Libertarian Party
View this at LP.org
May 2, 2011
Dear Friend of Liberty,
Last Saturday I spoke at the LP Minnesota state convention. I enjoyed my time at the convention, and I’d like to thank them for hosting me.
Below are two questions I was asked after my speech, along with my responses. (The questions and my responses are not verbatim, and may be embellished with a few phrases I wish I had thought of at the time!)
Question 1: Is burnout a problem when Libertarians continually receive single-digit percentages?
My answer: We have over 160 elected Libertarians. They mostly serve in nonpartisan offices in small jurisdictions. I tell prospects, if you run for a high office like Congress, you do the important work of building the party and educating the public, but you’re very unlikely to win, based on past trends. That sometimes evokes angry responses from a few who insist they can win their partisan races for Congress or other high offices. It’s often those “winners” who burn out and quit after election day. Those with more realistic expectations often comment after election day that they enjoyed the process and would do it again.
I also pointed out that just because a trend line doesn’t point toward imminent Libertarian Party victories for Congress, it doesn’t mean surprises won’t happen. Ron Paul raised over $30 million for his 2008 Presidential run, a man named Barrack Hussein Obama became President, the Tea Party movement exploded across the nation, and Jesse Ventura became governor of Minnesota. (Who would have predicted that?) Feel free to keep working hard, because you can’t predict when a movement will take off.
Question 2: If people want to volunteer, what’s the number one thing you recommend they do?
My answer: I gave the response I heard from Paul Jacob at the the 2009 LP Maryland convention. Paul Jacob is a former LP national director and now head of Citizens in Charge. I’m reciting from memory, but Mr. Jacob presented ten pieces of advice. Number one was “Do something.” The most important thing is to take action. No one knows for sure what will work. His number two piece of advice was “Don’t stop others from doing something.” Spend your energy doing more of your preferred type of activism, rather than spending it trying to stop others from defending liberty in their preferred way. I added, as I often say, our rights won’t be secure until Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians are all fighting over the best ways to reduce government and increase freedom.
Sincerely,
Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee
P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.
Otoh, block captains seem wildly premature.
i was wrong and i feel like a fucking idiot for ever giving that man a chance , he gave me a very long explanation why it was a good idea when i sent him a “why the hell did you do that”email.
Debra @36 – I just heard about this, and totally agree with you that the disaffiliation of Nevada county parties by Wayne Allyn Root and others at the state level is a reprehensible act — but not a particularly surprising one, at least to me.
The dangerous trend in the Libertarian Party toward top-down governance and the disempowering of grassroots activists is something I’ve been talking about for years now. The name of the Grassroots Libertarians Caucus and the first of its Five Key Values (see http://www.groups.yahoo.com/groups/grassrootslibertarians ) were drafted with an eye toward opposing this slow destruction of our party’s accountability to its local activists.
If nothing else, I hope this unfortunate development in Nevada will cause more Libertarians to wake up to the reality of the top-down trend, and join the fight to actively oppose it. We need to keep the folks in the Root/Starr faction who are pushing this kind of thing out of party leadership as much as possible, and realize what many of the incremental and seemingly harmless bylaws changes they are constantly proposing add up to.
35 sc, adr, but that sounds like trying to sprint a marathon.
I quite agree that advocating for liberty is its own reward and makes the inevitable triumph of peace one step closer.
Wayne Root has lost all my support , he voted yes to unaffiliate every county party in NV. I dont belive a purge on this scale has ever happened . Fuck you Wayne , I cant belive I EVER thought you were cool.
The best answer to burnout is the impassioned solidarity and determination that is produced by having a radical, rabble-rousing message.
“GOP lite” politics won’t do much to inspire or motivate those who yearn for freedom. We’ve had too many years of watered-down libertarianism, of the party trying to sound “mainstream”, “professional”, “moderate”, etc.
We need to find our voice, our passion, get our groove back, reach out to the poor, the marginalized, the victims of the State, with a radical and insurrectionary message of the possibility of real freedom.
However distant that real freedom may seem, every time that we speak of it brings it closer.
We’ll take what we can get.
I assume the WY Country Party would, too, if fusion was an option in WY.
Trotting out fusion candidates as indicative of electoral success is a lie.
If you count fusion candidates, New York’s Conservative Party is damn near a major party. Here’s a quote from their web site –
“The 2009-2010 Legislature includes 31 State Senators and 40 Assembly Members with Conservative Party designation. The 111th Congress includes 2 representatives from New York State who hold Conservative designation. “
1984 was the last time for Assembly?
