# Liberty Movement > Liberty Campaigns >  Austin Petersen to run for U.S. Senate in Missouri?

## jct74

> *Petersen for Senate 2018: Only Principles Matter*
> 
> Elias J. Atienza
> January 12, 2017
> 
> There is heavy speculation that Austin Petersen might run for Senate in 2018 against incumbent Claire McCaskill (D-MO) in his home state of Missouri. While he has refused to put anything on the table, saying that he will decide on a run in June, it is interesting to see which party he will choose, if he decides to run at all. It will also be interesting to see how the Libertarian and Republican Parties will react to his decision.
> 
> For those who argue that he should run under the Libertarian Party, it is because of a belief that the party is the best tool for spreading liberty. Despite a less than stellar performance in the 2016 election, where expectations went from possibly winning the election to not reaching the goal of five percent, the LP is still doing better than ever.
> 
> ...


read more:
http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/au...t-which-party/

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## Matt Collins

This is a joke, right?


If it's not, it will be.

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## William Tell

The only reason all these guys run for big offices like this is that they want to gamble and lose, or they don't understand politics. If they wanted to make a difference and actually understood politics they would run for a lower office and work their butts off. Then a couple of them they *might* win.

Actually come to think of it some of them just want publicity, and you don't get much of that in the races where you can win.

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## Brian4Liberty

> In addition, it would continue the fight against the two main parties that have control over the Congress if Petersen managed to *win a Senate race under the LP*.


99.9% chance that won't happen. If he is serious, he should run GOP, and increase his odds a bit.

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## CaseyJones

pfft dude wants a MoneyBomb
if he was serious he would run for Rep
better chance of winning

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## Okie RP fan

Yea, start small. Effect change at the lowest levels first and foremost. 
Through that, you can grow a reputation and then head onto the big pond. This may be a big waste of time, resources, and money.

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## CaseyJones

no $#@!
he should run for state actually 
no one has a $#@!ing clue who he is cause he ran for potus in the LP
$#@! few know who Johnson is

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## PowerOfLiberty

> The only reason all these guys run for big offices like this is that they want to gamble and lose, or they don't understand politics. If they wanted to make a difference and actually understood politics they would run for a lower office and work their butts off. Then a couple of them they *might* win.
> 
> Actually come to think of it some of them just want publicity, and you don't get much of that in the races where you can win.


They should start small like Rand Paul. Oh wait Rand Paul became a senator with no political experience.

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## PowerOfLiberty

> pfft dude wants a MoneyBomb
> if he was serious he would run for Rep
> better chance of winning


He is considering running as a Republican. I'm not sure I would help with a moneybomb though. I have a hard time seeing him as a serious candidate.

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## William Tell

> They should start small like Rand Paul. Oh wait Rand Paul became a senator with no political experience.


Hey, I take it back. If they can raise $7,000,000 like Rand Paul did in 2010 then go for it.

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## Matt Collins

> They should start small like Rand Paul. Oh wait Rand Paul became a senator with no political experience.


Actually he did have a lot of experience... he watched his dad in Congress up close for dozens of years, and helped him get elected. He also had a brand which he inherited after the '08 campaign which allowed him to raise a ton of money which got him media attention which gave him credibility which allowed him run a good campaign and win.

So no, AP is nothing like Rand.


AP should run for his local city council or county commission first.

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## specsaregood

> They should start small like Rand Paul. Oh wait Rand Paul became a senator with no political experience.


If you think Randal had no political experience, then you don't know anything about his background.   just as a small example, did you know that at 21yrs old Randal stood in for his father and debated Phil Gramm when his father was running for Senator -- Ron was in DC for a vote and couldn't make it.   How many 21yr olds could/would stand in and debate an experience politician (and reportedly do well)?

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## Jan2017

> He is considering running as a Republican.


I think it would be a start if we had an "L" in US Congress . . . 
maybe first as a Congressman would be more do-able in the right district facing a really wrong Republican.

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## PowerOfLiberty

> I think it would be a start if we had an "L" in US Congress . . . 
> maybe first as a Congressman would be more do-able in the right district facing a really wrong Republican.


I agree. It would take just the right circumstances to pull it off though. The LP definitely has a better chance to get in the House of Representatives than the Senate.

