By Shane Goldmacher:
David Patterson is unlikely to be the next senator from Kentucky. He has little money, next to no campaign infrastructure, and is trying to take on Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his well-funded Democratic challenger, Alison Lundergan Grimes. But his shoestring Libertarian candidacy could still shake up one of the nation’s most expensive and consequential races.
Patterson is more than a little aware that being a libertarian cop—”kind of an oxymoron, right?” he says—is unusual. The first thing he tells me when we meet in Harrodsburg is that he prefers the term “peace” officer to “police” officer. “Police is really synonymous with…” he says before cutting himself off. “Well, it’s got a negative tone to it.”
He jaywalks twice across one of Harrodsburg’s busier thoroughfares in the course of a 20-minute walk, as he explains the advantages of libertarian policing. “Wouldn’t it be better to have a police officer who’s a libertarian than a police officer that’s not?” he says. For instance, Patterson says he’s less likely than some to dish out a speeding ticket, so long as the offender isn’t drinking or clearly endangering the public. “Wouldn’t you rather not get a $200-and-something ticket?”
“I try really hard in my work to not cite people,” he says, before adding, “Does that mean I don’t write tickets? No. I still write tickets.”
In the coming weeks, Patterson must turn in 5,000 signatures to get on the November ballot. He and Libertarian Party officials are confident they’ll hit the mark. They’ve raised enough money that, as of two weeks ago, they began deploying paid signature-gatherers.
Read the full article here.
Thanks to William Brackeen for the link.