Hmm
2000 in New Hampshire with Steve Vaillancourt as a Libertarian correct
New Hamphire also with fusion candidates in 1992 and 1994.
Vermont with fusion candidate in 1998
Alaska with Libertarian candidates elected to state Assembly in 1978 1980 and 1984. Correct .
There will be more .
didn’t a Green Party candidate win in Arkansas in 2006 or 2008?
If you want to consider true futility, contemplate the Republican party of Mississippi from ca. 1876 to ca. 1964. (They won significantly first at the Presidential level).
Until then, stop your whining. It won’t win real libertarians any elections.
And note the amusing Pew Poll
http://people-press.org/typology/quiz/
though the questions are cartoonish (do you prefer kook extremist cartoonish stand A or kook extremist cartoonish stand B) and it appears to me that “libertarian” is as close to what they call ‘post-modern’ as to what they call ‘libertarian’
Yup should never have suggested anything đ
I’ll just add that even Rep. Paul Ryan, who’s portrayed in the media as the lead Republican budget-cutter, voted for every expensive welfare boondoggle pushed by President George W. Bush (who presided over a $1 trillion increase in the U.S. budget). What a joke.
Don: “JT questions my opinions. Feh.”
How dare I! You’re above being questioned, Don. I should just let you respond to me and not respond back.
And as for those “very libertarian” legislators on the federal level, you’re definitely better off in the GOP. Other than Rand Paul (who has barely been in office), those others have voted for more government time and time again.
See you later, then.
JT questions my opinions. Feh. I’m wasting too much of my time, so I’ll just make a few random comments, then I’m out of here.
Yes I know a few good folks in GOP leadership. I know several very libertarian GOP state legislators in Wyoming. Nationally – Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Connie Mack, Jason Chaffetz, Walter Jones. Any organization whose spokesmen that can’t give a concise one minute pitch of its objectives are will fail. And nobody is perfect (except of course Ron Paul). As Voltaire said – “perfect is the enemy of good”.
Oh, and as far as education goes, you could make your same argument that you’ll be dead before most of the country learns to be libertarian.
Don: “Ron Paul came to the realization of the impotence of the LP after the election of 1988. It took me until after the election of 2010 to come to the same conclusion.”
As far as partisan races, the LP has indeed been electorally impotent, with very few exceptions. Those other partisan ideas you mentioned have been impotent as well.
Don: “WRT @20. JT â I thought my original statement sufficed to answer your question. I wrote âyou need to channel your activities in other directions.â”
That obviously doesn’t suffice to answer my question of what specific activities you think are more productive, excluding political action through the LP.
Don: “Join the GOP with the objective of becoming a leader at the state level. This is the insider approach â ie. a friendly takeover.”
Many have tried that. Do you know of any Republican leaders at the state level who are against the welfare-warfare state?
Don: “Join the GOP for the purpose of running in the primaries against the RINOs and leadership. This is the agitator approach â ie. a hostile takeover.”
Many have tried that. Do you know of any Republicans who have won a nomination for Congress or state legislature–other than Ron Paul–who are against the welfare-warfare state?
Don: “Run as an independent.”
Many have tried that. Do you know of any Independents in Congress or state legislatures who are against the welfare-warfare state?
Don: “Start another state party to compete with the GOP.”
That’s been tried. Do you know any other state parties that are against the welfare-warfare state that are competitive with the GOP for Congress or state legislature?
Don: “Go the education route.”
That’s not exclusive to the LP.
Don: “Put your energies into a single issue. Guns, gay rights, drug legalization, fiscal sanity, whatever.”
That’s not exclusive to the LP either.
From the Internet, with minor editing –
“Steve Vaillancourt is a self-described âLibertarian-Republicanâ. He was originally elected to the New Hampshire House as a Democrat. In 2000 he ran for reelection on the Libertarian ticket. He won as a Libertarian, and for two years served as Americaâs only elected Libertarian legislator. After the term he switched to the Republican Party, but still continues to identify himself as a Libertarian. He has was reelected as a Republican in 2002 and continues to serve in the NH House.”
I was unaware of this guy, but I’d say his case proves my larger point.
WRT @20. JT – I thought my original statement sufficed to answer your question. I wrote “you need to channel your activities in other directions.” I’ll answer in more depth.
