# Liberty Movement > Liberty Campaigns > Liberty Campaign Evaluation >  Campaign Evaluation: Nick Zoller (U.S. House, FL-13)

## CG1976

This thread is intended to be a collection point of the strong pros and cons of any potential liberty candidate / campaign that is being discussed / promoted on the forum. You are welcome to post both positive and not-so-positive attributes about the candidate as they related to their position on supporting liberty as well as issues relating to their campaign. The most important information may be aggregated in this top post for easy reference.

*Candidate Name:* Nick Zoller
*Office Sought:* U.S. House, Florida's 13th Congressional District
*Website:* http://www.zollerforcongress.com/
*Social Media:* Facebook | Twitter

*Candidate Profile: On the Issues*
Civil Liberties: [Rating TBD]
Constitutional Issues: [Rating TBD]
Economic Issues: [Rating TBD]
Foreign Policy: [Rating TBD]
Social Issues: [Rating TBD]
*Overall Issues Rating:* [Rating TBD]

*Race Profile: Competition & Demographics*
State: Florida
District: 13
Incumbent: Bill Young (R) - Will not seek re-election.
Other Primary Candidates: Larry Crow
Non-Incumbent Candidates from Other Parties: Jessica Ehrich
Cook PVI: R+1 (leans Republican)
Relevant poll numbers: None
*Overall Race Profile Rating:* [Rating TBD]

*Miscellaneous Pros/Cons*
Key strong points:

Unknown points for further research:

Possible weak points:

Possible deal breakers:

*Overall Rating:* [Rating TBD]

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## CG1976

"*Economy & Regulations*Government should not decide how citizens and businesses spend their time and money. The excessive regulations hurt nearly all individuals and businesses, while benefiting special interests who are able to lobby for favorable legislation. Expansive regulations generally benefit a few large corporations and punish thousands of small businesses that do not have the resources to comply. Government can best help the economy by making regulations simple, and letting businesses stand or fail on their own merit."

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## mz10

I got nervous when I saw that he helped Scott Brown, but I love that he's coming out so hard against the PATRIOT Act and CISPA. Sounds like someone who could really win and is worth our time and money.

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## Smart3

> I got nervous when I saw that he helped Scott Brown, but I love that he's coming out so hard against the PATRIOT Act and CISPA. Sounds like someone who could really win and is worth our time and money.


helping Brown isn't exactly a mortal sin. Not like he helped Ayotte.

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## CG1976

> helping Brown isn't exactly a mortal sin. Not like he helped Ayotte.


Plus we have to remember he was employed as a political consultant, and based on his issues page he definitely doesn't agree with brown on much. Plus working for Schiff that's pretty legit. Lets get tons of small donations coming in to this guy from around the country, show them a real liberty front runner and are there PACs we could email?

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## compromise

This is a great chance to get another liberty Congressman. It's a red open seat.

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## CG1976

> This is a great chance to get another liberty Congressman. It's a red open seat.


Did some research and it looks like the county has a libertarian friendly gop voting base, especially in crowded primaries. Ron Paul supporter Dan Tucker is the state committeeman from Pinellas county and won a 3 way race with over 40% of the vote last year to defeat a liberal incumbent. Who's going to join me in donating $10 online?

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## Smart3

Zoller is gay? Why didn't you mention that? We have even more reason to support him, as a gay man who doesn't support big government.

http://atr.rollcall.com/gay-republic...or-young-seat/

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## CG1976

I didn't know, his issues page basically just says federal government shouldn't get into the marriage issue. I don't see anything but roll call that discusses him being gay, but who cares as long as he is right on the issues.

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## Spoa

He sounds like a great candidate. Love that he opposes subsidies as well:




> All forms of energy production should be allowed, and none should be given special benefits. Energy subsidies make no sense. Subsidizing inefficient energy production is simply wasteful and ineffective. It requires higher taxes, locks in old technologies, and unfairly punishes entrepreneurs and inventors who do not have friends in government. Energy sources that truly meet the demands of consumers will thrive in the marketplace over time and do not need government handouts to be viable.

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## Brian4Liberty

What is Nick's position on the Iranian threat?

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## CG1976

I don't see a specific stance on Iran. Here's his military stance "National defense is the most critical function of the federal government, as provided in the United States Constitution. The exclusive power of Congress to declare war must be respected, and executive reactions to imminent dangers must not be allowed to drag on without the express authorization of Congress."

