Being Libertarian caused some controversy with claims that Austin Petersen had fabricated claims about the McAfee and Johnson Campaigns (with these claims being repeated in an article by Alan Hyman of the Random Spoon reposted at IPR). The first claim, that McAfee’s Campaign Manager had quit, had apparently come to Petersen directly from McAfee and is entirely legitimate. That claim of falsity should be retracted. Yes, there was spin on it–this is politics. There is always going to be some spin.
However, there is a second claim that bears closer examination, not because it is earth-shattering in the scheme of things, but because it fails completely upon rigorous examination of logic and facts unless it is walked back to something entirely different or so trivial as to be meaningless. In campaigns there will be a lot of unsubstantiated rumours, and people will believe who they wish–but when a claim comes along that is obvious trivial or specious in the framing, we should expect our candidates to reject them. There has to be a minimum bar in this political game.
Full disclosure: I do not support Gary Johnson, and I could not care less if any of the current crop of claims are true. I do support critical thinking and examination, and I do care about this Party enough to want us to hold the claims of candidates to severe cross-examination.
Here is the precise claim:
CLAIM: Johnson’s campaign bought every spare hotel room in the convention centre to deny us access.
This was posted from the Miami-Dade convention judging by the location tag which would place it about April 13, 2016. That’s right. At least six months after the Party announced the Convention and advertised for room rates at a discounted rates. Precisely when did Johnson’s campaign allegedly buy every spare room to such a devious extent as to deny Austin Petersen’s supporters access? Did they not know about the hotel during all these months? A claim of buying every spare room would involve there being none left afterwards, no? And done out from under the feet of potential Petersen supporters? Does this pass any logical test? The rooms have been bought steadily and continuously over this year and until the beginning of April, everyone who called to reserve a room, got a room.
Then came this email on the publicly viewable LNC-Votes email list dated April 1, 2016.
There were ten rooms left on April 1, 2016. There was no hint in the LNC email that one group was gobbling them up. In fact, as you can see, LNC member Doug Craig immediately reserved one, bringing the total down to nine. Doug Craig then posted on Facebook urging people to make their reservations noting the total was now about eight:
Notice the time (it is MST)… the LNC email came out in the morning of April 1, 2016 and by the afternoon, eight rooms still available. I saw that post and alerted a friend who has been procrastinating for months to get his room. Here is our exchange (and let’s assume the eight rooms were still available, a likely incorrect assumption) over an hour later:
So he was able to call right up and get a room no problem. As any Petersen supporter could have. As anyone could have. Let’s presume there are now seven rooms left. In that post of Doug Craig’s other people noted the countdown and grabbed their rooms- one of them the next morning:
If we make the absolutely untenable assertion that I just happen to be seeing ALL of the real-time reservations (or that all of these people were actually referring to earlier reservations), this leaves us with five rooms left. So I made quick inquiries yesterday (yes, I actually did research) asking if anyone else had gotten their Rosen Centre rooms after the April 1, 2016 email from the LNC. And found these:
I am somewhat skeptical of that last one and wonder if perhaps the question was misunderstood… but if we take it at face value, last week or so, there were still a few left. This leaves us at what? Three possible rooms, IF you assume I just happened to track down ALL of the room sales since the room scarcity announcement was made (or grossly misunderstood all the prior posts), for the Johnson Campaign to snatch up? And this would be something of such devious proportions that it denied Petersen supporters access?
No. Stop the dirty political mudslinging.
Johnson’s Campaign, by the way, issued this statement:
FACT: The Johnson campaign has not paid a penny to any delegate or prospective delegate for anything. Period.
FACT: We HAVE told prospective delegates that, if finances are an obstacle to getting to Orlando, we would help coordinate ride-sharing, housing, etc etc to help them be able to attend. That is what any rational campaign would do. In fact, we have a FB page set up to facilitate convention attendance.
3) As for the absurd claim that we have somehow bought out the hotel and are blocking others from getting rooms, the FACT is that our campaign has booked precisely TWO rooms. That’s it. Period.
4) These absolute fictions are just the latest in a growing series of fantasies being concocted by individuals who are clearly more interested in playing silly games than in actually achieving success for Libertarians.
The Petersen Campaign claims support for its statement in a Facebook post by Judd Weiss, Vice-Presidential choice of Presidential candidate John McAfee. Weiss repeats the hotel room claim with no support. To the extent Weiss furthers this narrative, it is incorrect. However, Weiss makes MUCH MORE serious charges against the Johnson Campaign which must be examined by any serious delegate. I have no opinion or evidence one way or another and encourage everyone to read his statement and make your own judgment.
