Joe Kennedy may have only gathered 1% of the vote in his Libertarian bid for Senate in 2009, but there may be a new pool from which to tap new voters: MIT. From The Tech opinion page:
Interestingly, we found that MIT has a surprisingly strong libertarian streak — 498 people, or about 23 percent of respondents, said that they did consider themselves to be a libertarian. Of those, 35 percent said the Libertarian Party best reflects their views, and 23 percent said the Democratic Party best reflects their views. Only 30 self-identified libertarians, a mere six percent, felt the Tea Party best represented their views. That was only slightly less than the Republican Party, which captured 9 percent of self-identified Libertarians.
The poll, conducted in October, showed a full 9% of the respondents supporting the Libertarian Party. This number matched the support for the Republican Party, despite the fact that a significantly greater number of students are ideologically libertarian rather than members of the party. This seems to indicate room to grow for the party on campus.
There is no mention of the Green Party or other political parties, although ideologically much of the campus appears progressive. In addition, the poll has certain flaws- it was sent via email to all MIT students (to which 20% of the student body replied), so it has a certain degree of non-response bias.
Wasn’t LP co founder David Nolan a bacheloriate degree from MIT in poly sci ………
Nolan, Karlan, and Weiner were MIT graduates.
Ah yes, Durk Pearson aka Syke D’Aureous.
It was a replica of Durk’s draft card that Dave Schumacher lit on fire, with Jarret Wollstein’s lighter, that so incensed the traditional conservatives at the St. Louis YAF Convention in 1969.
Several LNC members, IIRC – Kaplan and Hinkle, but I could be wrong on particulars.
Andre Marrou, our VP candidate in 1988 and our Presidential candidate in 1992, graduated from MIT in 1962. I am not sure if he is still active in the LP.
Anti-war anti-imperialist advocate and linguistic theorist Noam Chomsky does indeed teach at MIT, though he may now be someplace near retirement.
TommyKnappster, the LP is the only party which is a peace party, yeah, right, sure ……….
Doesn’t Noam Chomski teach at MIT?
Quoth Don Lake:
“Winding torturous ramblings in 2004”
Don’t be so modest. You’ve delivered winding tortuous ramblings before and after 2004 as well!
Thomas L. Knapp // Jan 6, 2011:
“George Phillies has four degrees from MIT”
Don Lake: Winding torturous ramblings in 2004, going no where and very dubious and even devious.
George Phillies, 2009: “The LP is the one and only 21st Century American political ‘Peace’ Party” (or words to that effect ………) [Seconded by Tommy Knappster!]
Durk Pearson, co- author of a book on life extension, was an MIT grad.
Back in the 1960s the MIT Radicals for Capitalism was one of the biggest campus based Objectivist groups.
George Phillies has four degrees from MIT (two Bachelors of Science, one Master of Science, one doctorate).
Several famous libertarians are MIT grads.
David Nolan and Bob Poole come to mind.
Others??