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## Brian4Liberty

> I don't see a specific stance on Iran. Here's his military stance "National defense is the most critical function of the federal government, as provided in the United States Constitution. The exclusive power of Congress to declare war must be respected, and executive reactions to imminent dangers must not be allowed to drag on without the express authorization of Congress."


Not terrible, but this has become a standard response to a certain extent. I'm not one to freak out about Ted Cruz, but my guess is that we will have a lot more candidates in the future that are more like Ted than Ron Paul. A slight difference in "Purity" level.

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## CG1976

When I spoke to Nick he said he's always aligned more with Ron Paul on the issues.

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## CG1976

I'm a Ron Paul guy myself, I am not a huge Cruz fan but he's better than most.

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## Brian4Liberty

> I'm a Ron Paul guy myself, I am not a huge Cruz fan but he's better than most.


Cruz managed to keep his true foreign policy hidden until a very recent speech. He avoided any in depth discussion for a long time. Lesson learned for future candidate vetting.

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## CG1976

You should e-mail his campaign with the specifics on what you want answered and he will answer it: info@zollerforcongress.com

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## Bastiat's The Law

> Not terrible, but this has become a standard response to a certain extent. I'm not one to freak out about Ted Cruz, but my guess is that we will have a lot more candidates in the future that are more like Ted than Ron Paul. A slight difference in "Purity" level.


Our liberty candidates have to phrase it that way otherwise they will be labeled as pacifists who wouldn't defend the country.

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## MelissaWV

> Cruz managed to keep his true foreign policy hidden until a very recent speech. He avoided any in depth discussion for a long time. Lesson learned for future candidate vetting.


I think it's also important to keep in mind that this is Florida.  It is nearly impossible to get people elected to national office here who have anything near a Ron Paul sort of stance.  That makes this an even more valuable opportunity.

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## CG1976

Exactly if we help this guy with his fundraising there's a real opening - especially with a crowded primary

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## Brian4Liberty

> Our liberty candidates have to phrase it that way otherwise they will be labeled as pacifists who wouldn't defend the country.


No way to find the truth? They can just as easily be hiding a neo-conservative foreign policy.

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## Brian4Liberty

Here is a long interview with Nick. You will want to jump forward about halfway to get to it.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/dontworry/dwatg_217B.mp3

He is self-described as a "moderate Republican", and seems to be more Jeb Bush than Ron Paul.

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## Brian4Liberty

> He sounds like a great candidate. Love that he opposes subsidies as well:


You may want to re-read this entire Twitter thread, which you participated in:

https://twitter.com/TerriLLand/statu...97593163993091

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## CG1976

Looks like he said he doesn't want to go to war with Syria and only wants to diplomatically get control of chem weapons which the UN is doing. What's wrong with that?

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## CG1976

> Here is a long interview with Nick. You will want to jump forward about halfway to get to it.
> 
> https://s3.amazonaws.com/dontworry/dwatg_217B.mp3
> 
> He is self-described as a "moderate Republican", and seems to be more Jeb Bush than Ron Paul.


Do we know if the radio appearances he was making were linked to his work as a consultant and pundit? I don't know that I'd call him a Bush - the things he says when asked policy question don't sound Bush-esque. I emailed today and he promptly answered my concerns about military issues.

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## MelissaWV

> Here is a long interview with Nick. You will want to jump forward about halfway to get to it.
> 
> https://s3.amazonaws.com/dontworry/dwatg_217B.mp3
> 
> He is self-described as a "moderate Republican", and seems to be more Jeb Bush than Ron Paul.


You and I normally get along, but really wtf... hey I know!  Let's nitpick and leave this opportunity for the usual Florida candidate to slip right in and make things worse or at least keep them the same.  :>

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## malkusm

Had to use some creative moderating to get the OP to reflect what I wanted here - but all substantive conversation from the other thread has been moved here. Let's try to put some scores down on issues and come to some sort of consensus. This is precisely the type of thing this Campaign Evaluation forum was meant to handle.

