speaker at this one. Details TBA.
– 07/18/09-07/19/09: Libertarian National Committee meeting, Renaissance St. Louis Grand & Suites Hotel, St. Louis, MO. I am not a scheduled speaker at this time, but look forward to meeting Libertarians from around the US who attend to observe and/or participate in their party’s national committee business sessions.
– 10/23/09-10/25/09: Libertarian Party of Illinois, 2009 State Convention, Collinsville, IL. I’m not a scheduled speaker at this time, but plan to attend. Hospitality suite and other details TBD.
– 05/28/10-05/31/10: Libertarian National Convention 2010, Renaissance St. Louis Grand & Suites Hotel, St. Louis, MO. I anticipate attending as a Missouri delegate, as well as hosting hospitality/campaign events.
Tom ,Washington and Oregon have the best micro beers in the nation. None of that watered down stuff. So when you drag yourself out to the real west we’ll buy you a bucketfull of the good stuff.
They won’t be formally legal for a little while – imagine the headlines if we got there first… “Libertarian activists perform Iowa’s first same-sex matrimonials.”
It’d be killer outreach in general and huge publicity for your campaign.
Ever do anything on the Missouri clergy civil disobedience?
mdh,
Now THAT’S an idea!
O/T: new NFV post
http://pauliecannoli.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/how-restrictive-will-location-control-get/
Tom, let’s raise some money, go to Iowa, and do some gay weddings? What do you say buddy?
Jeremy,
Yep, I’m definitely in “volunteers only” territory at the moment.
Paulie, I appreciate it, but see above — I’m not in a position to cover expenses yet.
Or, rather, my campaign isn’t in that position. The events on the calendar so far are events I expect to be able to make it to entirely on my own dime as necessary.
Once I go into fundraising mode, when I can’t be somewhere and a volunteer could be, the campaign will offer to pay for literature and that volunteer’s reasonable expenses.
Regards,
Tom
I could possibly be able to go to Georgia if my expenses are covered and if I don’t leave the area before then.
If I take the job that looks most likely right now, I could be in Ohio and possibly Indiana.
State LP conventions
Apr 10-12 NM (17-19 at LP.org, so it may have changed or been wrong before?)
Apr 17-19 NC
Apr 18 Missouri
Apr 18 Georgia
Apr 24 California
Apr 25 NY
Apr 25 Iowa
May 1-3 Ohio
May 2 Pennsylvania
May 2 Delaware
May 15 Indiana
Oct 23-25 Illinois
Tom, I take it you are looking for a volunteer IT director, correct? Because if not I can recommend you an excellent freelancer.
Paulie is right. Irving Babbitt, who was a traditionalist classical liberal at the time, thought TR was the Antichrist.
Kudos to Iowa for making a step in that direction.
It’s true.
Progressive and liberal had very different meanings in those days.
Cute paulie.
That’s what they meant by “progressive” – the progress of big government.
Tom thank you for your contribution to TR/Nolan chart. Something is wrong somewhere. How do you explain a 100% totalitarian being a cofounder of the progressive party?
Maybe its my Christian, paleoconservative streak rearing up, but I believe the proper libertarian position is that what little legitimate government there should be should treat all people as free individuals and not grant them special privileges based on their lifestyle choice. There are something in the neighborhood of 1,100 benefits that the federal government grants to married couples. That gays in Iowa can now tap into this does make us more “equal” but not any more free. Especially for single, divorced, widowed, celibate, and asexual people who have to pick up the tab.
The idea of an Iowa Libertarian straw poll is a great one. As 2011 nears, hopefully we can put something together that will draw the candidates to Iowa and give the state LP a boost.
Congratulations to Iowa on being the first midwestern state to find Supreme Court justices who can figure out what “equal protection” means.
+1
Richard and Steve,
I intend to visit both Iowa and New York, but won’t be able to visit either one on April 25th.
Congratulations to Iowa on being the first midwestern state to find Supreme Court justices who can figure out what “equal protection” means.
Congratulations to New York on a fine contest in the 20th US House district, cut short by abuse of the ballot access laws.
With respect to Iowa in particular, I hope that you’ll schedule your 2011 convention for August, and hold it in Ames, and conduct a straw poll at that convention like one of the other parties does that same weekend. Further, I hope that all the contenders for the LP’s presidential nomination will take active part in campaigning for support in that straw poll, and that the event can generate some good media for the party.
Regards,
Tom Knapp
“Knapp 2012: I’m In It For The Beer!” because “In It To Win It” is just so played out.
