Article by Steve Kubby sent via facebook. While it is not directly related to alternative parties or independent candidates, the author was a two-time runner up for the Libertarian Party Vice Presidential nomination (2000 and 2008), 1998 Libertarian candidate for Governor of California, and candidate for the 2008 Libertarian Presidential nomination. Additionally, it touches on themes that are currently being discussed in the Libertarian and other alternative parties, for example here and here
Back in 1996, medical marijuana proponents were split into two camps, the Moderates and the Radicals.
Basically, the Moderates wanted 215 to only cover seriously ill patients and, if I recall correctly, contained plant limits and actually described 215 as only providing an affirmative defense.
Dennis Peron, the recognized founder of the medical marijuana movement opposed the Moderates and pointed out that under their version, “Patients would only be allowed to use marijuana the last half hour of their life.”
Despite intense negotiations, both sides would not budge. Then, the Moderates filed their version of 215, without telling us, which would have made the version drafted by the Moderates, the law today. Of course, when the Radicals found out about this, we were determined not to be chained to a version of 215 we thought was too weak.
Fortunately, the Radicals went down to the Election Department and filed the final version, paying by money order, instead of a check, as the Moderates did. In doing so, the Radicals moved ahead of them and their version ended up on the garbage heap of history.
Now comes the lesson for us all. The very Moderates, who nearly succeeded in eviscerating Prop. 215, and the same folks who got the legislature to set a six plant limit for all Californian’s are now tripping over each other to claim credit. One of the Moderates, who claims to be the author of Prop. 215, has become a TV regular, whenever someone is needed to bash Prop. 215 and medical marijuana.
Missed in all this is the real hero, Anna T. Boyce, RN, who was able to get the California Legislature to pass the first version of 215, twice, only to be vetoed by Governor Pete Wilson. Anna and I attended a 10 year celebration of Prop. 215, held in LA, by Americans for Safe Access. Nobody recognized Anna that night. Instead, we endured a lengthy line of self-congratulatory wannabees.
It is visionaries like Anna T. Boyce and radicals like Dennis Peron who have created a new world for us. Unfortunately, it is moderates who have since bartered away our rights and stolen real victory for us — while they serve up their airbrushed revisionist version of history instead.
So’s how the Guliani campaign going Mr. Rittberg?
Oh wait a minute, you supported McCain! How’s he doing on the trail?
No wait, scratch that. That was Wednesday. This is Tuesday. You support Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root!
No, wait, wait. You’re heading up the Libertarians for Palin group in 2012 right?
And I suppose you’ll tell us how influential the LRC is (are GOP House members actually taking your calls now?)
Granted radical Libertarians don’t have much of a track record. But for a loser like you to call other people losers reaches the summit of pathetic. I guess it takes one to know one.
Got employement?
The Blue Man is by no means the weirdest character put forth by the LP. By convention standards he is perhaps on the normal side of the curve.
Legalization of marijuana for a wide range of medical disorders is not a radical libertarian position. Neither is outright legalization of marijuana — especially if taxed and regulated similarly to the way liquor is.
Radical — in the sense of impractical and politically infeasible — positions are things like privatizing the military, repeal of the IRS without replacement, default on the national debt, abolition of the EPA, SEC, etc. vs. reform and putting them in their proper place.
Wow, paulie was on crack in this thread. Wearing a lacy shirt (which happens to be part of my medieval garb for the SCA) does not mean dressed as a woman, and my woman was wearing normal womans clothing.
That boy was wasted, hahah.
Quoth Andy:
“The thing that was good about it was that it showed that the Libertarian Party has the ability to swing the outcome of elections.”
That was one of the good things about it.
One of the other good things about it was that in the year when it happened — 2006 — the Republican Party in particular really, really, really needed to be punished for several years of complete misrule by any reasonable standard, not just a libertarian standard.
Next year, it would be nice to see the Democratic Party punished in the same way.
“How is it necessarily a good thing to let a Democrat get elected vs a Republican? From a Libertarian perspective?”
The thing that was good about it was that it showed that the Libertarian Party has the ability to swing the outcome of elections.
Don, quit whining. Paulie and Trent have taken more insanity from you, Milnes and I than 99% of website contributors/managers would be willing to take. And the IndieNews site is worthless in this context. I’m sure that when the Green and Constitution Parties start their bickering again like the Libertarian Party is doing now, or one of the socialist, centrist, etc parties get their act together, we’ll be hearing about it.
Johnny – it is a good idea to have the power to swing the balance of power in US Sen. And to take it away from a party that starts a bogus war and grew spending at the fastest rate since WW2….even if the party we swing it to turned out to have had no guts to end the war or do anything else good. At least now they will have to pay attention to us more.
Now, I really need to get back to the dog porn before I get hurt.
Matt has some good dog/woman sex videos full screen on here, I just had to pause to let y’all know, gotta get back to it before he gets at me with the meat cleaver in his hand
“That “Blue Guy” in Montana is Stan Jones. He was actually running for US Senate, not Governor, and it is quite possible that the votes that Stan Jones got in that race is what lead to the Democrat winning that seat from the Republican.”
How is it necessarily a good thing to let a Democrat get elected vs a Republican? From a Libertarian perspective?