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## CG1976

Civil Liberties: Even as we maintain our national defense, we must protect our civil liberties. I will lead the fight against big-government initiatives like the Patriot Act, SOPA, and CISPA. The 2012 NDAA allows the President to indefinitely detain anyone on U.S. soil, including American citizens, without charge or trial on the mere accusation that they are “associated” with terrorists. Police-state laws like the one attached to the NDAA run contrary to everything our country stands for.
Constitutional Issues: We must defend the Second Amendment just as vigorously as we defend the rest of the United States Constitution. The right to keep and bear arms is the surest safeguard against violations of our liberty. The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The federal government should not improperly apply the General Welfare Clause, the Commerce Clause, or the Necessary and Proper Clause to justify regulating activities that are not within its authority. Individuals have certain unalienable rights, and the Ninth Amendment ensures that all of our rights are protected, even if they are not among those specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights. I oppose legislative acts that unconstitutionally grow government and threaten our liberty.
Economic Issues: Government spending is out of control, and we can reduce tax rates if we reduce spending. But there are also too many large corporations paying little or no federal income tax. Government should end the unfair, wasteful practice of picking winners and losers in our economy through subsidies and targeted tax breaks. Individuals who have paid into these programs for much of their lives have made decisions based on promised benefits, and those promises should be kept. For younger people, such as those in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, these mandatory spending programs are unsustainable and unreliable. We must begin to phase in significant reforms for the benefit of future generations. Government should not decide how citizens and businesses spend their time and money. The excessive regulations hurt nearly all individuals and businesses, while benefiting special interests who are able to lobby for favorable legislation. Expansive regulations generally benefit a few large corporations and punish thousands of small businesses that do not have the resources to comply. Government can best help the economy by making regulations simple, and letting businesses stand or fail on their own merit.
Foreign Policy: 
Social Issues: The proper function of government is to protect individual rights. I believe life begins at conception, and it is unconscionable that government would sanction the taking of the helpless and innocent. I will always vote against government funding of abortion.
Our most important unit of government is the family. When larger units of government attempt to supplant the family, we must say no. I believe that marriage is a private, religious institution that should not be defined or redefined by the federal government.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     --- All information pulled from zollerforcongress.com/issues

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## Brian4Liberty

> You and I normally get along, but really wtf... hey I know!  Let's nitpick and leave this opportunity for the usual Florida candidate to slip right in and make things worse or at least keep them the same.  :>


Did you listen to the interview? And vetting candidates is "nitpicking"?

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## CG1976

I listened to it, I still believe that interview is more related to his positions for his punditry/consultant career which he obviously got paid to represent interests which weren't necessarily his own beliefs... I truly believe he's a libertarian at his core, maybe you need to meet him shake his hand and look him in the eye, but I am telling you he is a LIBERTARIAN completely.

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## Imperial

2010 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Alex Sink is also considering a run here.

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## Brian4Liberty

> Here is a long interview with Nick. You will want to jump forward about halfway to get to it.
> 
> https://s3.amazonaws.com/dontworry/dwatg_217B.mp3
> 
> He is self-described as a "moderate Republican", and seems to be more Jeb Bush than Ron Paul.


For those who haven't listened, here are a few highlights with timestamps (descriptions are paraphrased, listen to audio get it first-hand instead of through my slow and poor transcription): 

20:00 Worked for Lisa Murkowski, then Bobby Jindal. Wants to be a positive voice to counter-act the more fringe elements in GOP who aren't solving problems. Fringe is so caught up in ideological beliefs that they aren't willing to come to the table and discuss differences with political opponents to find common ground, otherwise gridlock, nothing gets solved. I am a moderate Republican, and we need to find common ground to solve problems.

23:00 Schiff is libertarian, almost capitalistic in his beliefs, in the same wheelhouse as Ron and Rand Paul. People open to Ron Paul and Schiff because of monetary policy, and why should people be told what to do in their personal homes. But now "Tea Party" has started injecting social issues.

27:00 We are in civil liberties moment, not libertarian. People don't want government in private affairs.

28:20 Libertarian Party appeals to those fed-up with government. (As opposed to GOP moderates)

30:00 GOP needs to get out of social issues. Out of bedroom, out of Doctor's office, to get civil liberties voters back. Government out of wallet, bedroom and medical decisions.

(2016 Presidential analysis from Nick starts. May reflect his analysis more than his beliefs, never know for sure.)

36:45 Chris Christie slammed libertarians and Rand Paul, smart move for where he stands. Christie can't get Wall St. donations as sitting Governor, needs to resign, but like Sarah Palin, people may not like him quitting Governor. 