Mr. Knapp,
Although its short notice, you ought to consider swinging up to Iowa on April 25 since its within driving distance. There are social activities “arising spontaneously” after the 5 pm adjournment so it should be easy to corral Iowa LPer’s into a hospitality corner booth at a nearby bar. Sorry I won’t be there to donate a pint to your campaign as my Saturday-Sunday-Monday job is more stingy with days off than my Tuesday-Wednesday job or my Thursday-Friday job.
http://www.lpia.org/news/convention09.php
While we already have speakers lined up, the LPNY is holding its convention April 25th in Rochester. See http://www.ny.lp.org for details.
I won’t be there due to pressing business.
Peter,
The vice-presidential beer is brewed from the tears of former presidential aspirants and served warm in a novelty “bucket” mug in honor of Garner.
Mike,
Will do! It only being 2009, I expect to be fairly low-key, though. Some literature, maybe a laid back hospitality suite. The larger-than-life effigies, Imax biopic and hard drugs don’t come out until later.
Hey, if you need any help for the Illinois Convention, drop me a line when that time comes.
mdh,
I don’t think it’s possible to forget Starchild. Ever.
Good times. Don’t forget Starchild, though. Poor, poor Starchild.
Paulie,
It doesn’t have to be a McDonald’s. After drinking bourbon with you guys all night, any door will do.
You got a McDonalds there we can pound on the doors of if they are two minutes late for opening after we drink a handle of bourbon all night?
q5 used to be migration freedom.
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22theodore+roosevelt%22++immigration&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
I’d say that’s a “no,” putting TR at 0/0 – or, a pure 100% totalitarian statist on the WSPQ, as I suspected.
mdh,
Thanks! Consider yourself my West Virginia campaign coordinator 😉
It’s been at least ten years since I’ve seen West Virginia, and I look forward to visiting again.
Er, 20, not 10, on the social.
Bob,
Here’s the current version of the World’s Smallest Political Quiz, with the best results I can come up with for Theodore Roosevelt:
Q1: Government should not censor speech, press, media or Internet.
Roosevelt: “Theodore Roosevelt told a throng of 5,000 persons under the campus elms of Trinity College at the Sunday services of the commencement exercised here today that the censorship, ‘unpleasant as it has been at times,’ should be extended … [New York Times, June 17th, 1918] Score +0
Q2: Military service should be voluntary. There should be no draft.
Roosevelt: “Just as he had in his book A History of the Naval War of 1812 and as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Roosevelt once again crusaded for military preparations. In a series of articles, he called for a massive military buildup and permanent military conscription for all young American men.” [Theodore Roosevelt, 1912–1919: Private Life and Death] +0
Q3: There should be no laws regarding sex for consenting adults.
Roosevelt: Opposed legal contraception [letter from Margaret Sanger to Metropolitan Magazine, 1917]. “”Birth control is the one sin for which the penalty is national death, race death; a sin for which there is no atonement.” +0
Q4: “Repeal laws prohibiting adult possession and use of drugs.”
Roosevelt: “The American saloon has been one of the most mischievous elements in American social, political and industrial life. No man has warred more valiantly against it than you have, and I am glad that it has been my privilege to stand with you in the contest.” [Roosevelt letter dated the day after the amendment for Prohibition was passed by Congress] +0
Q5: There should be no National ID card.
Roosevelt: Didn’t find anything — that wasn’t an issue in 1912. Benefit of doubt, +20
Q6: End “corporate welfare.” No government handouts to business.
Roosevelt: As President, Roosevelt supported one of the earliest massive corporate welfare projects, the Reclamation Act (to irrigate the west at taxpayer expense). As a 1912 candidate for president, he supported a protective tariff for American industry and government “supervision” of industry. +0
Q7: End government barriers to international free trade.
Roosevelt: See above — protective tariff and aggressive government action to advantage the US in trade. +0
Q8: Let people control their own retirement; privatize Social Security
Roosevelt: Social Security did not exist at the time. He was the first prominent presidential candidate to propose a government-run “social insurance” retirement program. +0
Q9: Replace government welfare with private charity.
Roosevelt: See above. He actively worked to replace private charity with government welfare. +0
Q10: Cut taxes and government spending by 50% or more.
