June 4, 2026
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The 2016 Libertarian National Convention is sure to be an exciting one, with the nomination of our Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, the election of our party’s officers, other important business, and compeling speakers including the ones featured below.
Over the next couple of months, we’ll update you regularly with new information about the convention, including speakers as they are added to the schedule. Stay tuned!
Caryn Ann Harlos is a paralegal residing in Castle Rock, Colorado and presently serving as the Region 1 Representative on the Libertarian National Committee and is a candidate for LNC Secretary at the 2018 Libertarian Party Convention. Articles posted should NOT be considered the opinions of the LNC nor always those of Caryn Ann Harlos personally. Caryn Ann's goal is to provide information on items of interest and (sometimes) controversy about the Libertarian Party and minor parties in general not to necessarily endorse the contents.
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Tom Woods is an engaging speaker and brilliant writer… but as an academic historian, mediocre. See book reviews from Jeffrey Rogers Hummel (he would be another excellent convention speaker, btw) who points out Woods fails to use primary sources as good historians should. It irks me that Woods deliberately leaves the misimpression he has a Ph.D. in history on his standard biographical blurb (reprinted on the convention website)… his master’s degrees and Ph.D. are in economics. I’m also not a fan of his social conservatism. All that said, he’s still a wonderful speaker and a great pick for the convention line-up.
Kokesh is a pretty good speaker too. Note he ran for U.S. Congress as a Republican and Gary Johnson declined to endorse him (I don’t blame Johnson for that… apparently Kokesh was smug and entitled in the endorsement meeting, which rubbed Johnson the wrong way). Also of interest: when Kokesh planned his big gun march into DC, Austin Petersen planned a counter-march with toy guns to make fun of him.
Anyway, this speaker list is an okay start. I hope even more exciting speaker will be booked to increase turn-out — though honestly I usually skip all the speakers myself to hang out with friends and do LP business.
You don’t have to unlock the phone to make a copy of its data. You take the phone apart. You remove the memory chip. You build a new board that just access the memory. You use the new board to copy the memory to a PC. Then you use the computation power that the NSA has to break the encryption.
Adam Kokesh: How government makes you less safe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtspq5T7B44
https://youtu.be/RX75aASBxc8
Right now the LP has a problem and it AIN’T the GOD DAMN line up at national, it’s FOX. The party nomination process is being manhandled by FOX and party insiders. The debates, some, are closed to exceptional candidates like Steve Kerbel, Marc Feldman, Darryl Perry, Joy Waymire and others. FOX is using their POWER to pump a million dollars in free advertising via a national debate, into 3 total LINO’s. Austin is PRO LIFE and ANTI NAP. Gary wants to give a massive tax break to crony capitalists and slam the poor and middle class with a 23% sales tax, or as that career politician calls it, a fair tax. Nothing fair or flat about it. And McAfee thinks he can unlock a phone with 9999 possible codes and only 10 tries to open it, before the phone erases everything. Gary’s “Let em rot in prison” policy also is in question. Open the debates.
Tom Woods is a brilliant man. His historical revisionism has the virtue of being historically accurate. He can speak for himself, but I do not think he would deny that slavery was a major cause of secession. He would, however, accurately deny that freeing the slaves was Lincoln’s justification for invading the duly seceded states.
100% true.
I’m sure we all remember WAR talking about how he was a “Reagan libertarian” — and (justifiably) getting ripped for it. But as ridiculous as the idea of a “Reagan libertarian” is, the idea of a “Lincoln libertarian” is even more ridiculous, given that, from a libertarian perspective, Lincoln was far, far worse than Reagan.
Tom Woods at the Libertarian Party of Illinois 2013 Convention
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFems9a5YtI
Tom Woods Speech to the Texas Libertarian Party State Convention, June 9, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emSvaU27g8o
“Caryn Ann Harlos Post author
February 18, 2016 at 22:44
I am thrilled with having Adam Kokesh. I did question the issue of his having declared for 2020 (not as a Libertarian) but that is four years away. The pearl-clutching reaffirms my happiness at having him.”