39:10 Rubio not legitimate contender for 2016, Jeb Bush will take his support and donors. Jeb wins 75% of the time. Ted Cruz may also take Hispanic voters from Rubio.

41:00 Can Rand Paul keep his momentum? No. His policies and beliefs are too similar to his father's, and Republican voters will not go with those beliefs. GOP still believes in giving up civil liberties (TSA, for example) for some safety. Rand's opposition to TSA will hurt him.

43:30 Rand is libertarian leaning, some issues he has been willing to work with leadership. He is more of a team player, but his past statements put him on a fine line.

44:44 Jeb Bush has best chance of winning GOP nomination. In the General, the only chance GOP has to win is Condoleeza Rice. She is moderate, senior, female, minority. GOP hasn't done itself any favors with ideology.

46:30 Host: Abortion and immigration make GOP look terrible. Nick: Personally, I'm pro-life, but I have no right to push my beliefs on others. Not sure how GOP gets away from that issue. Let Doctor's make healthcare decisions.

49:30 Nick: On immigration, some GOP House comments are borderline racist. Legal immigration good, schools need more money to handle legal and illegal immigration. Must give amnesty, can't round up all illegal migrants to deport them. National security experts need to have information on all immigrants for national security. Illegals are not registered. Common sense to have comprehensive immigration reform.

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## CG1976

So it looks like he was just providing an analysis more than giving his personal beliefs.

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## Brian4Liberty

I believe that Nick's time with Peter Schiff has given him a good background in free markets and avoiding government regulation and other interference in the market.

https://twitter.com/NickZoller/statu...21080176746496

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## CG1976

We are in dire need of that.

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## CG1976

Zoller tore into congress tonight on twitter over debt and the budget.

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## compromise

I hope this guy isn't another Richard Tisei or Chris Gibson.

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## CG1976

I highly doubt he is.

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## muzzled dogg

> 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Alex Sink is also considering a run here.


this would suck

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## CG1976

Yeah it's pretty doubtful that she runs though

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## MelissaWV

Well this just got serious, since Young is dead and all...

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## CG1976

Zoller suspended his campaign for a week to mourn Young's death. Per twitter. Personally I just gave him another $25.

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## CG1976

Bump. Kind of seems as though discussion has subsided.

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## malkusm

Poll for overall rating will be added on Monday (10/28). OP will also be updated at that time.

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## TaftFan

I'm confused about all the (perhaps perceived on my part) enthusiasm for this guy. Can somebody give me more information than anecdotal evidence?

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## CG1976

Sure. I've done a lot of research. What would u like to know?

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## CG1976

Also as a note - he's supporting Paul Broun for Senate.

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## malkusm

Poll is now open. Please vote within the next 2 weeks.

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## Brian4Liberty

> You may want to re-read this entire Twitter thread, which you participated in:
> 
> https://twitter.com/TerriLLand/statu...97593163993091


At the time of the Syria "crisis", Nick tweeted the following. Apparently he was concerned about Syria's chemical weapons. Would this translate into a vote for action to be taken against Syria?




> .@TerriLLand Leaving chemical weapons isnt an option, a simple 'no' isnt a plan. Be a leader & have a plan to remove chem weapons. #MISEN





> @culli39 I don't want us in the civil war, I want chem weapons and biological agents removed bc they could ultimately be a threat to us


https://twitter.com/NickZoller/statu...02484091932672

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## Brian4Liberty

He seems like a nice guy. He seems like he is good on civil rights and privacy.

Concerns:

The politicians he has associated with in the past have been very mainstream GOP. IMHO, his foreign policy would be more Rubio than Ron Paul. Same with immigration. He supports public schools a bit too much. He describes himself as a moderate Republican, that opposes "fringe elements" in the GOP, and wants to find common ground and work together. Seems like a person who would be in the Boehner/Ryan camp.

Not sure how much he would be in agreement with Ron Paul when it comes to actual votes.

He is a bit young, and this will be a crowded Primary by the time it's done. Odds of winning the Primary are low, IMO.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida...election,_2014

The race per Wikipedia (Nick's campaign may want to fix this):




> Republican primary
> 
> Candidates
> 
> Potential
> 
> Rick Baker, former Mayor of St. Petersburg[1][3]
> Neil Brickfield, former Pinellas County Commissioner[4]
> George Cretekos, Mayor of Clearwater[4]
> ...


