Posted by Staff at LP blog and distributed by email from LPHQ:
Dear Friend of Liberty,
First I want to thank everyone who supported our 24-hour HURRICANE EARTHQUAKE L.P. (H.E.L.P.) Telethon here at the national Libertarian Party Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
From the start of the announcement Friday through noon on Sunday, we received $365 by phone and $2,797.76 online.
The hurricane caused significant damage in some places as well as loss of life, and we hope for a speedy recovery for those dealing with the aftermath. I was pleased that the hurricane did not cause more damage that it did.
Here in Washington, D.C., we did not lose power. Click here to see my attempt to deliver a Geraldo Rivera/Anderson Cooper-style 1:30 AM hurricane report.
A sampling of feedback from the event:
- "I LOVED the hurricane telethon idea. Happy to donate today. We need more FUN ideas like this one, IMO."
- "I called in last night and had a terrific conversation with Wes!"
- "Makes the LP look like fools."
No matter what the topic, the conversation is always lively on our Facebook Wall, and opinions vary. If you haven’t joined our Facebook page, you can do that here.
Regarding the 2012 presidential race, a new Reason Foundation poll finds opportunity for a third party candidate.
Along those lines, here’s a list of 2012 Libertarian Party candidates for president.
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.
Why not NOTA? Here’s why not: http://harrybrowne.org/2000/WasItWorthIt.htm
Have you read that yet? You should read it…maybe more than once.
Another reason why not: national parties that stop running presidential candidates tend to stop being national parties shortly thereafter.
NOTA at this point. It’s a joke.
56 A: I’ll give him more of a chance but I remain a skeptic and I’m not willing to jump on his bandwagon at the moment.
me: I view it differently. GJ is not a “bandwagon,” he’s a symbol. All candidates are. Here’s a guy who was a pretty good governor, is reflexively for enhancing liberty, has an interesting story to tell, has credibility, is willing to challenge the status quo. He’s less willing to destroy the status quo, since he’s a politician seeking office.
If his more moderate view on drugs and support of a Fair Tax doesn’t suit you, by all means don’t support him. I’ve not looked closely at his drug law views, but your description is not a non-starter for me. His support of the Fair Tax doesn’t enthrall me, either.
Still, I’d support him as the LP’s #1 or #2, because all things considered, my assessment is he is a great exponent of liberty. Paul/Johnson especially interests me, if for no other reason than the optics would probably present a VERY case for liberty in 2012. That would be hard to overlook, especially if reasonably well funded by LP standards.
Or, we can put forth a no-namer who is “pure” and whom few will notice…
“I viewed the three 2004 candidates as each having their own significant flaws; each would probably have given us a decent campaign. Indeed, the fellow with the weakest campaign organization before the convention did give us a decent campaign, better in some respects than others.”
The 3 main candidates for the LP Presidential nomination in 2004 – Michael Badnarik, Gary Nolan, and Aaron Russo – were better candidates and ran better campaigns than anyone who has sought the LP Presidential nomination since then.
“I view Johnson faults as correctible.”
Gary Johnson has stated on more than one instance that he does not favor granting pardons to non-violent drug offenders (even for marijuana) or for anything else. He said that people should work with the legislature to change the “laws” and that the President or Governor should not grant pardons that go against what the “law” says. This is extremely weak in my opinion as it flies in the face of the reason that Presidents and Governors have the power to grant pardons in the first place.
While Johnson does favor decriminalizing marijuana, he does NOT favor ending the War on Drugs when it comes to other drugs.
Johnson also supports the Fair Tax (ie-the national sales tax plan as promoted by Neal Boortz and John Linder) which I believe is a Trojan Horse issue which libertarians ought to avoid (because the national sales tax plan could easily be just as bad or worse than the current tax system).
These are just a few reasons to be skeptical of Gary Johnson.
I’ll give him more of a chance but I remain a skeptic and I’m not willing to jump on his bandwagon at the moment.