19 @ 16
17 news to us. dish!
Everybody is hugging each other now. It’s trailer fabulous!
“Eric Dondero // Jul 12, 2009 at 11:48 am
Perhaps, but who wants to associated with crazy nuts?
Remember the Blue Guy in Montana? The Montana Libertarian Party’s candidate for Governor in 2006, who took injections of silver which made him literally turn Blue?”
That “Blue Guy” in Montana is Stan Jones. He was actually running for US Senate, not Governor, and it is quite possible that the votes that Stan Jones got in that race is what lead to the Democrat winning that seat from the Republican.
I’ve met Stan Jones and he’s a good guy. The guy made a mistake with that colloidal silver but that one mistake doesn’t make him an idiot or a wacko.
I don’t think Marc Montoni has any room to talk here.
He spouts libertarian rhetoric, yet has committed acts like forging checks (in Richmond suburbs) and credit card fraud. This is highly questionable behavior for a libertarian, I’d say.
Sounds like a scene from “Looking For Mr Goodbar”. Get out, Paulie.
Actually I am fairly sober. Matt is the one who is trashed, he just woke up screaming and punching his other buddy who was passed out drunk in the face.
Matt is dressed as a woman and his woman is dressed as a man. They are threatening each other with scissors. Bad scene!
Fuck the moderates. paulie cannoli is drunk in my living room. God help us.
Peter – thanks!
Reminder to self. Kubby asked me to help get him on Free Talk Live. If anyone wants to do that before I do, much appreciated.
Tell you what Don.
I’ll put it to a vote if you agree to the conditions.
The deal is this: if I lose the poll I leave IPR. No more posts and no more comments.
If you lose the poll, you quit bitching, start your own site (or not) and go away.
Deal?
Promises, promises …….
I can deliver on my promises. Care to answer my questions?
One more time: “While it is not directly related to alternative parties or independent candidates ….”
Read the rest of the paragraph, Don.
Promises, promises …….
One more time: “While it is not directly related to alternative parties or independent candidates ….”
How so?
What is it that you want me to do?
Report stories from across different parties and ideologies? Done plenty of that.
Recruit Green and other non-LP writers here? Done plenty of that too. Some successfully, some not. Some rejected me; others were rejected by Trent. We’re still taking applications. Who have you helped us recruit?
Tell people who can comment here how much or about what? Not my call, and I wouldn’t want it to be.
Here I am busting my ass (as a volunteer BTW) to provide you a place to spin your bullshit, and you call me a bully for doing it? Fuck you very much.
It’s a real offer. All I have heard in reply are very weak, lame excuses.
Would you rather I leave instead? Already did when I had very little internet for about a month.
Did my absence improve the site? It sure lowered our post and comment rates and traffic. But maybe it made Don happy. Did it? I could probably arrange that again.
Kindergarten play ground bully Paulie keeps offering folks the option of ‘going off and start your own site’.
“While it is not directly related to alternative parties or independent candidates ….”
Like Steven Gordon’s horribly mismanaged and grossly partisan TPW, PPR needs to right itself or the Super Libs need to start ‘Libertarian Political Report’ —– in all fair ness. Any thing less, like TPW, is false advertising.
The guy who helped turn the US Senate blue? Good guy, we need more like him.
Actually, we do wing elections all the time. That’s half our problem. The other half is all the silly people who think there’s a lesser of two evils and don’t realize it’s two sides of the same evil coin. How’s the moderate Reform Party doing these days?
That, and we keep going to the same fool’s gold, dry well of recruiting from our right rather than from our left, while 90% of people never change parties after age 30 and left-center-libertarian is THE biggest group on college campuses (literally tens of thousands of data points I personally collected on that one).
I don’t think Bob Barr reads IPR. Or was that McCain’s total? LOL
Whatever, Dondero. The guy who was using the colloidal silver was doing it wrong. Doesn’t make him a nut like you are. Just means he didn’t read the directions.
“Mainstream Libertarians in the GOP”? Hah. that’s a joke, right?
BTW, got any REAL (meaning nothing you’ve fabricated of pulled out of your ass) data on elected “radicals” vs. “reformers”? No? That’s because there isn’t any, proving that you’re full of it, as usual.
Kubby is far more of a man and a gentleman than you’ll ever dream of being, Dondero.
This essay seems to imply that “moderates” are obstructionists. Maybe they were on this single issue.
My sense of moderation is NOT that one ALWAYS advocates half measures. By all means, if a FULL measure can plausibly be enacted, go for the full measure by all means!
I opposed the Iraq War as strongly as anyone. I thought it was a mistake on every level I could think of.
Caricaturing a different perspective is a disservice to all, most especially the person who does the caricature, since it doesn’t advance understanding.
Perhaps, but who wants to associated with crazy nuts?
Remember the Blue Guy in Montana? The Montana Libertarian Party’s candidate for Governor in 2006, who took injections of silver which made him literally turn Blue?
That’s what Radical means to most people.
And that’s why Libertarians, who are beholden to the Radical wing, hardly ever wing elections.
But hey, it just means a bigger market for us Mainstream Libertarians in the GOP.
Keep on being radical there Kubby. Keep on racking up those .037% vote totals.
Good history, and a good moral lesson.