If Adam Kokesh thinks that he’s going to be able to get on the ballot in all 50 states plus DC as an independent candidate for President, I think that he’ll be in for a reality check when he finds out how difficult it is to do that.
If Adam Kokesh is serious about running for President in 2020, and if he is actually serious about getting on the ballot, then I would not be a bit surprised if he ends up running for the Libertarian Party nomination, and I for one would welcome him with open arms.
I don’t know if Adam Kokesh has ever been a member of the Libertarian Party, but to my knowledge, he has not. Even if has never been a member of the Libertarian Party, Adam Kokesh does have a long record of being a small “l” libertarian activist, so him joining the Libertarian Party just to run for President would not be in the same category as people like say Wayne Root or Mike Gravel or John McAfee joining the Libertarian Party to run for President, because none of them had a record of being solid small “l” libertarian activists before they joined the LP to run for President.
I think that a hardcore libertarian super-activist like Adam Kokesh in the race for the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination would be a much needed breath of fresh air and kick in the ass, which is exactly what the Libertarian Party needs after 2008, 2012, and with the way things are looking for 2016.
If Adam Kokesh were in the race for the LP’s presidential nomination right now, I’d support him for the nomination over any of the current candidates.
“George Phillies
February 18, 2016 at 22:05
The troll is you, Andy. Except when you are talking about petitioning.”
How am I trolling? I say what I mean, and I don’t hide behind fake names, and I’ve never used an IP anonymizer.
Adam Kokesh and Tom Woods are both excellent editions to the speaker line up, and for me will be the highlights of the convention, as far as speakers go.
I got to meet Ben Swann at the last LP National Convention, which was very cool. I hope to meet Adam Kokesh and Tom Woods this time.
I’ve been following Adam Kokesh online for several years, and I had some opportunities to attend some events where he was speaking, but I missed all of them. One of them he was actually at an event that occurred during one of his cross country treks where the venue was just two or three blocks from where I happened to be at a motel, but I did not find out about the event until it was over.
I actually did see Tom Woods speak in person on one occasion, but I had to walk out of the room early. This was at a college in California back in 2010. A week prior to this I had been gathering petition signatures for ballot initiatives at a TEA Party rally (this was a little before the TEA Party become as worthless as it is now, but it was already on its decline) and I ran into a guy who was the head of a college campus chapter of Young Americans for Liberty. He was at the rally to do outreach. Anyway, he signed my petitions and I talked to him a little bit and he invited me to the Tom Woods speaking engagement that was being held at his university. He said that he thought that it would be a good event for me to pick up more signatures. I already knew who Tom Woods was, because I’d read some of his articles at LewRockwell.com, but I had never heard him speak before. I was thinking that he’s a smart guy, but was probably going to be a boring speaker. I was pleasantly surprised, as he was actually a pretty good public speaker. Unfortunately, I had to walk out of the event early because I needed to make sure that I was in a good position with my table and petition clip boards and petition sheets (I was carrying like 5 ballot initiatives that were pro-liberty issues), so I could be sure to catch the maximum amount of people as they left the event, plus I needed to grab a quick snack because I was very hungry and had neglected to eat as I was in a rush to get to the event. Tom Woods appeared to look at me when I walked out, so I wondered if he was wondering if I was walking out early because I thought his speech was boring or because I did not care, but neither were the case. My primary mission was to gather as many petition signatures as possible at the event, and I ended up being successful in that mission.
What party is Kokesh running in in ’20?
Good grief, the amount of PC signaling in this comment thread. For a minute I though I had inadvertently stumbled onto some SJW blog on tumblr.
Tom Woods is a brilliant man. His historical revisionism has the virtue of being historically accurate. He can speak for himself, but I do not think he would deny that slavery was a major cause of secession. He would, however, accurately deny that freeing the slaves was Lincoln’s justification for invading the duly seceded states.
Meant to say “quite good in the picture above.”
Both Tom and Adam have spoken in Manhattan at various times. They have always been well-received.
Tom used to be an asst. prof. at Stony Brook before he got famous and Adam used to be part of a group called Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Both good choices.
Adam looks quite in the picture above. Trimmed the silly beard and wearing a suit and tie. Wow!
