The Queens Tribune today profiles New York City Libertarian comptroller candidate John Clifton, who said, “My heart will be in reducing the tax burden and spending burden on the City, and I will identify from the offices of the comptroller the abuses that are happening inside the mayor’s office and the City Council. … I would hope to win. I don’t expect to win.”
Clifton is not seeking donations. Instead, “he’s asked people wanting to donate to his comptroller campaign to kick dollars up to his party’s mayoral candidate, Joseph Dobrian.” Clifton received 4,734 votes as the LP U.S. Senate nominee in 2000, and 14,736 votes as the party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2006.
It is ironic the strategy to support the Mayor candidate through the Comptroller candidate. I kind of respect the strategy…
Though, I had just been thinking…
Since I respect a lot of Libertarian thinking, but there are several social issues I disagree with them on, I have always thought it best and easiest to support a Libertarian candidate for comptroller or treasurer. That way you are underscoring support for the basic idea of less government, and less taxes, while not giving a person or ideology a legislative vote/endorsement (or possibly, a legislative position.)
I think an interesting alliance strategy would be to have a team/ticket where a moderate runs for executive, a leftist or two runs for the legislator to draw them towards justice, and a conservative runs for treasurer. Or, something like that. To make all members of a coalition feel “safe” if the other guy won.