Q. “Okay, what do you have in mind specifically?”
A. Several alternatives to the LP are available to work towards gaining political power. They include (in no particular order of importance):
—
Join the GOP with the objective of becoming a leader at the state level. This is the insider approach – ie. a friendly takeover.
Join the GOP for the purpose of running in the primaries against the RINOs and leadership. This is the agitator approach – ie. a hostile takeover.
Run as an independent.
Start another state party to compete with the GOP.
Go the education route. For example, see http://www.wyliberty.org.
Put your energies into a single issue. Guns, gay rights, drug legalization, fiscal sanity, whatever.
—
Among all of these options, the common thread is this – the only way we’re going to change things for the better is through the legislative branch of government. Forget statewide offices and president. Those offices are both unattainable and, more importantly, irrelevant to the process of taking political power away from the bad guys. The fight is on the floors of state legislatures and in congress. Focus your efforts on gaining power there. And focus like a laser beam with your chosen tactic.
Between the dabbling in support for candidates, spending outrageous sums for 50 state ballot access, advocating voting law reform, education, outreach, etc., the LP is hopeless spinning its wheels in too many directions. The infighting between two very polarized groups is destructive. And add to those problems that fact that the LP is perceived by most Americans as a bunch of dope smoking malcontents, it is easy to understand the party’s lack of success.
Ron Paul came to the realization of the impotence of the LP after the election of 1988. It took me until after the election of 2010 to come to the same conclusion.
I repeat what Ron Paul has said many times – I wish the LP well. I simply choose a different route to freedom. I suggest others do the same.
Well, well, well… according to LP News (which just came today) the last Libertarian state legislator elected was Steve Viallancourt in New Hampshire in 2000.
Are you not going to answer my question at post 15, Don? Perhaps you didn’t see it.
“1984 is famous year for more than one reason. It is also the year the last Libertarian candidate was elected to a state legislature. 27 years have passed without another.
I rest my case.”
I am not certain that is true. Perhaps Richard Winger could weigh in.
1984 is famous year for more than one reason. It is also the year the last Libertarian candidate was elected to a state legislature. 27 years have passed without another.
I rest my case.
let me add another point. Do not hesitate to work with other groups. These days I also am collecting signatures for a petition to legalize marijuana. It is probably not going to make the ballot, but the people I am working with know that I am a LIBERTARIAN and regardless of the outcome they know that I will be there helping. There are socialists, Greens, Independents, Democrats, C4L people and a few of us types. Being involved helps to build a positive name with others in the community.
Don Wills writes:
It isn’t an excuse. It’s a single-sentence prescription for how Libertarians can win at the state-fed level:
1) Build your donor base
2) Build the farm team
Most D & R candidates for higher-level office cut their teeth at the local level. Take DNC chairman Tim Kaine (please — do take him — anywhere but Virginia). He started out as a city councilman for the city of Richmond; was elected Mayor, went for Lt Gov, ran for Gov, now he’s being touted as the Second Coming for US Senate to replace Jim Webb.
He paid his dues. A lot of other D’s and R’s do, also. Oh, and guess what — not many of them “graduate”. Probably less than 1 in a 1000 who hold local office such as city councils ever get from there to a governorship like Kaine did. Precious few go from a Saul Alinsky Commie 101 class straight to kicking the competition off the ballot and thus getting an unopposed free ride to state senate like His Worship did.
There are relatively few Libertarians holding office at the local level. There is simply NO reason why our “graduation rate” is going to be any better than that of the D’s and R’s — so the solution is to build the Party to the point where we are competitive in more and more local races. See #1 and 2 above.
The reasons why we haven’t advanced further is simply politics 101. Libertarians need to understand that there is no “magic” involved in getting elected to state & federal office. Just years of hard work and steadily ticking off each portion of the job.
People who dabble at Libertarian politics for a couple of years then start shouting to the rooftops how dumb we are to continue pursuing Libertarian political action are usually more of a distraction than help.
Quit whining. Karl Marx was dead before seeing his ideas implemented in a systematic way with the rise of Vlad Ulyanov.
The ‘American experiment’ has always been hopelessly mixed. Let’s remember it wasn’t such a great time for the Irish, blacks, and others shipped over here on boats.
The ‘experiment’ continues to this day, and will continue for a long time to come.
Yep, you’re right. Especially not for those with unrealistic expectations (like Wes Benedict said) — and for those who quit.
I dance to it all the time.