Edit: Nick could very well be the most "liberty-oriented" candidate in that long list, but purity may not be very high in comparison to Ron Paul.

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## CG1976

He isn't running in the special election, he is running in the regularly scheduled primary. That's per the Tampa bay times. There are obvious hurdles for liberty candidates in a special election if they aren't already elected officials. He still has a short time until August and is our best chance in the state of Florida so I really hope you guys get behind him. Yes, he's a young candidate but he's knowledgable on the issues, and is a breath of fresh air for a body of inept careerists. Just my two, or three cents.

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## muzzled dogg

was there confusion that he was running in a special election?

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## CG1976

No, Bill Young died so there will be a special and a regular election next year. Nick Zoller evidently opted to run in the regularly scheduled election and not the special election.

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## Brian4Liberty

> was there confusion that he was running in a special election?


Not anymore. It appears he is waiting for next year, when there will be a new incumbent.

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## Brian4Liberty

Apparently this will be the highest profile (and biggest money) House campaign in the nation. I am still not clear as to whether there will be two elections next year for this seat, or just one. Haven't been able to find a source which talks about two elections.

http://watchdog.org/111912/democrats...essional-race/

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## CG1976

There have to be two elections. One to fill remainder of current term then one to fill the next term. Also based on the current environment the special heavily favors a well funded democrat.

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## Brian4Liberty

> There have to be two elections. One to fill remainder of current term then one to fill the next term.


Do have documentation on that? I am not familiar with the specific law there in Florida.

It seems like a waste to have two elections months apart, but I know that some States do that. Do some States only have one when they are close together?

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## Brian4Liberty

This candidate was brought to us by CG1976, who is a brand new member, with no track record of being a Ron Paul supporter. All this user has done here is promote Nick.

Edit: just pointing out the obvious.

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## Brian4Liberty

My current opinion on Nick is that he seems like a nice enough guy, who has been influenced to a certain extent on economics by Peter Schiff, and civil liberties by Ron Paul. On the other hand, he seems to be a get along GOP traditionalist, more like Jeb Bush or Paul Ryan. Would this translate into Congressional votes that would match up with Ron Paul? No way to know for sure, but experience dictates that usually a zombie-bite happens pretty quickly with this profile. A voting record would be very helpful. New candidates with no voting record are difficult to evaluate, and sometimes it comes down to gut feel.

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## CG1976

Look, I'm just advocating for a candidate I believe in. I knew of the forums and thoughts you guys might be willing to help.

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## compromise

http://congress.freedomworks.org/leg...s/justin-amash
Would Zoller, if he were in Congress, have received over 70% on this scorecard?

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## Brian4Liberty

> http://congress.freedomworks.org/leg...s/justin-amash
> Would Zoller, if he were in Congress, have received over 70% on this scorecard?


No way to know. The problem with a candidate with no voting record is that they haven't been "in the battlefield" yet. How will they react to pressure from leadership? Kerry Bentivolio folded right away.

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## Brian4Liberty

> Look, I'm just advocating for a candidate I believe in. I knew of the forums and thoughts you guys might be willing to help.


That's fine. Nothing personal, just pointing out that this is your only interaction and you have no history here on the forum.

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## CG1976

Ok, also we all bitch and moan about careerists yet it's bad someone hasn't voted on legislation?

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## malkusm

Bump - another 3 days or so to vote in the poll

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## CG1976

May I ask the basis of the 1 rating votes?

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## jurgs01

> May I ask the basis of the 1 rating votes?


Don't worry.  These forums aren't the end all be all for candidate approval.  For people who can separate the wheat from the chaff, they are a goldmine though.  There are a lot of people who are (rightfully) wary about people using the liberty movement to get elected and then getting thrown aside one that person is in power.

I personally just say that is probably going to happen, but then we just re-do our scoreboards and start again next year.  If I can get two wins out of three, that's two more wins than I was getting a few years ago

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## neverseen

Put this on another thread, but I think it fits better on this one:

Hi Guys, I'm Tim Rodocker, VC of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Tampa Bay based out of St. Petersburg in Pinellas County. We had Nick Zoller and David Jolly speak and do a Q and A at our meeting yesterday.

Nick Zoller came off as a flat out Ron Paul guy. (AKA, he knew what crowd he was speaking too... you'll see in the video)

David Jolly came off as nearly a Rand Paul type. I'd like to have some more conversations with him on the side to see if he really is, but he's getting a LOT of support locally from all aspects of the local GOP. He also told the local GOP king pins to stuff it, which is a good sign. Rumor has it that he wouldn't kiss the rings.

