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November 2014 Open Thread

Our monthly open thread. Post news tips about alt parties and independent candidates, discuss any story that should be posted here but has not yet been posted, or even delve into completely off-topic stuff….just avoid quarantined thread subject matter and things that could get us and/or you into legal trouble such as threats, libel, and copyright infringement.

News tips can also be sent to the IPR writers who have chosen to make their contact info available at https://independentpoliticalreport.com/about/.

It’s also become an IPR tradition to post videos in the open threads. Here’s the latest from Juice Rap News:

130 Comments

  1. paulie November 30, 2014

    Via LP FB:

    Do you want to help advance liberty, work with libertarian candidates, and get media experience? Libertarians Working For You, the LP’s official radio show, is looking for 2-3 volunteer interns to help work with LP candidates, work on logistics, and assist with promotion.

    Libertarians Working for You is hosted by Arvin Vohra, Vice Chair of the Libertarian National Committee. If you are interested, please email [email protected].

    You can do this program from anywhere, since most of our work is done online.

  2. Jill Pyeatt November 27, 2014

    I’m thankful for this wonderful forum as well. Too bad we’re not able to put our ideas into practice. Even with everyone’s conflicting views in some areas, most of us sincerely want liberty and peace for everyone.

  3. NewFederalist November 27, 2014

    Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Despite our sometimes heated disagreements about political (and economic) matters, I am thankful for this community.

  4. NewFederalist November 25, 2014

    Russ has had some major reversals in his personal life. I am surprised he actually won the GOP nomination but once that was done the district was safe Republican. I would agree with Chuck that he would be a good prospect to help with electoral reform.

  5. Chuck Moulton November 24, 2014

    I just noticed that Russ Diamond of Pennsylvania, who ran for U.S. Congress and state representative as a Libertarian in 2004, was elected state representative as a Republican this November.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Diamond

    I bet Russ would introduce ballot access reform legislation.

  6. Jed Ziggler November 24, 2014

    Ed Rabel is listed as a POSSIBLE candidate, he has made no announcement, it’s sheer speculation.

  7. Green Party Voter November 24, 2014

    Green Party Presidential candidate 2016 – Ed Rabel
    Green Party has first active, and serious candidate for Green Party nomination 2016.
    Ed Rabel, for CBS and NBC newsman – ran in 2014 as candidate for congress in West Virginia.
    Ed Rabel now to seek Green Party 2016 nomination for President.
    Ed Rabel would be the second serious West Virginian to seek the Green Party presidential nomination. In 2008 Jesse Johnson sought the Green Party nod for President. Jesse came in second to Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.
    http://www.politics1.com/p2016.htm
    Politics1.com added Ed Rabel to the Green Party list today.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n12VCtZA3PI

  8. paulie November 18, 2014

    Email sent 1:49 PM (1 hour ago)

    Subject: Good for press release, LP News and/ or LP blog posts?

    From: me

    To: Nicholas Sarwark ,
    Wes Benedict ,
    Carla Howell ,
    “Eric D. Dixon” ,
    Arvin Vohra

    1. https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2014/11/libertarian-registration-rose-8-3-in-last-seven-months/

    Libertarian Registration Rose 8.3% in Last Seven Months

    This story, originally from Ballot Access News, is getting better traffic on IPR than normal IPR stories. I also put it up on https://twitter.com/LPNational already and it had the most retweets and favorites of anything we put up for the last week (it was eclipsed by the tweet on Nov 11 about Obama’s war against ISIS being illegal due to being past 90 days to get approval from congress but that was a week ago). The rise in registration was from March to October 2014 and was even more rapid than the 11% rise from November 2012 to March 2014 which we trumpeted in this press release http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/libertarian-party-bucks-trend-with-11-increase-in-voter-registration … I recommend sharing this through all possible means.

    2. http://www.ballot-access.org/2014/11/libertarian-green-and-constitution-parties-each-gain-in-ballot-status-relative-to-four-years-ago/ “The Libertarian Party is now on the ballot for president in 2016 in thirty states. By contrast, in mid-November 2010, it was on in twenty-seven states.” (the rest of te article is about those other parties). Would be good to share thru any means we have (LP news, blog, press release, etc.) Is this a midterm record?

    3. https://www.facebook.com/libertarians/photos/a.10150126121157726.302978.5978057725/10152837169827726/?type=1 Kurt Russell quote got over 22,000 likes and over 5,000 shares n the LP national facebook page. Not really press release material, and probably not blog post, but could be good for the rotating image at LP.org top of page and maybe somewhere in LP News.