When you come across the magic bullet that — in your opinion — has a “significant influence on the body politic”, then you come on back and let us know what it is. So far, I don’t see much of anything done as having much of an effect on the ‘body politic’.
Me: âThe LP isnât strong enough to win at that level yet.â
Don: “Every time I hear this excuse, my blood boils.”
Well, it’s not. Some Libertarians think it is, and they’re wrong. That was the point of that statement.
Don: “When is âyetâ going to be over? 2020? 2040? Iâll be dead then. And the American experiment will be too. The reality is that the time of âyetâ isnât ever coming for the LP.”
Nobody knows that, including you. There are a lot of historical events that people thought weren’t going to happen. Nobody can predict the future as far as human affairs are concerned. We can know what happened in the past and what’s going on in the present though.
Don: “But if you actually intend to change the direction of government in the USA, then you need to channel your activities in other directions.”
Okay, what do you have in mind specifically? I mean, besides starting a new party that has practically no money or infrastructure or members.
Far be it from me to try to influence anyone in the LP, but may I suggest that what the members need to do is to find a specific local issue, or two to work on that when changed the LP membership can look at and say we are responsible for making that improvement. Positive results will not be so likely to lead to burn out.
Personally I have two issues that I am working on. The first is ending the monopoly the local transit agency has and opening that market, which should save tax dollars and improve the opportunities for lots of people, especially low income people and women, and maybe reduce urban air pollution.
The second issue is lowering the licensing fees the midwives have to pay. That one also will save tax dollars since about 40% of child birth nationwide is covered by Medicaid. It will also reduce infant mortality, maternal mortality and help a segment of the population the LP is not generally associated with, low income people and mothers.
9 dw, actually the LP has had elected state legislators.
It appears you have now organized as the COUNTRY PARTY in WY.
How’s that effort shaping up?
Political Conference: The Future of the Libertarian Political Movement
including the first New Hampshire Presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle
Sponsored by the Libertarian Parties of New Hampshire and Massachusetts
June 19, 2011
The Highlander Inn
Manchester New Hampshire
For more information
http://www.lpmass.org/Conference
Registration includes post-breakfast coffee, lunch, and dinner.
Preliminary schedule
List of speakers being completed
9:00 Registration opens (coffee and pastries)
9:20 Greetings (Dave Blau, Rich Tomasso)
9:30 Group A: Mary Ruwart
Group B:
10:30 Group A: Ernie Hancock
Group B: Libertarians and GLBT Outreach (Angela Keaton, Carol McMahon)
11:30 Break for lunch
11:40 Lunch
12:30 Keynote Speaker: John Buttrick
1:30-1:40 Recess
1:40 Panel “Future of the Libertarian Political Movement” (Ruwart, Hancock, Buttrick, Phillies)
2:15 Group A: My First Run For Federal Office (Joe Kennedy, Bob Clark, Dan Reale)
Group B: Libertarians and Young People (Alex Peterson, others TBA)
3:15 Group A: New Hampshire Politics (Seth Cohn, Joel Winters, Rich Tomasso)
Group B: Electronic Politics in the Age of Anonymous (Bonnie Scott, Dan Reale)
4:15 Group A: Libertarians and the Antiwar Movement (Angela Keaton, Alex Peterson, John Walsh)
Group B: Candidate Recruitment (Alwin Hopfmann, Dave Blau, Rich Tomasso)
5:15 Break
5:30 Dinner
6:15 Presidential Candidate Debate (Roger Gary, R. Lee Wrights, Moderator: George Phillies)
7:30 Reception (LP of New Hampshire)
9:00 PM Convention ends
For more information including registration
http://www.lpmass.org/Conference
Other Presidential candidates who have filed with the FEC and created a campaign organization will be invited to the debate.
#9, you make a strong case that many in the LP are in denial of, and that probably accounts for much of the burnout of others.
The LP needs to re-invent itself. Some would say as the Libertarian Caucus of the Republican Party, where it can possibly win primary battles in many states by allying with fiscal conservative tea-partiers. As Nolan noted in 1971, politics provides a soap-box. Libertarians need to figure out how to best use it. Is it better to stand before 300 Republican committeemen and make a pitch for your pot legalization candidacy or spend the same time getting 25 more signatures on your LP petition so you might get your name in the paper when they print the list of candidates?
had real third and fourth parties.