There are 2 races for CD13 now.

David Jolly is up against carpet bagger Alex Sink from out of town for the CD13 special election in March 2014.. There currently is no one else in the race.

Nick Zoller is up against a slew of people in the standard primary election for August 2014. David Jolly may well be one that he's up against.

Feel free to message me if you want to be involved locally with all the Ron/Rand guys. We've gotten pretty well organized since the primary sign waves and sign bombs.

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## neverseen

Okay, I decided to release these vids as they may help in seeing who RPF supports in the race.  Sorry about the cam quality and for cutting off the very end of Zoller's Q and A.  We weren't using our normal HD cam.

Jolly went first:




Zoller up next:

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## Brian4Liberty

> Okay, I decided to release these vids as they may help in seeing who RPF supports in the race.  Sorry about the cam quality and for cutting off the very end of Zoller's Q and A.  We weren't using our normal HD cam.


Jolly is a no-go.

What did we miss on Zoller's Q&A?

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## Brian4Liberty

> May I ask the basis of the 1 rating votes?


The day I voted there was discussion about weighing the odds of winning when picking a rating. Putting everything into one rating is a little difficult (apples and oranges together). My opinion was that Zoller doesn't have much of a chance. But he would be higher up on purity. Probably give him a three on that. This was the only poll where I took into account odds. Can't change it now.

I prefer more detailed polls, with multiple options. For example:




> Choose ALL that apply:
> 
> I would vote for Zoller.
> I would promote Zoller (social media, friends, etc).
> I would endorse Zoller.
> I would donate to Zoller.
> I would volunteer for Zoller.
> Zoller has little to no chance of winning.
> Zoller has a decent chance.
> Zoller will win easily.

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## neverseen

> Jolly is a no-go.
> 
> What did we miss on Zoller's Q&A?


Let the gov shut down if that's what it takes.
Will release a plan soon to fix the budget/debt (no details).
End the fed, not audit it.
End the department of Education.
No drones in the US.
End war on drugs.

He sounded like a Ron Paul guy talking to a Ron Paul group, which is what it was.  He was asked mostly the same questions as Jolly which were all pretty easy for Zoller to answer with Ron Paul sound bites.  His answers were very short and to the point about the topics above. 

Keep in mind, Jolly and Zoller are not facing off in March.  They are on separate elections.  We are not interested in losing the seat to Alex Sink in March so I imagine support will be crazy heavy locally (GOP wide) for Jolly up front.  Most of the liberty guys are starting to back Zoller either way.  I say most, because there are a small number that are sceptical about Zoller, although they have no real reasons when asked why.  Just feelings they get.  Zoller is easily the Ron Paul guy out of the huge field of people that's names have surfaced.  The only other one to consider liberty wise would be Lucas Overby from the LP.

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## neverseen

Any positions you want me to specifically get an answer on from him?

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## Brian4Liberty

> What is Nick's position on the Iranian threat?





> Here is a long interview with Nick. You will want to jump forward about halfway to get to it.
> 
> https://s3.amazonaws.com/dontworry/dwatg_217B.mp3
> 
> He is self-described as a "moderate Republican", and seems to be more Jeb Bush than Ron Paul.





> For those who haven't listened, here are a few highlights with timestamps (descriptions are paraphrased, listen to audio get it first-hand instead of through my slow and poor transcription): 
> 
> 20:00 Worked for Lisa Murkowski, then Bobby Jindal. Wants to be a positive voice to counter-act the more fringe elements in GOP who aren't solving problems. Fringe is so caught up in ideological beliefs that they aren't willing to come to the table and discuss differences with political opponents to find common ground, otherwise gridlock, nothing gets solved. I am a moderate Republican, and we need to find common ground to solve problems.
> ...
> 49:30 Nick: On immigration, some GOP House comments are borderline racist. Legal immigration good, schools need more money to handle legal and illegal immigration. Must give amnesty, can't round up all illegal migrants to deport them. National security experts need to have information on all immigrants for national security. Illegals are not registered. Common sense to have comprehensive immigration reform.





> Any positions you want me to specifically get an answer on from him?


See above, from this thread.