    4. This Ben Swann video may be good to share via LP blog: https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2014/11/ben-swann-2014-victories-and-libertarians/

    5. https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2014/11/palm-beach-libertarians-plan-to-defy-ordinance-in-order-to-feed-the-homeless/ would be good to feature via LP blog and/or LP News. Shows Libertarians demonstrating practical alternatives to government charity through action and defying very uncharitable government tyranny through civil disobedience. Best traffic for an IPR story in the past year, also, although much of that was due to being linked from national LP facebook. Close to 4,000 shares

    6. http://blog.skepticallibertarian.com/2014/11/08/gays-guns-and-ganja-see-the-libertarian-ization-of-america-in-3-maps/

    This got reposted at LP national FB and reached 827,904 people, the most of any post-election posting so far. Shows libertarians gaining ground on issues we have in common with both the left and right. Would be good for LP blog or LP News stories.

    Thanks everyone! Hope some of this is useful.

  9. paulie November 17, 2014

    null

    Libertarian Party shared Libertarian Party of Illinois’s photo.
    Posted by Jeffrey Bathe · 7 minutes ago
    U.N. Says U.S. Marijuana Legalization Violates International Law. Does that matter to you? Read more at: http://buff.ly/1xbMXwB

    #SovereigntyOfStates #WhyLibertarian

  10. paulie November 17, 2014

    Comgratulations and good luck to both parents and child.

  11. Jill Pyeatt November 17, 2014

    On Cody Quirk’s FB page:

    James William Quirk
    Born 3:53am, November 17th, 2014

    Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Quirk!

  12. paulie November 17, 2014

    Dave, I broke my child of calling people names by the time he was out of first grade. I’m sorry no one broke that childish habit for you. It’s quite unbecoming.

    Maybe DT needs to go take a nap. And maybe the rest of us should put him on time out by not reading whatever it is he may have dribbled and most certainly not responding to it.

  13. Jill Pyeatt November 17, 2014

    Dave, I broke my child of calling people names by the time he was out of first grade. I’m sorry no one broke that childish habit for you. It’s quite unbecoming.

  14. Dave Terry November 17, 2014

    paulie Post author
    November 11, 2014 at 3:06 pm
    I wonder what he was thinking,,,? Hmm…
    “Damn I’d like to stick something in that mouth of hers” would be my first guess.

    Damn Porky, can you masturbate in private and leave us out of your graphic wet dreams!!!

  15. Dave Terry November 17, 2014

    Andy> “I assume that you are joking”

    No, but it seems that you and Porky are the jokes!
    You two would knock them dead in Vegas, (ie. Laurel
    & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, Katz & Frankel)

    There ARE bad cops and they need to be eliminated, but
    your agenda of anarchism is loony!

    .

  16. paulie November 17, 2014

    http://filmingcops.com/anonymous-exposes-cop-as-member-of-kkk-behind-letter-threatening-to-kill-ferguson-protesters/

    FERGUSON — A brief background: the Ku Klux Klan has recently written an open letter to citizens in Ferguson.

    The letter was directed at citizens who plan to protest if Officer Darren Wilson is not convicted.

    Wilson is the cop who shot and killed Michael Brown, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting. If Officer Wilson is not found guilty, large clashes are expected to occur in the streets of Ferguson.

    The KKK apparently believes that some of the protesters are “terrorists,” and published the following letter which states that “lethal force” will be used against such “terrorists.”

    […]

    KKK-Letter

    In response to the KKK’s letter, the decentralized hacker collective Anonymous began “Un-hooding” members of the broad KKK chapter it believes is responsible for writing the letter.

    According to Anonymous, the following individuals have been identified as KKK members, among them two police officers (one former)

    […]

    One wonders how many other police officers are current or past members of the KKK. How does a police officer/KKK member treat blacks after arresting them?

    More questions are surfacing about Officer Darren Wilson.

    Why are KKK members among the first and loudest rushing to his defense? Is Officer Wilson himself a KKK member, or has he been involved with the KKK in the past? If so, could this have been what motivated him to shoot and kill Michael Brown?
    RELATED: Cop Ties Bag Around Black Man’s Head and Says “Don’t Bite N*gger!” While Electrocuting the Man’s Genitals, Gets Awarded $4,000/mo of Police Pension

    A never-before-seen video has also been published in which Darren Wilson can be heard violating a man’s rights for filming him. It certainly seems to show that Officer Wilson is a power-hungry, impatient cop who hates when Americans defend themselves.

