In Saturday’s Rocky Mountain News, Dave Kopel of the Independence Institute chided Colorado’s print media for largely ignoring the Libertarian National Convention in Denver. Kopel says the Rocky Mountain News “did not even have a story about the Libertarian Party presidential nomination on its Web site by 9 p.m. on Sunday, while The Denver Post merely had a short story from The Associated Press. The next day, the Rocky had a short article, while the Post, admirably, put a long article on its front page.”
By surprising contrast, Kopel says the best coverage was provided by the Colorado Independent, an online newspaper helmed by Cara DeGette, sister of liberal Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette. The Independent provided detailed coverage of the convention, and “on Sunday afternoon, DeGette and Wendy Norris live-blogged the presidential and vice-presidential nominating votes.” Bob Barr, “a candidate of the pragmatist wing, won on the sixth ballot. Wayne Allyn Root, another pragmatist, won the vice-presidential nod.”
Meanwhile, in his column in Colorado’s Sterling Journal-Advocate, George Rice is also critical — but of the Libertarian Party itself. Rice writes, “If we elect the Libertarians, the government won’t restrict our lives in any way. No laws against anything fun or profitable. We can all get cheaply stoned, take out our guns and wipe out what’s left of American culture with impunity. There doesn’t seem to be any explanation in their platform for this dichotomy. But within those borders, there would be chaotic deregulation that fair boggles the mind.” Rice also criticizes the nomination of Barr for president, saying, “If not for his plural political posturing, he would make a presentable candidate. Up to the point where he began to speak.”
As a longtime Libertarian, I am constantly amazed at how Libertarians complain about lack of news coverage.
The simple reality is that we get far more than we merit.
Why didn’t the LP have any actualties? Where were the communications people?
What was the LP doing.
In this modern day, having web videos of the convention, readily available to the media, is a relatively simple matter.
The LP did none of this.
I look to the success or failure of the Barr campaign as having much to do with are they going to “cover” their own campaign, or are they going to ignore the obvious possibilities as they always have done.
It comes down to the Barr people showing they know what is important…and by Barr people, I DO mean the newer Libertarians. The nitwits from National never have shown any knowledge or capacity for things like promotion or proper representation and marketing of candidates.
They are lost…they have no clue.
Fortunately, Barr does have more than the current and former LP HQ mental deficients on his staff…
That was Barr’s main selling point, at least to me. I hope he now shoves the incompetents out the window.
Now that Barr has the nomination, I hope to see a real campaign, on Libertarian principle…and I know the marketing ideas will not be coming from the same people who have held all the LNC and HQ spots…they have no ability.