Jeremy
@48 No prob
@49 Done
@53 Good idea.
The anomalies — some not his fault — involving the LNCC are also of interest here.
GP @ 52,
Will that include Wayne Allyn Root’s ongoing campaign? You know, the one he denies he’s running when he’s talking to an LP audience, even though he’s soliciting votes, contributors and campaign staff on his web site, and even though his issues page (clearly labeled “copyright 2011”) makes no bones about the fact that he’s running for president?
LfA is going to start covering the Presidential campaigns, such as they are.
@50 I agree with your playing footsie critique, if I remember it correctly. However, at some point I get tired of typing. I view Johnson faults as correctible.
My recollection of Aaron Russo is that in 2004 he was much more interested in other issues than in anything that might have led up to the September air piracy attacks. For example, his stated critique of Gary Nolan was largely based on intraparty issues, not gold coins or whatever.
I viewed the three 2004 candidates as each having their own significant flaws; each would probably have given us a decent campaign. Indeed, the fellow with the weakest campaign organization before the convention did give us a decent campaign, better in some respects than others.
32 tk, that’s sounds about right. Whether GP (or I!) would have supported/preferred AR in 04 had he already been further down the Truther rabbit hole, we can’t know.
In my case, if someone like Jesse Ventura wanted to be the LP’s candidate, I’d have to consider that. That Ventura seems pretty far down that rabbit hole, too, would certainly give me pause. He probably has more Q factor than Barr did, but I was able to overlook Barr’s vestigial issues like DOMA, despite the fact that I didn’t agree with him on that issue. But, then, I was also able to overlook his “lavish” car service usage, too! 😉
Any candidate — any human — is going to have skeletons and weaknesses. Some may have too many to be supportable. Some may have just one that makes him/her unsupportable for some. It takes character to NOT assassinate while not supporting someone.
When I suggest the optimal choice for the LP ’12 is a ticket of Paul/Johnson, GP often chides me that Paul is a pro-life “dominionist” and Johnson “supports Gitmo.” Apparently, GP has low tolerance for his personal non-starters. In my case, I have concerns about Paul’s footsie-playing with the hard right. Johnson’s Gitmo position is less of a concern, mostly because the legal issues involved are complex, IMO.
Still, IMO, Paul/Johnson *could* represent a significant inflection point for the cause of liberty.
Of course, the LPO dysfunction may indicate that the LP is not really a political party, but rather a textbook case of arrested development. IF the LP keeps playing such pointless games in which no one wins and no one CAN win, perhaps we should continue to go through the sanctimonious motions ’til we all join The Nolan in the Great Galt’s Gulch in the Sky! 😉
I’ve given more details on each website here. Perhaps we should elevate this to a front-page discussion? If doing so would light a fire under some of these campaigns (Wrights, Gary, and Mesplay in particular), it would be well worth it.
Paulie @42, sorry for the error in my previous post.
The LP has made it clear from the very beginning that it is a “party of principle” and that the principles, not winning, are the ultimate goal. While I disagree with the LP’s strategy there, I’m not questioning it in my comments on this thread. The point of an attractive website, isn’t to sell the candidate for the purpose of winning, it’s to sell the candidate for the purpose of getting people to listen to the principles. The LP feels that the principles themselves would be widely shared if more people knew about them. One way to get more people to know about them is to draw them into discussion via attractive campaign materials such as websites.
Me: “Contra Phillies, appearances DO matter in sales and politics.”
Knapp: “I’m not sure how that’s “contra Phillies.”
Here’s how:
Jeremy said in post 13: “Look at the major party candidates’ websites; you’ll see a lot of variation but certain basic continuities…and a lot of images, including one big one of the candidate front-and-center. Also, all their photos are flattering; they’re willing to spend the money on a good image.” Phillies then responded in post 15: “We are selling ideas, not pretty faces.”
Appearances do matter–including that of a candidate–not merely abstract principles. Attractive images of a candidate do (in general) positively affect how that candidate and that candidate’s ideas are perceived. One shouldn’t just dismiss that with a comment about not selling faces.