    The Free Thought Project interviewed the man filming and summarized his account as follows:

    “He told me I had permission to ‘record’ him. As soon as I started filming, his attitude changed, and he arrested me,” the man, who wishes to remain anonymous for the time being, tells the Free Thought Project in an exclusive interview.

    According to the man filming, Wilson put on the report that he only gave him permission to “audio record,” as if actual permission was needed to do either one of these things.

    He was then arrested and put into Darren Wilson’s SUV.

    This incident happened on October 28, 2013, he tells the Free Thought Project that he waited to release the video because he was scared of retaliation and wanted to move out of Ferguson prior publishing it.”

  17. paulie November 13, 2014

    http://www.lp.org/blogs/staff/lphq-job-posting-editor-technology-developer


    https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/lncvotes/g4HOv8Ypm4s Wes Benedict writes: “We’ll be losing Eric Dixon in early December to another liberty-oriented organization in the DC area.

    Eric has done a fantastic job, wearing many hats, in a very challenging environment. He will be missed–and hard to replace.

    Most of the new things I have accomplished over the past year and a half are things I’ve asked Eric to do, because he could figure out how.

    That means we’ll need more help at LPHQ. Watch for a job description posting I’ll send in a separate note in just a few minutes.

    Eric, thank you for your service to the Libertarian Party.


    Wes posted on statechairs: “I’ve been asked “would we hire someone to work remotely?”

    We would prefer someone who can work at LPHQ in Alexandria, VA. However, we will consider people who would work remotely, at least for part of the work, and perhaps temporarily.

    This person needs to collaborate closely with the rest of staff. The Executive Director and Political Director often discuss the look and content of publications including blogs, LP News, the websites, who’s doing what, etc.

    Publications seeking memberships and donations need to be coordinate with operations.

    We’ve had people work remotely in recent years. They’ve done a good job, but the teamwork and collaboration is not the same as being co-located where you can quickly ask others a question, collaborate, and help trouble-shoot things.

    To emphasize this point, I insisted that both Robert Kraus and Eric Dixon be located upstairs at LPHQ where Carla Howell and I have offices, even though there is more space on the main level and basement. That’s because the close proximity for frequent in-person communication was more important than having extra office space for each individual. Obviously there are trade-offs to be considered.

    So, those wishing to apply that would not re-located should feel free to apply, but all things being equal, we’d prefer someone locally.

    Wes Benedict, Executive Director
    Libertarian National Committee, Inc.”

  18. paulie November 12, 2014

    http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin831.htm

    By Chuck Baldwin
    November 13, 2014
    NewsWithViews.com

    What’s going on with our police? More and more, it seems that our men in blue have been transformed from a friendly neighborhood peace office, whose mission is to protect and serve, to a hostile military force, whose mission is to harass and intimidate. …

    http://thefreethoughtproject.com/prison-statistics/ While violence among citizens has dropped, violence against citizens carried out by police has been rising sharply.

    http://filmingcops.com/number-of-citizens-killed-by-police-is-highest-in-two-decades/

  19. Mark Axinn November 12, 2014

    I am cracking up over that last one!

  20. Jill Pyeatt November 11, 2014

    ^^LOL, Paulie. Funny meme!

  21. paulie November 11, 2014

    Damn, you made me read his comment by accident again. Why can’t people just ignore him?

    I assume that you are joking.

    You should assume he is a joke, not that he is making one.

  22. Andy November 11, 2014

    “Dave Terry

    November 11, 2014 at 7:04 pm

    Come on Andy, you are acting childish. Of course there are bad cops that should not carry a badge, but for the most part, the vast majority take their oaths seriously.”

    I assume that you are joking.

  23. Dave Terry November 11, 2014

    Come on Andy, you are acting childish. Of course there are bad cops that should not carry a badge, but for the most part, the vast majority take their oaths seriously.

  24. Andy November 11, 2014

    Here is another one of the pigs that 2012 LP Vice Presidential candidate Jim Gray thinks that we should respect, admire, and thank.

    Didn’t anyone teach this pig about a thing called the 4th amendment?

    On A Power Trip: New York Cop Slaps A Guy & Grabs His Keys For Refusing A Search Of His Car!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps3ogqthrc4

  25. paulie November 11, 2014

    “Yeah, I’ll show her some real good fuckabee” would be the second.