With regards to the hotel room issue, Weiss adds the following detail:
Also, not only has Gary Johnson’s campaign team purchased a ton of flights and hotel rooms for delegates willing to commit to Gary Johnson at the National LP Convention in Orlando, they’ve also purchased all the rest of the available rooms at the convention hotel, that might remain empty, but only on the dates before the presidential vote is held. After the presidential vote, there are plenty of hotel rooms available.
That first part may be true and isn’t contradicted by the Johnson Campaign. At other hotels, the Johnson Campaign may very well have gotten rooms and purchased flights. I have no idea. However, NO ROSEN CENTRE ROOMS WOULD HAVE REMAINED EMPTY (I tried to get an additional night earlier on Tuesday, and it was booked). That is simply nonsense. There are two other conventions going on nearby that very same weekend— Memorial Day weekend— in a busy tourist down that is home to Disney World and Universal Studios. As far as some “gotcha” over rooms being empty after the Presidential vote… seriously? The Presidential vote is the last substantive day of the Convention historically as far as delegates are concerned. It takes place on Sunday. I was warned months ago to plan on staying through Monday since the Convention sheds delegates on Sunday and important Judicial Committee elections often happen on Monday or other overflow business. An exodus of delegates after the Presidential nomination is completely to be expected.
Did the Johnson Campaign buy rooms and flights? Maybe. They claim they bought only two rooms at the Rosen. One thing is certain, there was not this massive block buy-up of “all available spare” rooms at the Rosen Centre to deny anyone access. And being able to deny anyone access due to lodging in Orlando- the city with the second most number of hotels in the country– is ridiculous on its face. I found lodging available at three other hotels within a mile of the Rosen Centre in under a ten-minute search.
Whilst discussing his future plans just in case he fails to win the Presidency of the United States, Mr. Petersen revealed that he would love to be an astronaut, and also mentioned he has made plans to attend the fire academy.
My appearance on LRN on this issue with Will Coley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX4K6dftgX4
Was just listening to Caryn on Will Coley’s LRN.fm show.
I’ll give her this: She manages to make an inherently uninteresting story fun to follow.
George, I certainly recognized that phrase of “night watchman”- but the way he uses it with his ego-stroking cartoons of himself— well the description above is certainly accurate. He fancies HIMSELF as this super hero that is going to save us all. Been watching a bit too much Game of Thrones and men of the Night’s Watch.
==You may well conclude that Caryn’s analysis is correct — when I heard this line from the person who fed the room story to Petersen and the McAfee campaign, I thought it was silly. But the room claims had a source.==
I was pretty sure Petersen didn’t make it up, that someone said this to him and he failed to give it a moment’s critical thought or chose to ignore the logical holes. The claim is impossible as documented above OR has to be walked back to mean something entirely different like…. say “Johnson bought a block of rooms early on in order to make sure he had housing for his bought delegates” – which is an ENTIRELY different claim from buying ALL THE REMAINING rooms to freeze out Petersen’s delegates. Which is what Petersen claimed. Yet I tracked the countdown for the remaining ten rooms that seemed to go very easily to whoever wanted them.
And anyone who wanted rooms up until then had no problem buying them. THEY WERE ON SALE AT LEAST SIX MONTHS.
And the fact that this is the city with the second most hotel rooms in the country. This story requires gullibility beyond belief.
“I AM THE NIGHT WATCHMAN!”
Austin Petersen uttered these words at the Texas Libertarian debate. How many people realized at that moment that Austin is still a little boy imagining himself to be a comic book superhero.”
As most libertarians recognize, the ‘night watchman’ is a standard libertarian position on what the government should be doing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night-watchman_state
Johnson is a liar. Why should you believe his claims here?
I remind you of the Florida debate:
“Moderator: Mr. Perry, same question.
Perry: If my campaign raised between 1 to 1.5 million dollars, I would be doing a lot better than at least one of the candidates on this stage, who still owes about 1.4 million dollars [unintelligible because Johnson interjects]
Johnson: That’s untrue. That is untrue.”
We now have the end-of-March FEC statement, showing Johnson’s campaign still owes (yes, the debt went up since the end of September, the number Perry was quoting) $1,538,118. That’s in addition to the $300,000+ currently owed for Federal campaign matching funds, which Johnson was notified about in early April. Perry spoke the truth, and Johnson lied.
Readers should realize that when you are the *debtor* you cannot just write debts off your books. If you don’t believe me, try it with your house mortgage. There is a legal process.
For political campaigns, the process involves the FEC and some determination that the American people are not seeing illegal corporate campaign contributions and that all creditors are agreeable. As of today, neither of these conditions is satisfied in the currently filed paperwork. If you are a campaign with debts, you and the creditor cannot simply shake hands and cut the debts, because there is a third party involved, the American people, who want assurances that you are not taking bribes.*
The claim that the debt has gone away may at some future date become true. The $330Gs that Johnson and Johnson 2012 have been ordered to pay is subject to appeals outlined in the letter from the FEC. But Perry spoke the truth, and Johnson lied.