Roosevelt: “I believe in a graduated income tax on big fortunes, and in another tax which is far more easily collected and far more effective — a graduated inheritance tax on big fortunes.” Increased government spending as president, and advocated increasing it more as the 1912 Bull Moose candidate. +0
Even giving him the benefit of the doubt on national ID, he scores 10 on the social and 0 on the economic questions, he scores solidly in the statist/authoritarian area, slightly to the left of center.
Tom, consider me there for you for whatever you need as far as volunteering. As long as it doesn’t cost my povertarian self any money, I’m in.
Also, you ought to come to WV. Always lots of fun here. Paulie will be out here getting petitions for me some time this year most likely. I’ve almost got this bill passed and then I’m going to shift focus on to making my 2010 & 2012 petitioning happen.
More like dozen and a half last year.
The LP (wisely, IMHO) decided that it didn’t make sense to have it’s pre nomination candidates traipsing around the country at a time when there is no interest in the presidential campaign.
These days there is interest in the campaign earlier, and more ability to self-generate media and other support.
I agree that the LP should nominate early. The earliest it can plausibly do so, though, is probably 2011 (the 2012 convention can be held any time after, if memory serves, August 2011).
Except that it didn’t work in the past. The LP did have their nominating convention a full year before the other parties until ’91. The nominated candidate would then spend the first year of their campaign basically waiting for the phone to ring.
The LP (wisely, IMHO) decided that it didn’t make sense to have it’s pre nomination candidates traipsing around the country at a time when there is no interest in the presidential campaign.
At least now it is possible for our half dozen or so candidates to take part in the Primary process, when there is legitimate interest.
Sure, the LP primary is overshadowed by the democrats and republicans. That is to be expected. The LP is a fraction the size of the other two parties. But it is an opportunity to do serious outreach.
The fact that only one candidate (kudos to George Phillies) this past election cycle even tried to do outreach beyond the obligatory state conventions is irrelevant.
Missed opportunities seems to be something that the LP has tried to perfect. But that doesn’t mean the LP should provide more missed opportunities.
PEACE
Tom, I must insist on 1912 or later TR for Nolan chart.It seems he gradually leaned left like a pair of old shoes. Pre 1900 he seems like a regular republican. In 1896 he attacked (verbally) the progressive democrat Altgeld. In 1912 he would have done better to ally with Altgeld (who was by then deceased).
Wow … even if I lose, I sense a lot of beer opportunities in the room!
Never operated a punch press, but when I worked at the boat factory, I filled in for a couple of weeks once when a guy who ran two machines — a plasma cutter and a shear — was on vacation.
The plasma cutter was no big deal … stack the sheet metal, make sure the right program was in, press a button and it cut the hull shapes. That shear scared the hell out of me, though … K-CHNK! I always had to check afterward to make sure my hands were still on my wrists.
RE: Tom Knapp’s personal background.
While I am a relative newcomer to third party politics, I hold out a lot of respect for people who had to take the hard route as they work their way to where they want to be. In that sense, I find Tom’s background and overall demeanor refreshing. Perhaps it is because while our stance on specific political issues may differ in some respects (and probably match in others), I can relate to where he came from and what he hopes to accomplish.
For example, I worked at a fast-food fish restaurant, sold T-shirts at one of those mall kiosks, was a subversive salesman at a horrid clothing store, sold sporting goods, freelance writer, worked in a box factory, was a punch-press operator hoping to not lose an eye or hearing, and deburred ball bearings to put myself through college since I came from nothing. The military took care of law school loans as well as my hearing.
And as a former journalist, Hunter S. Thompson is a literary hero of mine. To this day, the Rum Diaries is one of my favorite books, along with Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. My unsolicited point is that knowing what I hope to accomplish with my background, I also have to root for people like Tom. Although I may disagree on some academic items, character and steadfast personal conviction coupled with motivation and leadership are things that should garner respect and adulation.
Best of luck. If you make your way out to DC, I’ll buy you a beer as well.
Tom;
Thanks for the clarification on the bylaws, etc. 2011 still works fine for me; it’s the waiting until May or June of 2012 that bothers me.
I’ll save you a seat here:
http://www.independentbeer.com/
– Bill
Tom,
You should make comment #24 or some version thereof a blog post.
Bio information for you did not come up during a quick search just now (although I only spent a minute or so on it).
I’ve seen it before, but it should be easier to find for a candidate.
Bob,
“PS. I could use some help plotting Teddy Roosevelt on the Nolan chart.”
That sounds like an interesting proposition. I’ll see if I can do it.