  26. paulie November 11, 2014

    I wonder what he was thinking,,,? Hmm…

    “Damn I’d like to stick something in that mouth of hers” would be my first guess.

  27. NewFederalist November 11, 2014

    I wonder what he was thinking,,,? Hmm…

  28. Jill Pyeatt November 11, 2014

    The flub by Megyn Kelly is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while. Huckabee didn’t seem too upset, though.

  29. paulie November 11, 2014

    From Kurt Vonnegut via Jay Price: “I will come to a time in my backwards trip when November eleventh, accidentally my birthday, was a sacred day called Armistice Day. When I was a boy, and when Dwayne Hoover was a boy, all the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, which was the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

    It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the Voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when God spoke clearly to mankind.

    Armistice Day has become Veterans’ Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans’ Day is not.

    So I will throw Veterans’ Day over my shoulder. Armistice Day I will keep. I don’t want to throw away any sacred things.”

  30. paulie November 11, 2014

    Vermin Vernon has been spotted, albeit only from the back:

    null

  31. paulie November 10, 2014

    Do we have contact information for them?

  32. George Phillies November 10, 2014

    Why did Parsons and Dahl win? That is the interesting question.

  33. Jill Pyeatt November 10, 2014

    Actually, George, your recap in this month’s Liberty for America seems pretty thorough. Can I post that with a link to the issue?

  34. Jill Pyeatt November 10, 2014

    Hmmm–I had planned to write something about this in a few days.

  35. George Phillies November 9, 2014

    Of particular interest, from the LNC blog for election eve:

    “In Minnesota, both Libertarian candidates running for Crystal City Council, Olga Parsons and Elizabeth Dahl, beat their incumbent opponents and by significant margins.”

    THat’s actually quite unusual, and worthy of further writeup by someone.

  36. Jill Pyeatt November 7, 2014

    Xenophia is utterly out of control in our country, particularly from Republicans and I see it among many right-leaning Libertarians, unfortunately. A good example of that was the rampant rumor/complaint on social media that, since Obama refuses to close our borders. terrorists were bringing Ebola to the US.

    That is probably one of the more ignorant and hateful messages from this past year, which has been full of ignorant and hateful crap on the Internet.

  37. Dave Terry November 7, 2014

    SO DOES THIS ONE!!!!:

    Forget Ebola!
    Xenophobia is MUCH more contagious and more difficult to cure!

    Is this the kind of Americanism we REALLY want to export.

    (of course ignorance and prejudice are not strictly American,
    but it does appear that areas established by Anglo-Saxons
    are particular fertile soil)

    From: “Patriots & Politics”

    Australia Finally Does What the Obama Administration is Too Spineless to Do

    Australia-poster

    re: [email protected]

  38. paulie November 7, 2014

    It does. I have a lot of stuff to do but I’ll put it up later if no one else does first.

  39. Andy November 7, 2014

    I think that the Mark Bodenhausen story deserves its own thread.

  40. paulie November 7, 2014

    Charles Kennedy expressed it better than I did:

    “Rest in peace, Mark Bodenhausen. Mark was a tireless champion for the cause of liberty, with his activism in the Libertarian Party of Alabama, having served for a number of years as chairman of the party, and serving up to the present time as a regional representative for the party. Some weeks ago, he and his wife Lynn were devastated by a house fire, which was a total loss, and a few days later he suffered a pair of hemorrhagic strokes caused by an aneurysm, leaving him in critical condition in the hospital. He passed away peacefully late Thursday afternoon, around 4:40 or so. Our thoughts, prayers and condolences are with Lynn for strength, comfort and peace as she faces a very difficult road ahead, and of course for both Mark and Lynn’s family. I count myself among many who are very thankful and fortunate to have known Mark, and are thankful for all he has done for the great cause of liberty. He will be greatly missed.”

  41. paulie November 7, 2014

    Mike Rster posted at https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndependentAlabama
    19 mins · Birmingham, AL

    Dear friends:

    Thank you for an incredible outpouring of support. Facebook and my email box have been filled with the appreciation and the kind words of many friends.

    Independent Alabama Founder and my dear friend Mark Bodenhausen passed away peacefully yesterday at about 4:40pm. His wife Lynn and many friends were by his side.

    I hope to implore the many people that Mark impacted over the years to help his wife through these difficult times.

    Mark and his new bride Lynn had suffered a house fire that was a total loss just two days before Mark suffered his stroke. Although there were many health issues, we had held out hope that Mark could recover as he had beaten the odds so many times before! But yesterday morning he suffered another catastrophic event and died later that day.