Some readers will be more concerned that Johnson ran his campaign in such a way that he ended up a million+ in debt. I mean, if you are trying to sell people on the notion you believe in fiscal prudence, you should try practicing it.
You may well conclude that Caryn’s analysis is correct — when I heard this line from the person who fed the room story to Petersen and the McAfee campaign, I thought it was silly. But the room claims had a source.
Willie Veranzano: good points. Although Gary Johnson is not ideal and has made some mistakes he is far preferable to be our Presidential candidate.
Jeff Smith on FB:
“I AM THE NIGHT WATCHMAN!”
Austin Petersen uttered these words at the Texas Libertarian debate. How many people realized at that moment that Austin is still a little boy imagining himself to be a comic book superhero.
Whereas Mr. Petersen is often noted for his immaturity, Mr. McAfee, who is at age 70 roughly the same age as current leading major party Presidential contenders Clinton, Trump and Sanders, as well as the notably vigorous former President Reagan at the time of his presidency and the equally rigorous Congressman Ron Paul during his two most recent Presidential runs, begs off that he is an old man, in his own words in a facebook note:
“…now it’s time to be gentle to an old man. I’m sick in bed with the flu and I’m losing my voice.”
This is the fourth time this year that Mr. McAfee has used the flu as his reason or excuse for missing planned events. Being so sickly and (self-description) old does not portend well in choosing a general election nominee. We need a candidate who will be not only willing but also able to work hard every day from May to November. And, if lightning should just so happen to strike, to actually, you know,be prepared to serve out a term in office. If possible, while avoiding referring to himself in public as a lightbringing ninja atop a massive pyramid pile of pussy, as Mr. Petersen has.
As I suspected….
Official statement from Gary Johnson 2016 (official campaign name):
First, it is remarkable that a couple of baseless, nonsensical and offensive social media rants would even be reported.
However, since they are being reported, here are the facts:
First, not one penny has been paid to anyone seeking to be a delegate. Period. Any claim to the contrary is an absolute fabrication. We have, as any rational campaign would do, offered to help prospective delegates coordinate ride-sharing, housing, etc., in order to relieve the financial burden of attending the national convention.
Second, the tall tale that our campaign has somehow locked up all the rooms at the convention hotel is a fantasy first promulgated by one candidate on social media, and now parroted by another. It is a lie, as has been confirmed by the Libertarian Party and numerous others. The FACT is that our campaign has two — yes, TWO — rooms reserved at the hotel.
Third, the nameless, faceless and completely unsubstantiated idea that our campaign has tried to lure staffers away from other campaigns would appear to be more about wishful thinking than reality. Give us a name and a specific contention, and then we can respond.
Far more important is the fact that 2016 is presenting an historic opportunity for Libertarians, and these childish games and absolutely irresponsible attacks are doing nothing but distracting from the important task at hand: Nominating and supporting a credible, truthful and serious candidate for President of the United States.
Sadly, it appears that there are some who have no interest in actually seizing the opportunity that is right in front of us.
The Johnson campaign hasn’t bought a bunch of flights or rooms at other Orlando hotels either. What they did do was create a facebook board to help campaign supporters find other campaign supporters to share rides and rooms with. It’s interesting to see this spun as a scandal by other more desperate campaigns. Incidentally, LPHQ also has an (inadequately publicized) facebook group for the same purpose.
Other contentions include the claim that the Johnson campaign has offered “bribes” to other campaigns’ staff to hire them away or failing that to have them quit working on the other campaigns. As far as I know there has been zero evidence of any of this being true produced, and my hunch is that it’s BS. But suppose someone did notice some talent in someone working on a competing campaign, and offered to hire that person away; what exactly is the ethical lapse in that? And note again that by posting the hypothetical I am not saying it happened. I don’t know, but my hunch is it did not.
As for Mr. McAfee’s campaign manager quitting, his own explanation is that he was overloaded, needs to focus on other projects, and remains a campaign supporter and staffer in a more focused capacity. That seems to be entirely logical and not at all nefarious in any way.
Jeremy LOLOLOL
And George Whitfield, I really try to be. Thank you.
I prefer calling it Roomghazi myself.
Caryn Ann Harlos : You are meticulous and thorough.
If this is a “gate” scandal, then I am sure Judd Weiss has a few ideas of who to assign the position of deepthroat. I just hope he chooses wisely.
The multiple tired people who have thanked me for this on FB respectfully disagree.
Thank you for your permission Tom.
Tempest, meet teapot. Teapot, tempest.
But hey, it’s your time. If you want to waste it on bullshit of precisely zero importance, knock yourself out.
Thank you:)
Good work, as always!