Knapp: “I did not support Phillies for the LP’s presidential nomination in 2008, but in terms of presenting the message according to mainstream norms, his campaign excelled all of the others, pre- or post-nomination.”
I don’t think that excelling all of the others in the area of TV/radio ads would’ve been very difficult to do in 2008, but that point is well taken.
However, I wasn’t simply talking about the appearance of campaign products, but the appearances of candidates as well. Voters don’t just buy ideas–they also buy the person peddling those ideas.
RedPhillips // Sep 1, 2011 at 8:57 pm
“CP Skank Chelene Nightingale”?
Don, that was uncalled for and ungentlemanly.
——— not at all, dear Red, Haired, not at all. Lost a California court case. Hated, HATED up and down the coast. Just despicable!
oh plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Chelene Nightingale claimed that Russo endorsed her run for California Governor. Two years after his demise!
Maybe she planned to run well ahead of time? Dunno.
that was uncalled for and ungentlemanly.
Agreed. I don’t care much for some of her politics, especially her signature issue, but the personal attacks against her have been vicious, childish, and excessive. The fallout has hurt IPR, and I wish those who harbor her personal ill will would take it elsewhere.
As a non-American citizen, Paulie can’t run for President. (Duh.)
I’ve been a citizen since 1986. However, I will never be eligible for the US Presidency.
@36 It appears that presentation was not what delegates wanted in 2008, and they got their wish.
I heard that Paulie may run. I think he should.
Run from what?
What kind of an idiot thinks the moon is hollow. Everyone knows it is made out of green cheese.
Cheese on the outside, hollow on the inside 🙂
Presentation is everything.
“CP Skank Chelene Nightingale”?
Don, that was uncalled for and ungentlemanly.
JT@35,
You write:
“Contra Phillies, appearances DO matter in sales and politics.”
I’m not sure how that’s “contra Phillies.”
I did not support Phillies for the LP’s presidential nomination in 2008, but in terms of presenting the message according to mainstream norms, his campaign excelled all of the others, pre- or post-nomination.
That campaign produced mainstream-looking TV commercials, mainstream-sounding radio ads, mainstream-friendly brochures, etc.
I don’t have a good visual recollection of his campaign web site, but what recollection I do have is that it was built on what was at the time the pre-eminent mainstream content management system for such things (Drupal and/or CiviCRM).
Whether it was particularly well-done, as I say, I don’t recall, but for purposes of comparison, Root’s site then and now looks like someone ate an American flag then threw up all over a circa-1997 Geocities page.
I second what Jeremy said in his last post (except for the Socialists have an appealing message). Contra Phillies, appearances DO matter in sales and politics. Having a professional-looking website is essential for a candidate for President, and it’s not very difficult to get done.
As a non-American citizen, Paulie can’t run for President. (Duh.)
@14, I’m well aware that a “serious and professional” website won’t make the LP candidate win. The idea behind the presidential campaign is and should be spreading the message. However, you spread the message better when your candidate appears serious and professional. For comparison, the Socialist Party represents an idea that might conceivably appeal to large swaths of the population (including me), but their candidates never take the time to appear serious and professional, so they never get anywhere even at spreading the message.
To clarify, I don’t mean that serious and professional is synonymous with “moderate.” I tend to favor the radical factions of the LP (I currently like Wrights better than any of the other candidates). Being serious and professional doesn’t mean making the message mainstream, it means making the presentation mainstream — in this case, that includes the website.
Aaron Russo was most definitely a Truther, as he discusses in “Freedom to Facism”.
RC@24,
As always, it depends on what one means by “truther,” and in Russo’s case it’s a matter for consideration over a specific time period.
As of his 2004 presidential campaign (when I knew him pretty well), I’d classify him as, like many libertarians, skeptical of elements of the official account.