    Mark was without health insurance and he and his new wife were just getting established as a couple. This unbelievable tragedy has devastated them.

    Please follow the link below to help Lynn pay for medical expenses and the funeral.

    (Lynn Bodenhausen’s maiden name is Elana Lynn Hudson)

    [paypal link does not seem to translate]

    If you have any trouble with the link just contact me.

    Thank you all for your many kindnesses over the years.

    Sincerely,

    Mike Rster
    [email protected]

  42. Andy November 7, 2014

    “paulie Post author

    November 7, 2014 at 12:10 am

    Very sad news today via Mia on Mark’s page regarding our past Alabama LP chair: ‘Mark Bodenhausen passed peacefully today at about 4:40pm. His wife Lynn and many friends were by his side.’ RIP Mark and condolences to Lynn. Mark will be greatly missed.”

    This is horrible news. I knew Mark Bodenhausen. He was a good guy, and he was also one of the main people responsible for holding the Libertarian Party of Alabama together through some difficult times. He had recently gotten married, and when I saw him at the 2014 LP National Convention he looked happier than I’d ever seen him. I’m sorry to hear this news.

  43. Dave Terry November 7, 2014

    Nicholas Sarwarkm (ll/5/’14)
    > What ever happened to Wayne Allyn Root? I thought part of why he left the LP was so that > he could run for something in Nevada as a Republican. I wonder why he didn’t.

    Probably because the Nevada GOP is already FULL of egomaniacs!!

  44. Thomas L. Knapp November 7, 2014

    I only met Mark a few times, but everything about him just screamed “great guy, hard worker for liberty.” So sorry to hear that he’s gone.

  45. Stewart Flood November 7, 2014

    Another light flickers out. We’ve lost a lot of good friends in the past few years.

  46. paulie November 7, 2014

    Very sad news today via Mia on Mark’s page regarding our past Alabama LP chair: “Mark Bodenhausen passed peacefully today at about 4:40pm. His wife Lynn and many friends were by his side.” RIP Mark and condolences to Lynn. Mark will be greatly missed.

  47. paulie November 6, 2014

    Libertarian Party via FB
    Thank you to all the Libertarian voters, campaign workers, donors, fans, and especially the candidates in the 2014 election season. Your efforts gave liberty a bigger voice.

    — Wes Benedict, Executive Director
    Libertarian National Committee

    null

    null

    null

  48. Nicholas Sarwark November 5, 2014

    What ever happened to Wayne Allyn Root? I thought part of why he left the LP was so that he could run for something in Nevada as a Republican. I wonder why he didn’t.

    I heard a rumor that he recorded a robocall in a southern state, maybe Louisiana. Unfortunately the person who heard it hung up as soon as he was identified, so I don’t know who was paying to have WAR do their robocalls.

  49. Darryl W. Perry November 5, 2014

    that’s what he told people so he could protect his ego

  50. Jill Pyeatt November 5, 2014

    What ever happened to Wayne Allyn Root? I thought part of why he left the LP was so that he could run for something in Nevada as a Republican. I wonder why he didn’t.

  51. Wes Wagner November 5, 2014

    He raised the most money and came in 4th.

  52. Jill Pyeatt November 5, 2014

    It looks like Aaron Starr did not win one of the two open city council seats in Oxnard, CA.

  53. Wes Wagner November 5, 2014

    Next results at 4:30 PM, Wednesday, November 5. – per Washington County Site… stay tuned 🙂

    They might find that ballot box stuffed full of democrat votes yet 😉

  54. Wes Wagner November 5, 2014

    Wait… wait, they are “finding” more ballots and it is actually causing the republican to pickup more votes? … I was not even aware that was possible in this state.

  55. Mark Axinn November 5, 2014

    One silver lining is that neither Women’s Equality nor Stop Common Core got 50,000 votes necessary for ballot access in the future (although WEP is very close and may make it once absentee and military ballots are counted).

    Also, the Green Party beat both Working Families and Independence and is now the fourth largest party in New York (after Democrat, Republican and Conservative).

    Congratulations to the Green Party for its fine showing last night.