- stance on Iran?
- what does he mean when he says he is a "moderate Republican" who wants to "find common ground"?
- does he support the Senate (Gang of 8) immigration reform? Where does he stand on immigration?
- how much more money will schools need?

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## neverseen

> See above, from this thread.
> 
> - stance on Iran?
> - what does he mean when he says he is a "moderate Republican" who wants to "find common ground"?
> - does he support the Senate (Gang of 8) immigration reform? Where does he stand on immigration?
> - how much more money will schools need?


Okay, will see what I can dig up.  As for the moderate... I'd assume he's talking socially moderate based off his sexuality and looking for common ground on social issues in the LGBT community.  Could be 100% wrong, but that'd be my gut feeling.  

I didn't rewatch the entire video, just the Q and A.  He did mention that the issue with the student loan bubble is federal involvement/backing of loans and as part of ending the dept of ed he'd like to have free market loans, not fed backed.

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## Brian4Liberty

> Okay, will see what I can dig up.  As for the moderate... I'd assume he's talking socially moderate based off his sexuality and looking for common ground on social issues in the LGBT community.  Could be 100% wrong, but that'd be my gut feeling.  
> 
> I didn't rewatch the entire video, just the Q and A.  He did mention that the issue with the student loan bubble is federal involvement/backing of loans and as part of ending the dept of ed he'd like to have free market loans, not fed backed.


This is the audio interview you would need to listen to. I posted some time stamps in earlier posts:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/dontworry/dwatg_217B.mp3

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## neverseen

> This is the audio interview you would need to listen to. I posted some time stamps in earlier posts:
> 
> https://s3.amazonaws.com/dontworry/dwatg_217B.mp3


Saw it... will do.

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## neverseen

It's pretty easy to get him to talk about annnnything on twitter, BTW.  Feel free to tweet him for additional info you are looking for.  Looks like what I suspected for "moderate."  




> RLC of Tampa Bay @RLCTB
> @NickZoller , I understand you consider yourself a Moderate Republican.  How do you define Moderate?  What issue stances?
> 
> Nick Zoller @NickZoller
> @RLCTB I have said that, I'm moderate on social issues compared to most republicans because I don't believe govt should be involved in them
> 
> Nick Zoller @NickZoller
> @RLCTB Conservative on fiscal issues, very strict constitutionalist for the most part.
> 
> ...


Our friends at www.LibertyTampaBay.com will also be sending out a issue stance email to each of the candidates as well.  They will cover things that fit into these types of cats: 


> Civil Liberties: [Rating TBD]
> Constitutional Issues: [Rating TBD]
> Economic Issues: [Rating TBD]
> Foreign Policy: [Rating TBD]
> Social Issues: [Rating TBD]

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## neverseen

No worries, I was bored so I started tweeting him.  I'll bump into him and talk with him in person and/or through email as well.  Please don't think I'm just tweeting and done.  I just know he's a tweeter

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## CG1976

Just tried to watch the videos, both say they're private and won't play...

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## Brian4Liberty

> RLC of Tampa Bay @RLCTB
> @NickZoller , I understand you consider yourself a Moderate Republican. How do you define Moderate? What issue stances?
> 
> Nick Zoller @NickZoller
> @RLCTB I have said that, I'm moderate on social issues compared to most republicans because I don't believe govt should be involved in them


Interesting. His use of the term "moderate" without any qualification was very vague, and could mean many things. In the interview I posted, he used the term "moderate" while talking about the problems of gridlock, finding "common" ground and solving problems, along with mentions of Bobby Jindal and Jeb Bush. Around here, that would lead one to believe that this is the Jeb Bush version of "moderate", which means big government, establishment, socialist and a neoconservative foreign policy.

Is that interpretation a result of looking through a "libertarian" lens though? 

In the LGBT community, is "moderate" a code-word for a Republican that is also gay friendly and maybe socially liberal? That's interesting. So when Chris Christie and Jeb Bush call themselves "moderate", they may be using that to gain support from the LGBT community? And extrapolating from that, it probably also has some kind of racial meaning too. Does it say "I am not a racist like some of those bad Republicans"?

Hmmm. Learn something new everyday. This gives new meaning to the political use of the term "moderate". Chris Christie and Jeb Bush can use it, and it can mean big government, establishment friendly to some people, and at the same time cater to other groups as well. I wonder if Frank Luntz has tested the use of that term? Maybe Nick is putting his political consulting knowledge to work. 