And the results of the Canadian election show the huge advantage of first-past-the-post elections for third parties that are actually going anyplace, namely when the New Democratic Party was able to move up, first past the post meant they suddenly had a very strong second-place representation in the Canadian Parliament. Furthermore, given that Canada has only plurality parties that net 40%, in the end the Conservatives were able to win a parliamentary majority with only 40% of the vote.
With proportional representation Canada would be ungovernable.
JT writes “The LP isnât strong enough to win at that level yet.”
Every time I hear this excuse, my blood boils.
When is “yet” going to be over? 2020? 2040? I’ll be dead then. And the American experiment will be too. The reality is that the time of “yet” isn’t ever coming for the LP.
LP supporters need to face the music. It’s time to acknowledge that the LP, as currently perceived by voters, is never going to win an election for state legislature, statewide office or federal office. Never. And that as a result, the LP will never be taken seriously and will never have significant influence on the body politic. Never.
If what you desire is to be part of an exclusive club of like minded voluntarists who like to debate and pontificate, then the LP is for you. But if you actually intend to change the direction of government in the USA, then you need to channel your activities in other directions.
You’re right, Mark. Those are the kinds of things I meant when I said Libertarian candidates can help the party get there eventually. Look at what Harry Browne did for the LP–he didn’t get millions of votes, but he did get a lot of new people to join the party. If he or she tries, any Libertarian candidate for Congress can do what HB did during his campaigns on a smaller yet still significant scale, even if the candidate isn’t as good a spokesperson as HB was.
I agree wholeheartedly with Wes & the followup by JT.
To JT’s last sentence I would add that if every candidate for higher-level office used his campaign to recruit more members and donors (and thus more candidates) for next year, that is every bit as much a “win” as winning office.
Most of the candidates for state & federal office who think they can win fail to collect a single new name or recruit a single new member.
Every candidate should have a path to additional information about the LP on their website; every candidate should periodically send their donor/volunteer database to the national office and ask that they make sure all the names are sent LP info.
Otherwise, their campaign legacy will fade within weeks of the election.
Wes: “I tell prospects, if you run for a high office like Congress, you do the important work of building the party and educating the public, but youâre very unlikely to win, based on past trends. That sometimes evokes angry responses from a few who insist they can win their partisan races for Congress or other high offices. Itâs often those âwinnersâ who burn out and quit after election day. Those with more realistic expectations often comment after election day that they enjoyed the process and would do it again.”
Damn, I’m so happy to hear this response from Wes! It’s dead on.
IMO, the people who quit at anything are the people who have unrealistic expectations. If you run as a Libertarian candidate for statewide or federal office seriously thinking you’re going to win, then it’s likely you won’t be around after the election.
I’ve been in the party more than a few years and seen many past Libertarian candidates for such offices. The number of them who insisted they could win their elections and weren’t in the LP a year later are too numerous for me to count.
The LP isn’t strong enough to win at that level yet. But Libertarian candidates can help the party get there eventually. The short-term payoff is being proud to have taken a stand in favor of liberty while having had a good time in the process.
About five years ago I went to a meeting of a local group and watched as over the course of the night they handed out a number of plaques for the work people had done over the year. Every name got a large applause and everyone left feeling charged up and ready to go. And I, who was not part of the group, was more than ready to go. It was exciting to watch.
Every county in this country is over-run with nanny staters, taxers, and wasteful spending. There is plenty for Libertarians to do locally.
Even three or four of you can be effective at a public meeting to review the budget or approve a new project. Give local Libertarians something to do and burnout will be less of a problem.
“Burnout also happens because people forget to say âthank youâ. Sometimes, everyone is just too busy. Sometimes, each level thinks the other level is the one to express appreciation. But, saying thank you, and celebrating accomplishments could go a long way in building the spirit of small political parties.”
Right on! It seems so obvious but is rarely done.
Burnout also happens because people forget to say “thank you”. Sometimes, everyone is just too busy. Sometimes, each level thinks the other level is the one to express appreciation. But, saying thank you, and celebrating accomplishments could go a long way in building the spirit of small political parties.
Also, taking care of folks by means of feeding them when they are doing free work, making sure there is water and juice (and, not just soda, it dehydrates) at long meetings, noticing people among the group who would benefit greatly by little things such as a ride to a meeting, sending home the leftover food, or letting them know about sliding scales for events.
Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee
‘……….. please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace.’
[Lake: to make it a briefer slogan, as George Phillies, PhD, has mentioned in his psychedelic dreams since 2004, Libs are the ONLY peace party. Yeah, right, sure ………..]