  56. Kyle Markley November 5, 2014

    Current unofficial results in those Oregon races:

    State Senator, 15th District
    08.45% Caitlin Mitchel-Markley (L)
    45.45% Chuck Riley (D)
    45.87% Bruce Starr (R)
    00.23% Write-in

    State Representative, 30th District
    08.56% Kyle Markley (L)
    41.15% Dan Mason (R)
    50.12% Joe Gallegos (D)
    00.17% Write-in

    As of about a week ago (campaign finance reporting delay), Riley/Starr had spent directly or on their behalf $1.6 million, and Mason/Gallegos were just under $1.0 million. Caitlin and I spent about $25,000, and we only advertised in my district, which is half of her district. She’s clearly a naturally superior candidate! We’ll study the results by precinct when they’re reported, to try to understand the effectiveness of our advertising.

  57. Wes Wagner November 5, 2014

    The D and R’s spent around $1M in each of those races.

  58. Wes Wagner November 5, 2014

    Kyle got >8%, and so did his wife. His wife’s race right now is being decided by 0.01-0.02%… way too close to call.

  59. Jill Pyeatt November 5, 2014

    How did Kyle Markley do?

  60. Jill Pyeatt November 5, 2014

    Congratulations, Wes!

    Actions and results certainly speak louder than words and lawsuits, don’t they?

  61. Wes Wagner November 5, 2014

    Is it just me or did the LP underperform in yesterday’s elections? I didn’t see vote percentages much different than in past elections. I was sure hoping for more.

    In Oregon we outperformed.

  62. Mark Axinn November 5, 2014

    Here in New York, the true winner was the Green Party.

    Howie got over 165,000 votes which is almost 5% of the total cast. Many of his supporters are hard-core socialists who believe Cuomo and the New York Democratic Party is not liberal enough. (Nice to see they recogonize a corportist when they see one.)

  63. Jill Pyeatt November 5, 2014

    Republicans are gloating all over Facebook. as if there will be any changes at all. Pathetic.

    I’m discouraged as well, but I think Independents and Libertarians deserve credit for some of the gains in proposition-type changes in many of the states, particularly gains agaisnt the drug war. If Libertarians hadn’t been so outspoken against it,for example, truly in a bold manner, I doubt very much there would have been many changes in public opinion.

  64. Bondurant November 5, 2014

    Polling never matches the results. The American people are still grappling with the “lesser-of-two-evils” mentality. I think lack of money is a major hurdle. There’s virtually no advertising. I’m also wondering if the attacks ran by Democrats and Republicans have other purposes other than slandering their opponent. Its as if there’s an underwritten message that there’s only two candidates in the race.

    I feel bad for the folks that put it a lot of time and hard work and obtain such minimal gains.

  65. Mark Axinn November 5, 2014

    New York revised numbers. Bowman’s results mproved from prior report.

    Gov/Lt. Gov.–McDermott/Edes 15,582 (.4%)

    Comptroller–Clifton 25,096 (.7%)

    Attorney General–Person 23,688 (.7%)

    CD 3–Lally (also R-C) 71,212 (45.5%)

    SD5–Bowman 724 (.94%)

    AD 37–Wilson 748 (7.1%)

    AD 73–Casavis (also R-I) 6,965 (30.5%)

    AD 139–Glogowski 1,387 (4.7%)

  66. NewFederalist November 5, 2014

    Is it just me or did the LP underperform in yesterday’s elections? I didn’t see vote percentages much different than in past elections. I was sure hoping for more.

  67. Mark Axinn November 5, 2014

    New York Libertarian Party results:

    Gov/Lt. Gov.–McDermott/Edes 15,582 (.4%)

    Comptroller–Clifton 25,096 (.7%)

    Attorney General–Person 23,688 (.7%)

    CD 3–Lally (also R-C) 71,212 (45.5%)

    SD5–Bowman 239 (.4%)

    AD 37–Wilson 748 (7.1%)

    AD 73–Casavis (also R-I) 6,965 (30.5%)

    AD 139–Glogowski 1,387 (4.7%)

  68. George Phillies November 5, 2014

    Massachusetts, from the State Chair:

    On behalf of our state party,

    Many thanks for your hard work, your sweat and tears, your hard-earned dollars, and your irreplaceable time!

    Without you we would have had no candidates and no progress. But we did have candidates, and they did well by the historical standards of our party.