Should we call ourselves "moderate" if we support government staying out of our social/private lives altogether?

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## neverseen

> Interesting. His use of the term "moderate" without any qualification was very vague, and could mean many things. In the interview I posted, he used the term "moderate" while talking about the problems of gridlock, finding "common" ground and solving problems, along with mentions of Bobby Jindal and Jeb Bush. Around here, that would lead one to believe that this is the Jeb Bush version of "moderate", which means big government, establishment, socialist and a neoconservative foreign policy.
> 
> Is that interpretation a result of looking through a "libertarian" lens though? 
> 
> In the LGBT community, is "moderate" a code-word for a Republican that is also gay friendly and maybe socially liberal? That's interesting. So when Chris Christie and Jeb Bush call themselves "moderate", they may be using that to gain support from the LGBT community? And extrapolating from that, it probably also has some kind of racial meaning too. Does it say "I am not a racist like some of those bad Republicans"?
> 
> Hmmm. Learn something new everyday. This gives new meaning to the political use of the term "moderate". Chris Christie and Jeb Bush can use it, and it can mean big government, establishment friendly to some people, and at the same time cater to other groups as well. I wonder if Frank Luntz has tested the use of that term? Maybe Nick is putting his political consulting knowledge to work. 
> 
> Should we call ourselves "moderate" if we support government staying out of our social/private lives altogether?


Good points.

Some people would consider Small L Repub's far, far right... "extremists" even.  But, when I hear far right extremist my ONLY thought is banning gay marriage and blowing up abortion clinics.  I don't think you can define a small L as far right because of that.  At the  same time, if you say moderate you think about fiscal issues, not really social.

So are small L repub's left, right, or moderate?  

I am personally a social/fiscal conservative republican that doesn't want the government to have ANYTHING to do with social issues, and I'm hard core far right on economic issues.  I certainly don't relate to the crazy tea party people with the whole iran out to get us, back Israel at all costs, shiara law stuff.  I'm sure many of us are like that.  Personally we may not want to get married to a gay person or kill a baby, but don't want the gov telling me if I can or can't.  

Maybe us small L's should be calling ourselves something like, "Fiscally conservative, socially irrelevant" lol.

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## CG1976

Interesting discussion. I guess everyone has their own interpretation of conservative or moderate or liberal.

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## compromise

Is he pro-choice/anti-life on abortion?

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## CG1976

Per his website:

Life, Faith & Family


The proper function of government is to protect individual rights. I believe life begins at conception, and it is unconscionable that government would sanction the taking of the helpless and innocent. I will always vote against government funding of abortion.


Our most important unit of government is the family. When larger units of government attempt to supplant the family, we must say no. I believe that marriage is a private, religious institution that should not be defined or redefined by the federal government.

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## Anti-Neocon

About "moderates", "centrists" and the like.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_center_(politics)

I don't like using the word "radical" to describe myself, but there's a lot of gray between "left" and "right", and nobody even knows what the hell "left" and "right" mean anymore.

If we're able to claim the center and look like the ones who have the people's interests in mind over politics, more power to us.  Right now, the Democrats are playing that card against the Tea Party.

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## neverseen

Been working crazy hours, so I've missed the last couple of political events this week.  Jolly is out there courting everyone hard core and Pinellas County King Latvala has anointed Kathleen Peters to be the next CD13 winner.  Of course, I expect to see the people in the special election out there more so than Zoller since he's got another year.  I'll track him down eventually.

In the mean time, RLC of Tampa Bay has produced a questionnaire that's going out to the candidates.  I'll be sure to update you with Zoller's responses once they come back.

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## CG1976

Nick Zoller sent out this plan Friday: http://www.zollerforcongress.com/sma...egulatory_plan

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## neverseen

Someone asked about DHS I think.  Here's his reply:




> RLC of Tampa Bay @RLCTB
> @NickZoller what should we do with the Department of Homeland Security?  What is their proper role?
> 
> 
> Nick Zoller
> @NickZoller
>  @RLCTB Abolish. Their proper role is to not exist, waste of money and another dept that bloats the huge bureaucracy.

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## CG1976

Radio appearance 11/23: http://www.zollerforcongress.com/nic..._show_11_23_13

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## CG1976

Just thought I'd give an update after looking at the year end FEC filings. Zoller raised just north of $13,000 in two months.

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