By the time he finished his final film, America: Freedom to Fascism, he seems to have gone a good deal farther, moving at least toward, and possibly all the way to, adoption of the “inside job” hypothesis.
I heard that Paulie may run. I think he should.
Aaron Russo, seemed to be a great guy [meet and greet, not a true relationship, friendship]. Photographic evidence available.
One more time. CP Skank Chelene Nightingale claimed that Russo endorsed her run for California Governor. Two years after his demise!
“I’m not quite sure where he stands on the hollow moon or flat earth theories.”
What kind of an idiot thinks the moon is hollow. Everyone knows it is made out of green cheese.
Brian Holtz // Sep 1, 2011:
Lake ——- after you guys got out of the neophyte ‘arrow’ stage, Thomas Jefferson, the statue of Liberty and other Lib icons became just terrific.
So much better than battling the federal eagle with eagle symbols. [Veterans Party, Constitution Party, Conservative Party, etc]
Hey, it won’t let me post the image, just the link.
Oh well, you can see our logo by clicking the link.
I think the logo for my affiliate is rather nice.
Antelope Valley Libertarian Party
Me three.
You, me an Phillies all on the same side of an intra-party question? The universe really is about to implode..
22 gp, thanks. I seem to recall Russo — who I too thought was the best option — was a Truther. Oh, the things we have to overlook in the game of politics!
@21 I’m pretty sure Jim does not believe in global warming. I’m not quite sure where he stands on the hollow moon or flat earth theories 🙂
@19 Let’s see. I was Aaron Russo’s National Volunteer Coordinator. And when Mike Badnarik won, several months of persuading that he needed a volunteer effort led to my becoming his national volunteer coordinator.
Before those, I helped Don Gorman in 2000.
For the record, if any of you ever get the chance to launch a volunteer effort the day before Labor Day weekend, for a fall election, expect that you will spend most of your time ramping up.
And then I was a significant part of the 2008 petition effort in Massachusetts, to get a Libertarian on the ballot for President and then to litigate to make Barr the name on the ballot.
This time around I may be taking your advice.
“Where does JD come down on evolution?”
And anthropogenic global warming? If Duensing denies that I think Phillies head will explode.
RP @ 17: LOL and
me, too.
17 rp, I’m just curious, has GP ever supported anyone at for the top position? Where does JD come down on evolution? That trifecta might really cause an interesting reaction…. 😉
“Will IPR run the material from all LP POTUS candidates if they send it in ? Who decides who is serious and who is psychotic anyway?”
Klep, I don’t think we are really making conscious decisions about that. With paulie away, I think we have just been inefficient about posting the stuff that comes to IPR that he forwards to us.
I rooting for Jim Duensing because I want to see Dr. Phillies squirm about having his party represented by a birther/truther. 🙂
If any affiliate wants a logo like the following, just let me know.
We are selling ideas, not pretty faces.
For a color scheme that distinguishes us from the red and blue factions see LPMass.org and the fine work of Bob Clark and our Chair’s anonymous artist.
#13, lol. I don’t think no matter how “professional and serious” the website is of the California Little League champs that the
Yankees or Phillies are going to let them play in the World Series. We really need to rethink, reform, and revise what we expect the LP presidential candidate to accomplish.
@12, yes and no. Look at the major party candidates’ websites; you’ll see a lot of variation but certain basic continuities. All of them have a certain level of busyness of text (not too much or too little), a certain color scheme, and a lot of images, including one big one of the candidate front-and-center. Also, all their photos are flattering; they’re willing to spend the money on a good image.
In order to play with the big boys, third-party candidates should make their websites look professional and serious. On top of those basic requirements, reasonable people can disagree about whether a website is good. The frustrating thing, for me, is that RJ Harris’s site is the only one that even meets the basic requirements.
@11. No matter what you think the web site will look like, someone else will have a contrary opinion.
You sort of have to live with it.