    State Senate (in a three-candidate race):
    Mullins, Heather 1,596 4%

    State Representative (two way races)
    Van Tassell, Kenneth 2,569 25%
    Marciano, Euplio 3,442 26%
    Morris, Daniel 1,932 16%
    Roberts, Kenneth 1,090 12%
    Coombes, Michael 1,906 16%
    Underwood, Robert 2,002 21%

    Suffolk County Sheriff
    Smith, Hassan 20,973 17%

    So thank you, all of you and all your supporters!
    George Phillies
    State Chair, LAMA

  69. Losty November 5, 2014

    Don’t forget Guam. Medical. Everyone forgets Guam. Guam.
    Oh, and Alaska is still too early to call.

  70. Nicholas Sarwark November 5, 2014

    California, Oregon, and D.C. did well on drug policy today. So did Florida, but constitutional amendments take 60% to pass there.

  71. Jill Pyeatt November 5, 2014

    Dear Jill,

    You just made history. Voters passed Proposition 47 and California is now the first state to end felony sentencing for simple drug possession.

    YOU made this incredible victory possible. Thank you for helping us cross the finish line!

    California’s new law will change sentencing from felonies to misdemeanors for six low-level, nonviolent crimes such as simple drug possession and petty theft. This will reduce the number of people spending time in prison who don’t need to be there for any reason of justice or public safety. It goes into effect immediately, at 12:01 am on November 5.

    Passage of Proposition 47 is a significant step toward ending mass incarceration and the war on drugs. It has the potential to drastically reduce the number of people in state prisons and county jails and it will dedicate the savings — likely more than $1 billion over five years — to schools, victim services, and mental health and drug addiction treatment. The impact of Prop. 47 in California on wasteful corrections spending and individual lives will be profound and surely resonate across the country.

    DPA’s lobbying arm, Drug Policy Action, backed this initiative with assistance on the drafting, as well as financial and other support for the campaign.

    You should feel proud of your role in this victory. Proposition 47 is a significant step forward for California that could boost efforts in other states to follow our lead. And we’re looking forward to 2016, when there will be even more drug policy reform measures on the ballot in California and across the country.

    Our victory is a shift from punitive drug war policies in favor of humane alternatives. We’re excited to work with you to achieve even more. Congratulations, and thank you for making this win possible!

    Sincerely,

    Lynne Lyman
    State Director, California
    Drug Policy Alliance

  72. Jill Pyeatt November 5, 2014

    California has done something right! We’ve passed a measure which makes low-level drug convictions not felonies! Good for us!

  73. Nicholas Sarwark November 5, 2014

    Looks like $1200 from the LNC to oppose Top-Two is a little bit more effective than over $1 mllion from Bloomberg to support.

  74. Matt Cholko November 5, 2014

    Yeah, that’s excellent news!

  75. Andy November 5, 2014

    “George Phillies

    November 4, 2014 at 11:17 pm

    Oregon 90 was crushed 67-33 or so! Oregon voters remain grateful for the million dollars sent them by Mayer Bloomberg, but they voted down his ballot access denial measure.”

    This is the best election news that I’ve heard so far.

  76. jill pyeatt November 4, 2014

    Excellent news from Oregon!

  77. Jed Ziggler November 4, 2014

    “Oregon 90 was crushed 67-33 or so! Oregon voters remain grateful for the million dollars sent them by Mayer Bloomberg, but they voted down his ballot access denial measure.”

    Outstanding news. Voters are very much against top-two now that they’ve seen how it works. We NEED to get a repeal measure on the ballot in California, and possibly Washington.

  78. George Phillies November 4, 2014

    Oregon 90 was crushed 67-33 or so! Oregon voters remain grateful for the million dollars sent them by Mayer Bloomberg, but they voted down his ballot access denial measure.

  79. Mark Axinn November 4, 2014

    NY Green Party candidate Hawkins just passed 50,000 votes.

    GP to maintain ballot status for next four years in New York.

  80. George Phillies November 4, 2014

    Johnson – article does not match headline. He may however have announced, though the party is unclear.

  81. Mark Axinn November 4, 2014

    Wyllie has over 200,000 votes in Florida (3.8%) with 90% reported.

    Sean Haugh has over 60,000 votes in NC (3.4%) with 50% reported.

  82. NewFederalist November 4, 2014

    “…and the Jaguars still Stink.”

    But at least they may stink up another city soon!

  83. Losty November 4, 2014

    POTUS 2016:

    Saw a quick post on FB saying Gary Johnson just Announced.
    Unconfirmed, but I assume highly anticipated.
    If True:

    In Other News: The Sun rises in the East, Water Is Wet, and the Jaguars still Stink.

  84. Thane "Goldie" Eichenauer November 4, 2014

    “Was she obnoxious or respectful, George?”