Paulie,
The issue wasn’t traffic — it was that I didn’t want to invest a bunch of time building a campaign site that just wasn’t going to look the way I wanted it to look and do what I wanted it to do. So, I moved the bare functionality over to the blog. At some point in the near future, I’ll recruit a webmaster who can put together a campaign site that’s worth having as a stand-alone.
Regards,
Tom Knapp
HS,
You write:
“I am wondering if there is a campaign Web site about Mr. Knapp beyond his blogs. I’m sure there is and we can just chalk up my inability to find it on my slow push toward 30 :)”
Nope — I started a campaign site proper and decided that it wasn’t up to snuff. Until I can get a competent web team together to do one up right (hopefully before the end of the year) my blog is my campaign web HQ.
“My first impression is that he is making a name for himself as a libertarian politician, writer and intellectual. But I want to learn more about where he received his education, degrees, and professional experience and successes outside of the libertarian movement.”
I graduated from Lebanon (Missouri) High School and Marine Corps Recruit Training in 1985; Infantry Training School in 1986; several other Marine Corps schools between 1986 and 1992 (honor graduate in my marksmanship instructor class). I’ve take a few community college courses, but the only “degree” I have is a $5 “Doctor of Letters” from Universal Life Church, purchased in honor of Hunter S. Thompson. Oh, yes, I also completed a correspondence course in paralegal studies.
I have professional experience as a produce clerk, gas station attendant, builder of pontoon and flat-bottom fishing boats, forklift driver, bookstore manager, fry cook, house framer and general construction laborer, lumber yard worker, office store clerk, furniture builder, janitor, mustard miller, ice cream truck driver, writer (everything from newspaper features to op-eds — and an e-book on how to write op-eds — to radio commentaries to speeches to position papers to academic literature reviews), managing editor of what was at the time the world’s most popular libertarian web site, and publisher of the longest-running daily libertarian email news and commentary roundup (I’ve been its publisher since late 2002, I’ve worked on it since 1996, and it’s been around since 1991; it started as Libernet, became Freedom News Daily, and is now Rational Review News Digest/Freedom News Daily). Between those jobs, I also served in the US Marine Corps Reserve for 10 years, including six months of active duty as an infantry NCO in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
That’s a partial list starting when I was 16. Some of those jobs were held at the same time as others (in particular, at one point I worked at the lumber yard 40 hours a week, flipped burgers another 30, and put in about 20 hours a week on small construction projects — decks and such — as an independent contractor).
Aside from my children, I don’t make any great claims to success outside of the libertarian movement — the movement is “what I do.” I’d consider the newsletter a success independently of the fact that it’s political. The current five-person partnership (three part-time editors, one tech guy and myself) to produce it has held together for more than six years now, and we’ve now published more than 1,600 editions. Apart from weekends, holidays and one pre-announced one-week vacation, we’ve never missed an edition.
“Although I probably do not mesh with his actual politics, I like to remain open-minded when relating to an actual candidate.”
Thank you for that attitude, and I hope you found the answers to your questions helpful.
Regards,
Tom Knapp
Or I stand corrected.
I am wondering if there is a campaign Web site about Mr. Knapp beyond his blogs.
There was, but he decided the blog was getting more traffic and took it down.
I asked Tom Knapp to be my campaign manager & Mary Ruwart vp. I stand by my positions.
I did several interviews & attended the state regional convention in E. PA which is close to me geographically. I can campaign about as much as I get support which isn’t very much. Evidently dinosaur fossil Ron Paul sucked most of the air out of the room last year & then Bob Barr pissed around. LP/BTP feud didn’t help much. Nader wound up in a good position with ballot access but his ticket & strategy sucked. Hint: if he selected a f.lib. vp, he might could have done a LOT better. I tried to promote Gravel/Ruwart as a worthy fusion ticket but nobody listened to me. This year the economy is screwed which is a fair to midlin excuse to not contribute. So let’s see more support & less unhelpful criticism Good Losers, ok? PS. I could use some help plotting Teddy Roosevelt on the Nolan chart.
I am wondering if there is a campaign Web site about Mr. Knapp beyond his blogs. I’m sure there is and we can just chalk up my inability to find it on my slow push toward 30 🙂
My first impression is that he is making a name for himself as a libertarian politician, writer and intellectual. But I want to learn more about where he received his education, degrees, and professional experience and successes outside of the libertarian movement.
Although I probably do not mesh with his actual politics, I like to remain open-minded when relating to an actual candidate.
I think the idea with Iowa (and NH) is that a lot of the national political press is hanging around there with little to do, so if the Libertarian candidate(s) are on the ground there, they may get some increased coverage.
