Party's new director appeals for 'second American revolution'

www.l[.org ^ | 6.3.03 | libertarian party

[freepatriot32]

The incoming executive director for the nation's third-largest political party is issuing a bold appeal to the American electorate: Help us fire the government.

"There are just two things standing in between the American people and their freedom: Democrats, and Republicans," says Joe Seehusen, incoming head of the Washington, DC-based party. "Government at all levels has become too big and too bossy, and it's time to cut it down to size."

Seehusen, 50, comes to the party with a background in business, media, and politics, and ran for U.S. Congress in 2000 from Iowa's Third District. He plans to put that experience to work building a political party large enough to "fire the government" by electing Libertarians to statehouses around the country and ultimately to governorships and Congress.

"By most objective standards, the Libertarian Party is the nation's largest and most successful alternative party in history –- and therefore the only one with a realistic chance of challenging either of the two older parties in the near future," said Seehusen, who listed the following "political indicators":

* Number of officeholders: Currently 340 Libertarians hold elective office, more than all other third parties combined.

* Number of candidates: During the 2002 election cycle, the party ran 1,642 candidates, the largest slate of third party candidates since before World War II.

* Number of voters: 3,424,123 people cast at least one Libertarian vote on Election Day, 2002. Libertarian House candidates have earned 1 million votes for two election cycles in a row -- making it the only party in history other than the Democrats and Republicans to have done so.

* Ballot status: A Libertarian presidential candidate has appeared on all 50 state ballots for the last three election cycles. No other third party has done so twice.

* Impact on national elections: Libertarian candidates have been credited with controlling the outcome of several gubernatorial and Senatorial elections in the past two years.

"Of course, no one can guarantee that we'll be able to break up the duopoly created by the Democrats and Republicans," he said. "But over the next few election cycles, Libertarians clearly have the potential to break through on the federal level, and I'm asking every American who wants smaller government to help us achieve that."

What should be clear to everyone is that the nation will benefit from having a real choice at the polls, he added.

"Republicans and Democrats have been running this country for decades, and they're running it right into the ground," he said. "They have racked up over $7 trillion in debt, squandered trillions more on welfare programs that leave the poor worse off than before, created a phony retirement fund filled with IOUs, jailed hundreds of thousands of Americans for victimless crimes, waged war around the globe, and taxed, regulated and plundered the people they're supposed to be serving.

"Thomas Jefferson said, 'God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion' -- and by that standard we are 200 years overdue. It's time to ignite a peaceful, second American revolution, and restore our heritage of freedom."

[Gopher Broke]

Then there is that nagging problem....voting Libertarian is the SAME as voting demoncRAT.

[Malcolm]

Could not have said it better. I hate the LP.....

[Sloth]

Party's new director appeals for 'second American revolution'

We had one, in the 1860s. It failed.

[Ohioan]

Having the Libertarian option is far more advantage than problem for the Conservative Republican. Obviously, if the Republican candidate is sufferable, the Libertarian candidate will garner only an insignificant vote. If the Republican candidate, on the other hand, displays a cavalier indifference to basic American principles, it is important that one have an option, other than simply staying at home, or not voting for the particular office. (There are still a few Constitution respecting Democrats around, but there is not likely to be one running in one's particular district--they have become such a rarity, lately.)

And guess what? If the milktoast variety of Republicans get the message that they cannot take the Conservative voter for granted, there will be less milktoast Republicans running for office.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[Nonstatist]

I've talked to this guy and he insists in private that the Libertarians draw equally from both Democrats and Republicans..... Of course, if you believe that, Ive got this bridge...

[Rifleman]

The Republicans can have 90% of the Libertarian (and libertarian) vote. Just reduce the size and intrusiveness of government and abide by the Constitution. The LP would be history in one election cycle.

[Redcloak]

...voting Libertarian is the SAME as voting demoncRAT.

When the GOP controlled House and Senate expand an already bloated government, the same could be said of voting Republican. (Unless there's some distinction between big government cheese that's spread on from right to left rather than left to right that I'm missing.)

[JohnnyZ]

3,424,123 people cast at least one Libertarian vote on Election Day, 2002.

I voted for a good local guy for county commission in 2002, 'cause Republicans only nominated 2 candidates with brains and one dope. If he had run as a Republican we might could have taken all 3 at-large seats; we ended up with 2.

Libertarian candidates have been credited with controlling the outcome of several gubernatorial and Senatorial elections in the past two years.

Yes, they're quite good at getting Democrats elected.

[ikka]

Anhone here familiar with the Constitution Party ?

[RayBob]

"* Impact on national elections: Libertarian candidates have been credited with controlling the outcome of several gubernatorial and Senatorial elections in the past two years. "

Yeah...by getting the democrat candidate elected.

[american spirit]

I've picked up some of their material at a couple gatherings which seemed to be a very good America First agenda. They seem pretty low-key right now, looks like they could use an injection of some Freepers to light up their life.

[Malcolm]

I am familiar with the Conservative Party, and although I would not vote for it, I could understand if other conservatives voted for it. Its a wasted vote, but a real conscience vote.

LOL, no one votes for the LP out of "conscience." They vote against other parties, not for the LP. Look as some of the reasoning above if you don't believe that. Plus, hardcore LP disciples post here, trying to lure away true conservatives to vote for the LP, a party that is hardly conservative. They only bequile the ignorant. The utter deceptiveness of those LP operatives would keep me from ever voting LP....

[FierceDraka]

The county where I used to live (Hendricks County, IN) has a two-party system. During the 200 election, the only parties who fielded local candidates were the Republicans and Libertarians. I voted Republican for Federal and state offices, Libertarian for county and local.

[gcruse]

I am a libertarian. Until the LP drops their open borders and pacifist foreign policies, they will get nowhere.

[RJCogburn]

voting Libertarian is the SAME as voting demoncRAT.

That is, of course, incorrect. It is the same as not voting.

[RJCogburn]

I am a libertarian. Until the LP drops their open borders and pacifist foreign policies, they will get nowhere.

I also went from L to l. Not only will they need those changes you mention, they need fewer wackos, fewer people more interested in personal agendas and bits of a very small power pie.

I am afraid that 'an idea whose time has come' has missed it's political opportunity as a separate party.

[jwalsh07]

I am a libertarian. Until the LP drops their open borders and pacifist foreign policies, they will get nowhere.

And then there was light....

[Young Rhino]

I am a libertarian. Until the LP drops their open borders and pacifist foreign policies, they will get nowhere.

Well said.

[gcruse]

And then there was light....

9/11 changed everything.  Libertarianism as currently constructed,
cannot coexist with the war on terror.  The challenge we face now
is to make sure liberty herself can coexist with the WOT.