    My guess is that she will be her usual wry with a side order of snide.

  85. Jed Ziggler November 4, 2014

    The Onion’s Guide To Voting http://www.theonion.com/articles/the-onions-guide-to-voting,37364/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=Pic:1:Default

    Some highlights:

    •To prepare for casting a ballot, voters can go onto their local government’s website, enter their name and party affiliation, and see a preview of the completed ballot they will fill out

    •Before casting ballot, voters are allowed to hold $200 in cash to remind them how much was spent on their individual vote

    •Voters enter a booth and draw the curtain behind them to protect those standing in line from the blinding golden light of political participation

    •Exemplary ballots are posted up around polling station to show off to voters

  86. paulie November 3, 2014

    Mike Rster
    8 hrs · Birmingham, AL

    Dear friends of liberty:

    My apologies about the delay in updating everyone on Mark’s condition.

    The past 19 days have been trying. Due to an aneurysm that caused two catastrophic bleeds in Mark’s brain the doctors inserted a tube into his brain to relieve the pressure. In the course of the Mark’s treatment his liver failed and then his kidneys. He remained unresponsive for the seventeen days.

    Two days ago he nodded yes and no for the first time since the initial bleed. His kidneys have stabilized although he still might require further dialysis. His liver is causing a problem with blood clotting. He has had multiple units of blood and blood products. Once his blood platelet count is sufficient he is scheduled for three surgeries.

    The house fire was a total loss.

    We anticipate a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation period for Mark. He still has a long way to go.

    I had mentioned that Mark was without health insurance and that his new wife were just getting established as a couple. This unbelievable tragedy has devastated them.

    Please follow the link below to help Mark and Lynn get through this.

    (Lynn Bodenhausen’s maiden name is Elana Lynn Hudson)

    https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=CGFXJ2AJF9WGA&lc=US&currency_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted

    Thank you everyone for your concern and your kind support!

    Sincerely,

    Mike Rster
    Vice Chair Emeritus
    Libertarian Party of Alabama

  87. Jill Pyeatt November 3, 2014

    Was she obnoxious or respectful, George?

  88. George Phillies November 3, 2014

    Rachel Maddow just had extended coverage of close races in which Libertarian candidates are doing very well, including GA and NC.

  89. Thane "Goldie" Eichenauer November 3, 2014

    Mark, Thank you for a lovely reminder of the 2012 AZ CD 9 season’s best video. 4409 should have a followup show after South Park. https://www.facebook.com/groups/NSA.Recall/

  90. Andy November 3, 2014

    Jesse Ventura’s take on the Top Two Primary initiative that is going to be voted on this week in Oregon.

    Don’t Silence the Third Party | Jesse Ventura Off The Grid – Ora TV

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS2BtEijaNk

  91. Deran November 2, 2014

    Eliot Cutler has proven to be a wanker’s wanker. Telling a press conference he can’t win and that he understands why people might not want to vote for him. A disappointing loser.

  92. paulie November 2, 2014

    It doesn’t seem to be the same as any other comment that got posted there. I’ll check on the email list and see if anyone knows.

  93. Jill Pyeatt November 2, 2014

    I don’t know why it’s there. It’s possible the persson posted it a second time while he waited for approval on his firast comment, but I don’t know.

  94. paulie November 2, 2014

    Just noticed there’s a comment from 10/28 in the trash which I see nothing wrong with. Was it put there by the author’s request, or for another reason?

  95. Mark Axinn November 2, 2014

    Austin–

    I need McDermott to top 1.2% to get ballot access for the next four years in New York.

    10% would be terrific, but 1.2% is all we need (presuming 4.5MM votes cast this year for Governor).

  96. Jed Ziggler November 2, 2014

    Just took the ISideWith political quiz that recommends who to vote for & what party to belong to based on your answers. (http://www.isidewith.com) While an online quiz shouldn’t determine your vote, the results very much match my leanings. For all races this year (all of which only have a Republican & a Democrat, BTW), it recommended the Democratic candidate. For political party, the results were thus: Libertarian 96%, Green 81%, Constitution 71%, Democratic 70%, Republican 59%. That’s all minor parties ahead of the big two, and helps dispel the myth that Libertarians are inclined to otherwise vote Republican.

  97. paulie November 1, 2014

    Interesting article, thanks!

    I don’t know enough about most of the races you mention to hazard any guesses as to how they will end up doing. I have a hard time doing that even for races I follow more closely.

Comments are closed.