RJ Harris has the best website of the lot. I absolutely cannot believe that the two most “serious” candidates so far, Wrights and Gary, don’t have their photos front and center on their websites. Wrights’ only photo on his site is one of the poorest I’ve seen of him. Gary, so far as I can tell, doesn’t have a photo up at all. Why can’t these people figure out the basics of web design?
Oh, and Wayne Root’s site is no better. Like Wrights, he is a photogenic guy who has seemingly trotted out the least appealing photo ever taken of him and plastered it all over his website.
Lake, how’s about you worry about your own name and let me take care of mine?
The only purpose a name on here serves is to keep my comments distinguishable from someone else’s. Lots of Pauls out there, so I go by Paulie. When I made up the name Paulie Cannoli I did not think people would think it was a real name. Too many people were confused, so I dropped the cannoli part.
‘take the cannoli, leave the gun ………”
In a culture that expects at least three names, why stop at ‘protest’ paulie, why not go to just “p” ??????????
BTW it hasn’t been “cannoli” in a while…just Paulie now.
He has not been a practicing attorney in years, and his internet radio show has been over with for some time… if he got another one, I haven’t heard of it.
Depends on what the individual IPR writers feel like doing. I forward everything to them.
Each person makes that determination for themselves.
I spent some time on Redick’s site as I have on Harris’ and the others who have announced. Sure they aren’t a former Congressman or Senator however they definitely land in the L section of the Nolan Chart.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all these candidates could become good interviews for the LP and started to be interviewed in at least the larger local media markets. Introducing millions of people to the LP and perhaps getting thousands to join/support the LP at the national and local level. Yes it would be nice, so WHY be negative about the candidates you have, why not help them get interviewed on local radio/TV or in the local newspaper in your area.
If you learn nothing from the major Party remember this, a political Party needs two wings to fly. The LP ticket at the top in 2012 needs (and must) be balanced ! Give ALL activists something to work for and with in ’12. It has been proven more than once that R Lite doesn’t sale, they’ll take the FULL Rs every time. The LP must be a Big Umbrella not a one sleeve rain slicker. There are millions upon millions of persons who would land in the Libertarian quadrant if they just knew about it ! Let’s use ALL flavors and feathers of Libertarian to reach those people in the months ahead . The country needs the LP program NOW more than ever !!!
Duensing is a local radio show host and a practicing attorney, so he is staying busy. Burns is still alive and running. Everyone needs to “Like” his and all LP candidates’ Facebook pages when you have time!
Will IPR run the material from all LP POTUS candidates if they send it in ? Who decides who is serious and who is psychotic anyway ? LOL
Canoli and Milnes !?
Duensing and Burns have not sent us anything new in a while. Anyone know what if anything they are doing?
I messaged Joy Waymire last night, and she will contact the LP and advise them that she will indeed be running for the presidential candidacy spot for the LP.
Redick is around 76 years old and has spent most of his life as a Republican. There’s nothing in his bio about his family life (single or married? kids?). His website looks pretty disorganized, though that can be fixed if a candidate is willing to fix it.
It’s unclear from his bio if he was chair of the LP of Wisconsin or only in charge of a website.
I’ve never heard of this Dave Redick guy until now. His website is crap, but if his bio is even half-true, he could be a serious challenger and I’d like to see more of him.
Only negative I see is you (LP) didn’t give an earlier notice of what you wanted to do. You should have ran the fundraiser through Labor Day weekend to say 12:01 AM Tuesday attempting to raise the $50,000 (hole to fill) ! Anywho KEEP UP the good job !!! Many of us are pulling for you.
“Last {week} the Libertarian National Committee voted to give $50,000 to Ed Coleman’s re-election campaign for Indianapolis City-County Council. Ed Coleman is currently the highest partisan elected Libertarian in America, and I’m very hopeful about his re-election. But now I’ve got a $50,000 hole to fill!
Please help me out!
Please…make a donation…by…this weekend,
visit LP.org and donate online.
Thanks and take care.” Sincerely,
Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee
Please call 202-333-0008 x222
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
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