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i cannot remember a time when there was more fertile ground for the rise of a third party! the rise in popularity of dr ron paul has created huge momentum for the cause. in addition, the failure of both parties to deliver on their promises has left many frustrated and looking for something different.
so how is this momentum being used? imo it isn't. none of the major "libertarian" candidates seem to want to agree to disagree on some minor issues and consolidate to form one powerful voice. i cite barr, baldwin and paul as an example of this split. that has to change, but there also has to be a major change in strategy and they have to start behaving like a credible party.
firstly we have to set goals. i believe the goals should be as follows:
1) get a libertarian candidate running for every electable office in the country. president, senate, congress, governors, state senate and representatives, mayors, property appraisers, councilors etc
2) increase the number of registered members.
3) educating the public as to how our system of government works, how its decisions affect their lives, where the different parties stand on the issues and where the libertarians stand.
4) libertarian leaning candidates should be infiltrating both parties in the way that Ron Paul did in the gop primaries and they way democratic ideals have crept into the republican party.
there are a number of ways to go about this: from a marketing pov, every demographic has to be targeted for new members. every university should start recruiting. debate teams should be set up to debate in schools, universities, town halls etc. 'understanding government' classes should be set up in town halls across the nation to educate the electorate on our system of government. samples of recently passed laws should be disected to illustrate how our leaders are eroding our freedoms. like the dems and gop, there needs to be organised primaries to attract some much needed media attention.
as we are aware, there is very little by way of legislation that doesn't have its consequences. often it is easy to point out what the flaws are. every piece of new legislation should be examined for its flaws and we should point out early on what these flaws are and what the negative consequences will be. it will add to our credibility when these policies start showing cracks.
we should also be examining past legislation and differentiating ourselves and the free market from what dubya thought was the free market. in much the same way we should re-examine the 'failings' of the free market under hoover and the 'success' of central planning under roosevelt and vice versa.
The Libertarian Party did not even pick up 1% of the Presidential vote. Ralph Nadar managed to do that and he's considered a joke.
The US system of election is designed for a two-party system. (It's a winner take all approach at every level) 3rd party runs are doomed to failure.
If I were a Libertarian (and I am on social issues) I would stop tilting at windmills and pick a party you most identify with and work from the inside to get better candidates.
One constitutional amendment would do wonders to bring about a 3-party system. Namely, any party who gets 1% of the presidential vote is guaranteed to one seat in the House. Ten percent of the vote guarantees ten seats, etc. These would be at-large seats, in addition to the number of congressional districts, so the number of house seats would be variable. Just one member of Congress for the Greens or the Libertarians would be a huge foot in the door of the two party system.
However---Ron Paul ran unopposed for re-election. If he had switched and run for his congrssional seat as a Libertarian, he would certainly have won, and maybe still without any opposition. Then there would be a third party member of the House.
As long as the news media does the bidding of the Repub/Dem scumbags and doesn't publicize the fact that there are any 3rd party candidates or what they stand for, there will never be a successful 3rd party candidate in a major race. The news media is pretty much the 4th branch of government and definitely controls what is and isn't said.
one thing i forgot to add. the party should have a look at every piece of legislation and determine who the winners and losers are. an example would be like examining the farm bill. it could be argued that the regulation handicaps small farmers while hugely benefiting large agri business.
58 Robbo I hear you loud and clear but I'm beginning to think the boat has already sailed and we're standing on the dock. We libertarians tend to get caught up in disscussions trying to define things that the MSM won't even go near because they'll bore their viewers to sleep. We just love to discuss Ayn Rand. We will go on and on forever about principals that seem ilrelavent to most folks in these current times. I'm afraid the dumming down of America via the goverment school systems has succeded to the point where we are perhaps doomed. I mean have you seen the youtube Why Barrack Won??... These folks are as uninformed as any 3rd world population and yet they live in a highly media drive culture....
I mourn the passing of Harry Browne. His web site is still up and the radio shows and speeches are all archived. For anyone wanting to find out a bit a libertarians give a listen...he was an excellent spokes person although toward the end IMHO he got too focused on the middle east war...
I got my official Libertarian Party membership card today. First time I ever joined a political party. If any Republican wants my vote they're gonna have to do a hell of a lot better for at least several years.
Hmmm Willy...I've never actually joined....what's the advantages etc and just go to the party web site ???
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