Posted on 03/28/2002 11:30:11 AM PST by afuturegovernor
The Druidic Candidate
Can California deal with a Druid for governor?
by Victor D. Infante
In a country just now coming to grips with its millions of Muslim residents, and in a county that not long ago freaked out about the construction of a Hindu temple in Buena Park, a Druid running for governor is bound to raise eyebrows. But Libertarian gubernatorial candidate and Druid Gary Copeland doesnt just tolerate the flak: he welcomes it, like a guy who wrote the kick-me note he stuck on his own backeven when the flak is fired by fellow Libertarians.
"It doesnt bother me at all," says Copeland. "Its not an issue with me. Its their issue, not mine. When people speak, they speak for who they are. . . . Its my path to serve, and Im doing that. I know not everyones going to agree, but thats okay."
But everythings not entirely okay. Copeland doesnt mask his annoyance at a Newsweek article that dismissed him as a "whacko" or with postings on a Libertarian e-mail list that chastised him for noting that hes a Druid in the California voters guide, although he didnt note that he once advocated the use of LSD for spiritual purposes.
Indeed, it seems theres unease within the party over Copelands unconventional religious beliefsa "culture of peer pressure," Copeland calls itthat one wouldnt expect from the liberty-loving Libs. Its as if its all right for Copeland to harbor unusual religious beliefs so long as he doesnt talk much about them.
"Since Libertarians are a third party, we find it difficult to be taken seriously or to be considered by voters," says Mark Murphy, director of a group called Libertarian Activists and a former member of the Orange County Libertarian Party Central Committee. "Obviously, we want voters to see we arent any different from many of them. So, when Garywhos a friend of mine, by the waydeclares himself a Druid, theres a concern that trying to be taken seriously just went out the window."
Doug Scribner disagrees. "Im upset that people would find his beliefs a setback to his candidacy. After all, how many Christian politicians openly proclaim their beliefs in ballot guides?" says Scribner, vice chairman of the countys Libertarian Party.
Copeland remains philosophical about the criticism; indeed, he remains philosophical about everything. When you talk to him, hes philosophical at a hundred miles per hour and will frequently answer questions as if hes reading from a Celtic I Ching. Why is he running for governor, for instance? "Because the path brought me here," he says.
It can be kind of frustrating. But beneath it, theres a refreshing sense that Copeland is deeply invested in his beliefs, both as a Druid and a Libertarian.
"Its an asset," he says. "I love my Druidry as much as I love my Libertarianism. I describe myself as an existentialist libertarian Druid. If I cant find an answer from one philosophy, I go to another. Anything thats indefinable, I go to Druidry."
Copeland says Druidry is a Celtic philosophy of magic, similar to the more popular Wicca. Its a circle of logic and spirituality based on the ideal of service to otherslike The Lion King minus the cheesy soundtrack. One of the central tenets of Druidry is that no one should have authority over anyone but himself or herselfa point Copeland illustrates with a reference to The Lord of the Rings, noting that the ring Frodo carries has "so much power that, even if you did good things with it, it would pervert, subvert and seduce you."
"That is the basis of all Celtic philosophy: that absolute power corrupts absolutely."
That idea led Copeland to the steadfastly secular Libertarian Party. Around 1980, Copeland was working with Timothy Learys Brotherhood of Eternal Love to spread the gospel of LSD and enlightenment when he got busted. Fortunately for him, he says, he was screwing the narcotics agent. Not wanting to deal with that, he says, the cops charged him only with low-level possession.
"I was using LSD to be spiritually enlightened," he says. "I was one of those peyote people who for thousands of years had been using hallucinogens to connect to the spiritual world. Who were the cops to tell me I couldnt?"
Soon after, he began running the Orange County branch of NORML, the marijuana-legalization folks, and soon after that, he fell in with the anti-prohibitionist Libertarians. In 1992, he ran for Congress against Dana Rohrabacherhimself a former Libertarianand got killed, garnering just 7.7 percent of the vote. In 96, he ran for county supervisor, beating the Democrat in the racewhich tells you something about the state of the Democratic Party in Orange County. He has worked in computers and recently founded his own company, NextCure, which will distribute information on drugs under FDA review.
None of this really gives him a leg up in the gubernatorial race against überbland rivals Davis and Simon, but Copeland would rather run as he is than tailor his biography and message for the mainstream.
"The problem with most politicians is that theyre pretending to be something theyre not," he says. "Theyre trying to be something outside their natures. They think people wont like them if theyre different. But people like to go to a taco stand and try different tacos. Im not stupid; when I put the Druid thing in, I knew it would be a hook. If I hadnt done it, I wouldnt be talking to you right now."