Tom Woods does have his non-liberty moments, though. He was extremely upset when the Supreme Court approved same-gender marriages, and said this would affect “everyone in the country”. I was quite shocked at his venom. Therefore, I only pay attention to his economic views.
I am thrilled with having Adam Kokesh. I did question the issue of his having declared for 2020 (not as a Libertarian) but that is four years away. The pearl-clutching reaffirms my happiness at having him.
I enjoy the Tom Woods show very much as well as his books. I don’t know anything other than people yelling at each other about the confederacy thing and I have never heard him say anything remotely bigoted and having an unorthodox historical view is part of academic life, and while I don’t listen to every show, he is anarchist, so while his constitutional view might be of “state’s rights” it certainly isn’t his ideological commitment. His shows on economics have been great.
And Joe Johnson is from CO and gave an excellent campaigning presentation to our Board. I look forward to hearing him.
If I were a better writer I would have put an “an” before “articulate!”
Tom Woods is a fine writer and articulate speaker. I love to read his books and listen to his audios.
Tom Woods is an historian with a PhD from Columbia so not your run of the mill Confederate crank. I’m not familiar with his views but if he takes the position that the South’s main reason for seceding was NOT slavery, then his appearance should be countered by (if not debated by) a libertarian historian who takes the opposite view (Ernsberger, a Civil War historian, author, battlefield guide, and re-enactor comes to mind.)
The troll is you, Andy. Except when you are talking about petitioning.
It looks like the IPR Troll is back.
Kokesh? Seriously? Why not just invite Hoagland back while we’re at it? Was Alex Jones not available, or was he just too moderate and reasonable? Cantwell too busy? All the other baggage aside, did it not bother anybody that he’s (at least notionally) a declared 2020 presidential candidate, and not as a Libertarian?
I can *almost* understand having him as one of many speakers, though I still wouldn’t be wild about it, but to give him top billing? Seriously?
I’m starting to wonder if George Phillies isn’t onto something with the possibility of LSLA being all that’s left in terms of a national LP organization after the LNC is finally done with its habitual self-immolation.
Exactly what the LP needs to be presenting to the nation: an unhinged crank who had a show on Kremlin state TV ranting about 9/11 CTs and abolishing the federal government via armed uprising, and a neo-confederate apologist for Jefferson Davis and the all-encompassing supremacy of holy States Rights.
Way to simultaneously confirm and amplify two of the worst (and mostly untrue) stereotypes about Libertarians.
George, Civil War history was already reconstructed. I don’t know anything about Woods, but if he agrees that Lincoln was a tyrant, I’m cool with that.
I think inviting a few grand wizards is fine as long was you bring in some Black Panthers, Beyonce and Geraldo to moderate.
Would be far more exciting than listening to someone convince me to kill myself or the strip club woman.
We’re inviting a Civil War historical reconstructionist as a speaker? Why not a KKK Grand Dragon in full regalia?
I’m pleased to see Adam Kokesh on the schedule. Also, I’ve heard Tom Woods speak, and he’s very inspiring.
Thankfully if I went it wouldn’t be for the speakers.
Isn’t Michelle related to Bette Rose Ryan? Is she organizing the convention again? Who is watching the books?
Interesting to see an expert on suicide. I guess if it gets boring enough he could help us all end it. Didn’t realize this was a hot issue for libertarians.
The LNC or someone with a pulse needs to weigh in on the speakers.
”
“Kevin Bjornson
February 18, 2016 at 18:08
Is this a parody, a deliberate attempt to alienate ordinary Americans? This type of political flashing indicates a psychological motivation, not political.
Adam Kokesh (gun nut on hard drugs) and Tom Woods (neo-confederate religious nut)? What is the LP thinking?”
I strongly disagree. Adam Kokesh and Tom Woods are the two speakers I am most interested in seeing on this list, and if I had been on the convention committee, they’d have both been on my list of speakers to try to book for the convention.
Is this a parody, a deliberate attempt to alienate ordinary Americans? This type of political flashing indicates a psychological motivation, not political.
Adam Kokesh (gun nut on hard drugs) and Tom Woods (neo-confederate religious nut)? What is the LP thinking?
Might be nice if I hit subscribe
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