Maybe it would help if those state LPs went to a primary system? It could be non-binding, but it would still give the LP candidates a “reason” to work for media coverage in those states while the press is focused there.
Also, since a lot of campaign volunteers for the major parties are on the ground there, including a lot of young people who may be more open minded to new ideas, they could be a good recruiting ground for prospective libertarians.
Sending the candidate to Iowa as a major effort, given how we select candidates, makes little sense, except in the sense that Iowa is a fine state with potential Libertarian voters.
I’m only aware of his runs in 2008 and 2004. I don’t think he ran in 2000. I watched the LP conventions on CSPAN before that and don’t remember him being mentioned, but I may be forgetting.
Dave Hollist has run every time I can remember.
I don’t think we should nominate in 2010 – that excludes too many people who might decide to run later based on new developments. But 2011 would give us more time to campaign externally rather than internally. The conventions used to be around Labor Day of the pre-presidential election year. The desired media coverage which I think was the chief reason for moving them later has not materialized, so at this time I think it makes sense to go back to the previous way of doing it.
I’m not sure – I think Waymire might be on her cross-country horse ride, if I interpreted a facebook note correctly.
Milnes is campaigning about as actively as he did in 2008. That is, he is posting blog comments.
As far as I know, if Jingozian is still running, he’s made no indication of it since being on the LNC.
The only Keaton-Shinghal campaign activity I know of is a facebook group and some blog posts. Keaton is making some speeches, but not about running for president.
William,
I never turn down free beer — I’ll visit Florida at the first opportunity!
I agree that the LP should nominate early. The earliest it can plausibly do so, though, is probably 2011 (the 2012 convention can be held any time after, if memory serves, August 2011).
In order to nominate in 2010, there would have to be some pretty wild bylaws/parliamentary/suspension of rules stuff, and the supporters of all candidates who didn’t think their guy or gal had a lock on the nomination would likely defeat that to buy their candidate more time to campaign.
Regards,
Tom Knapp
Doubly so since the anti-Republicanwar people have been leaving in droves.
and of course good ole Jim ‘the Libertarian’ Burns
will run again as usual .
history question… how many times has he run for Pres. and was he ever seriously in the running?
“I’m aware of some other announced candidates (Joy Waymire and Bob Milnes, for example)”
>groans< again???
I love the fact that Tom is out there campaigning early.
The LP should nominate and get behind ONE candidate in 2010 for the 2012 election, then focus all their efforts on raising money to send that candidate to Iowa and other early caucuses, rather than waiting until 6 months before the election to even decide on a candidate. Ridiculous.
My .02.
Oh, and let me know if you come down to St Pete/Tampa, and I’ll buy you a beer.
Tom S,
I agree, and I’ll be working on that.
Peter,
This early in the race, “actively campaigning” is a very relative term. I’m aware of some other announced candidates (Joy Waymire and Bob Milnes, for example), but can’t speak knowledgeably about how much campaigning, or of what kind, they’re doing at the moment.
Regards,
Tom Knapp
Thomas, Root has neocon talk radio and Fox News promoting him.
You need to reach alternative media — libertarian, paleocon, and progressive — and convince them that they should promote you, because the entire antiwar effort benefits when the LP nominee promotes the antiwar agenda.
At best, Barr/Root mumble that Iraq was “a mistake.” We need a nominee who shouts it from the rooftops.
Bryan,
I appreciate it!
I’m hoping to have some printable material ready as early as next week … and perhaps something more surprising within another week or two after that.
Above all, let me emphasize one thing:
I want to keep my campaign less about whether or not I receive the LP’s nomination and more about what Libertarians should be looking for from whomever they entrust their nomination to.
Regards,
Tom Knapp
When you get materials, post where it can be found. I can’t say I will support you…who knows who will end up running… but I would like the info and will distribute it to local Libertarians.
Your response to the “oath” question in another topic impressed me enough to get you at least this much support…
I may be able to do something. Got anything for materials yet?
Bryan,
My plan for South Carolina is to visit the state at least once, possibly more than once.
Details, on the other hand, remain TBD and TBA.
I can’t promise to visit all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico and Guam, but I’ll visit as many places as I can get to, as often as I can get to them.
As for places I can’t get to at any particular time, I’ll be actively soliciting volunteers (yes, Paulie, your ears should be burning about now) to represent my campaign when I can’t do so myself.
Regards,
Tom Knapp
Any plans for South Carolina?