Independent Political Report has learned that a new classical liberal party is in the process of formation. The exact party name has not been chosen. Organizers include at least some former Libertarian Party activists, such as Stewart Flood of South Carolina, whose article appears on our sister publication Third Party Watch. To avoid litigation about ballot access issues, the classical liberal party organizations will be starting anew, rather than including state organizations that have defected as organizations from other political parties.
An apparent example is the new Classical Liberal Party of Virginia, which advocates for “Open markets. Open minds. Free people.” The Virginia party platform includes Open markets. Open minds. Free people. As filters against far-left or far-right infiltration, the party platform emphasizes that the Virginia Classical Liberal Party is 100% in favor of abortion rights and 100% in favor of the second amendment.
The CLPVA party platform has a novel addition to legislative election processes, namely support for the institution of “Top-Up Proportionality …which is the practice of adding additional seats after an election for that session to make the final partisan composition of the House equal to the partisan share of the first-round Popular Vote.” (‘first-round’ because they advocate for instant run-off voting.)
They should steal the name of the Commonwealth Party, itself a classical liberal party except really wacky:
https://www.commonwealthparty.net
Interesting. I could not think of how libertarians could be constitutional federalists, so I tried looking up the definition. Could not find anything.
Unless you were joking, could you elaborate on what that would be?
I’m partial to Constitutional Libertarian Federalist myself.
There do appear to be several out there. Like a race to the moon, more than one trying to build a rocket may increase the chance of success.
When I first started thinking about this, I researched a few. During a recent email conversation, Dr Phillies was kind enough to point out a few I overlooked. Some I looked at posted things months ago and went silent. I searched primarily for those who are trying to build a party that can succeed.
And like the movie “The Mouse on the Moon”, I believe the group I ended up with will make it.
In the end, unless you call it something crazy like “The stupid party” or “The backward party” the name is not as important as the message. Or Independent Party. Is a party called the Independent Party really independent? Food for thought.
I am reasonably sure these are several separate groups. The Association of State Liberty Parties formed last year, and was covered here. Pennsylvania has a Keystone Party (former LPPA members, covered here) which discussed forming a national group and having a national convention. Mr. Flood has discussed events in South Carolina, which he has indicated is not Liberty.
Then there is ‘when is a party not a party?’ When it does the things that a party would, or some of them, perhaps even effectively, without advocating for the election of particular candidates.
The link in the OP mentioning a new classical liberal party of Virginia goes here: https://clpvirginia.org/
And if you click on ‘blog’, and then the second most recent blog post, from December 3, 2022, you find this press release: https://clpvirginia.org/introducing-the-association-of-liberty-state-parties/
In which the party refers to itself as the “Liberty Party of Virginia” and includes a logo with those words, the image of Virginia, and the Liberty Bell.
It talks about forming the “Association of Liberty State Parties” national committee, which includes the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts, the Liberty Party of Virginia, and the Libertarian Party of New Mexico.
But, perhaps another name has been decided upon in the following six months.
I believe all those references are, as Dr Phillies pointed out, related to a liberty party from the 1800s. I am not aware of that name being used currently by any of the multiple groups around the country. I could of couse be wrong.
There have been Liberty Parties as recent as the 2000s.
Back around 2005, I found a website called Dark Horse, or something like that, listing all the 2004 presidential candidates who had filed with the SEC. That was the only criterion to get on the list.
The list had over 200 candidates, along with their parties. Two or three candidates were running on a Liberty Party. Don’t know if it was the same Liberty Party, or if there were several parties with the same name.
As filters against far-left or far-right infiltration, the party platform emphasizes that the Virginia Classical Liberal Party is 100% in favor of abortion rights and 100% in favor of the second amendment.
They might want to add 100% in favor of free speech.
The left, and even DeSantis, are pushing for anti-“hate speech” legislation.
I understand what Mr Knapp is saying and can certainly appreciate his concern that he hasn’t heard enough, and that he doesn’t consider himself a classical liberal. His opinion on the state of any given party may change, but since he’s in Florida I’m not expecting him to suddenly move to South Carolina and join our affiliate!