Governor
Governor
Democrat-Gray Davis
1,593,532
Republican-Bill Simon
1,021,096
American Independent-Reihhold S. Gulke
24,172
Libertarian-Gary David Copeland
17,626
Lt. Governor
Democrat-Cruz M. Bustamante
1,758,511
Republican-Bruce Mc Pherson
1,658,148
American Independent-James D. King
23,144
Green-Donna J. Warren
32,755
Libertarian-Pat Wright
16,992
Secretary of State
Democrat-Kevin Shelley
668,661
Republican-Robert K. Olberg
1,108,243
American Independent-Edward C. Noonan
24,464
Green-Laurence H. Shoup
32,385
Libertarian-Gail K. Lightfoot
17,976
Controller
Democrats-Steve Westly
1,035,529
Republican-Tom McClintock
860,261
American Independent-Ernest F. Vance
23,518
Green-Laura Wells
26,892
Natural Law-J. Carlos Aguirre
4,212
Treasurer
Democrat-Philip Angelides
1,711,711
Republican-Phillip Gregory Conlon
916,262
American Independent-Nathan E. Johnson
23,682
Green-Jeanne-Marie Rosenmeier
32,245
Libertarian-Marian Smithson
17,655
Attorney General
Democrat-Bill Lockyer
1,554,880
Republican-Dick Ackerman
1,664,533
American Independent-Diane B. Templin
24,842
Green-Glen Freeman Mowrer
32,224
Libertarian-Ed Kuwatch
17,541
Insurance Commissioner
Sup. of Public Instruction
U.S. Congress
District 1 99,775 total votes
Democrat-Mike Thompson-59,788 or 60%
Republican-Lawrence R. Wiesner-39,307 or 39%
Libertarian-Kevin Bastian-680 or .7%
District 2 113,954 total votes
Democrat-Mike Johnson-23,949 or 21%
Republican-Wally Herger-65,586 or 58%
Libertarian-Charles R. Martin-657 or .6%
Natural Law-Patrice Thiessen-88 or .07%
District 3 102505 total votes
Democrat-Howard Beeman-38,730 or 38%
Republican-Doug Ose-62,268 or 61%
Libertarian-Douglas Arthur Tuma-507 or .5%
District 4 132,939 total votes
Democrat-Mark A. Norberg-41,266 or 31%
Republican-John T. Doolittle-70,386 or 53%
Libertarian-Allen M. Roberts-662 or .05%
District 5 66,730 total votes
Democrat-Robert T. Matsui-44,628 or 67%
Republican-Richard Frankhuizen-21,845 or 33%
Libertarian-Timothy E. Roloff -257 or .04%
District 6 110,441 total votes
Democrat-Lynn Woolsey-59,877 80.6 or
Republican-Paul L. Erickson-35,201 or
Libertarian-Richard Barton-613 or
Reform-Jeff Rainforth-262 or
With a Druid/Ferret combo, Libertarians really have their eyes on the Big Issues in CA politics. I'm sure they'll make a clean sweep in the elections -- not!
I wonder how much $$ he owed the candidate.
I not only answered your question I tried to give a couple of examples of the crap I've been reading on FR here lately. Was my answer not acceptable, or are you trying to pick a fight again Irish?
You can call your half-hearted, semi-admission that you were wrong to blame Libertarians for all the posts critical of Bush an answer if you'd like to. It looked like a bald-faced lie to me or at least an idiotic statement made without thinking.
In answer to your question, I am a registered Republican who thinks too many Libertarians are whacky.
Haha!
All religions, new or old, are "... complete fabrications churned up by fanciful, over-imaginative individuals...."
So instead of .001% of the vote he gets .01% of the vote?
I thought we already were!
Remember, this is California. And a lot of Californians have positive feelings towards Druids and Wiccans (and anybody else who's "unconventional"). And of those who are so favorably inclined, I'd venture to guess that a much higher percentage are Democrats than Republicans. And a lot of those Democrats are rather disenchanted with Gray Davis, but they could never bring themselves to vote for Bill Simon.
So for all of you Bill Simon fans, wouldn't it be nice if a substantial number of potential Davis votes went instead to Gary Copeland? This is a case in which the Libertarian could easily end up siphoning off far more Democratic votes than Republican votes. Perhaps you should all be thinking of ways to promote Gary's candidacy (in a well-targeted fashion).
Not quite that small. The Libertarian candidate for Governor in 1998 got 0.9% of the vote. And the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in 2000 got 1.8% of the vote.
I was quoting facts, sir. The above is merely your opinion.
Hardly. "Old" religions have had 1000's of years to prove their claims -- and have failed miserably to do so.
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