I believe all those references are, as Dr Phillies pointed out, related to a liberty party from the 1800s. I am not aware of that name being used currently by any of the multiple groups around the country. I could of couse be wrong.
As to the question about the name of our organization here in South Carolina, we are in the process of setting up mailing addresses, bank accounts, website, filings with the state elections commission, ethics commission, etc etc etc. Once that is done and all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed and we are ready to start raising money and starting volunteers petitioning for ballot access it will be announced.
To shut down some of the confusion, our name will NOT contain any of the words classical, liberal or liberty. The name of the national organization we will be an affiliate of should be obvious to anyone who has been reading this site or a few others. I have also all but said it in my commentaries. And no, I will not state the obvious answer until we are actually announced. Too much paperwork still to do…
Since the government is so overwhelmingly regulatory and oppressive, why do they make up holidays so they can take a three day weekend?
Which web site? Links are welcome.
I am not disagreeing with you, but I am positive that different readers will hear your words, agree, and have completely different interpretations in mind. There is a key question here, in which you are welcome to make a civil comment when the discussion starts. What do you have in mind when you say ‘ballot access’, what do you consider ‘significant’, and what do you think of as ‘difficult’ or ‘expensive’?
“Will the new party pick up more old non-Mises members? Will people like Thomas Knapp who joined Forward or elsewhere join it? Will it try to incorporate Forward or similar groups?”
Based on the very little I’ve heard, I doubt that I’ll be joining this new party. I don’t think I’m a “classical liberal” as that term is being used in relation to the organization.
I’m not really a Forward Party activist, either, and have no plans to become one. My registration with them is pretty much a placeholder for “a GOP ‘infiltrate and neuter’ PAC took over my former party and so I have no libertarian political party to associate with.”
It’s the Liberty Party, according to the web site.
That’s too bad. Classical Liberal party would be a good way to pick up votes from both the informed who agree with the ideology and the uninformed who don’t.
Nobody in the Mises Caucus supports National Socialism, fascism or communism.
Gaining a significant level of ballot access for a new party is extremely difficult and expensive.
If the new party name has already been chosen what is it?
Who said the party name will include the word liberal? Not me. This is a political news site, so when I used the term classical liberal in writing an opinion, I was talking inside baseball to people who know the game.
I did not choose the name, and I certainly do not object to it. You can think about names over and over and someone could always come up with a better idea. The party has had its name since before I first contacted them.
I have not mentioned the name and won’t in any comments I write until our state is ready to put out an official announcement (approved by the national party) and we are ready to make our state website, social media, etc, live. I hope that is not far off. But the name is not a secret. It was announced quite a while ago.
Just a note on history. Unlike the “Mises” Caucus, Ludwig von Mises was a Classical Liberal who opposed National Socialism., Fascism and Communism.
As for style of name, “Liberal” is confusing, but still a meaningful name for a party. Having the word “Classical” in the party name is more problematic.
We are reasonably certain that the national party name will not feature the word ‘liberal’.
Liberal Party is probably the best name but might be a turn off to people who mistake classical Liberal with modern day big government progressive. Constitutional Liberal Party might be an attractive alternative.
So, the Libertarian Party is more officially shattering between Mises and non-Mises. Will the new party pick up more old non-Mises members? Will people like Thomas Knapp who joined Forward or elsewhere join it? Will it try to incorporate Forward or similar groups?
That’s great, you crossed the high hurdle of forming a new party. You’re now on par with hundreds of other organizations like the Modern Whig Party. Now comes the easy part: getting workers, organization, money, ballot access, and candidates.
I find the notion people think platforms stop entryists to be cute and demonstrates a naivete that shows the person completely misunderstands the concept of power. Platforms are a nice statement in theory of “this is what we think” but at the end of the day they don’t mean anything unless you actively seek to excommunicate people in violation of the platform or ban people from joining in violation. Doing such an action though does not strike me as particularly libertarian or classically liberal.
Let’s discuss though voter education. How many times are people going to look at this party and think they’re left wing because the word liberal is in the party name and then ask “you’re liberals and are in favor of the 2nd Amendment”? I get that with people now that think libertarians are liberals in the American sense of the term because the two words are similar.