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## PowerOfLiberty

> If you think Randal had no political experience, then you don't know anything about his background.   just as a small example, did you know that at 21yrs old Randal stood in for his father and debated Phil Gramm when his father was running for Senator -- Ron was in DC for a vote and couldn't make it.   How many 21yr olds could/would stand in and debate an experience politician (and reportedly do well)?


He definitely had the experience to make his outsider campaign possible.

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## PowerOfLiberty

> AP should run for his local city council or county commission first.


Well, this is the trouble with the LP. They focus on big and unrealistic ambitions instead of making small gains and working up.  If AP ran for senate I would wish him the best, but I wouldn't donate any money to his campaign.

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## PowerOfLiberty

> Hey, I take it back. If they can raise $7,000,000 like Rand Paul did in 2010 then go for it.


True. I guess AP needs a new daddy.

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## Matt Collins

AP left the LP for the GOP, right?  


And no, the LP likely can't win any partisan seats under normal conditions.

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## Peace&Freedom

> Well, this is the trouble with the LP. They focus on big and unrealistic ambitions instead of making small gains and working up.  If AP ran for senate I would wish him the best, but I wouldn't donate any money to his campaign.


Peterson should be running for a MO House seat that is being vacated, that would give him his best chance. Perhaps the Senate announcement is an exploratory trial balloon to first find out where his strength is in the state, then to run there for Rep. If he can win at either level, I do like the idea of a movement person in an elected position near Iowa, as he could later run for President in the Iowa Caucuses as a regional favorite son.

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## Tywysog Cymru

I like Peterson, but he should really start at a lower level.

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## Okie RP fan

Can someone contact him and tell him to re-think this? 
He needs some sense knocked into him if he wants to be serious and try to change things. 

It'll play out the exact same as anywhere else - he won't get the same air time as the R & D; he won't raise as much money; he'll be cast aside as the crazy guy; he'll end up with maybe 5-6% of the vote, most likely less. And the message will have reached the same ears and no one elses.

Start small, build up. Prove your resume.

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## PowerOfLiberty

> Can someone contact him and tell him to re-think this? 
> He needs some sense knocked into him if he wants to be serious and try to change things. 
> 
> It'll play out the exact same as anywhere else - he won't get the same air time as the R & D; he won't raise as much money; he'll be cast aside as the crazy guy; he'll end up with maybe 5-6% of the vote, most likely less. And the message will have reached the same ears and no one elses.
> 
> Start small, build up. Prove your resume.


Dude, have you been reading? He wants to enter the Missouri Senate Republican primary.

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## Okie RP fan

> Dude, have you been reading? He wants to enter the Missouri Senate Republican primary.


I'm reading bits and pieces here and lots of speculation in this thread. I don't see any hard confirmation that he's running LP or GOP, yet. 
I wasn't necessarily thinking it was for US Senate; it's still a high bar to set and achieve even at the state level. I only wants what's best to advance the message of liberty. 
From your own fingers just a few days ago: 




> *He is considering running as a Republican.* I'm not sure I would help with a moneybomb though. I have a hard time seeing him as a serious candidate.

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## jllundqu

I follow him on twitter and he says he has 6 days to decide whether or not to run for Senate in 2018..... man he would be a definite PLUS.  Can you imagine him in there with Rand and Lee kicking ass??

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## Matt Collins

> Like Dave Brat running in a Primary against Eric Cantor?


No because Dave Brat did everything right and Cantor did everything wrong which caused Brat to get lucky. AP doesn't have a clue how to win an election. Not to mention a statewide election is a very different ballgame than a district election.

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## jllundqu

> No because Dave Brat did everything right and Cantor did everything wrong which caused Brat to get lucky. AP doesn't have a clue how to win an election. Not to mention a statewide election is a very different ballgame than a district election.


Oh piss off you blowhard.  AP would be WORTHY of our support.  Your selfish, ego-driven, 'my way or the highway' horse$#@! is getting tiresome.  This forum needs to support AP just like we did Rand in 2010.  This is the FIRST time I have felt the desire to actually spend my time and money on a campaign that could make a real difference in a long god damned time.  AP actually inspires and walks the walk.

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## jllundqu

@Bryan ? Can we discuss adding this to the site so we can support him?  He's literally Rand Paul 2.0

Edit:  Ok he's not Rand 2.0, but he's pretty damn close and I like him

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## Matt Collins

> Oh piss off you blowhard.  AP would be WORTHY of our support.  Your selfish, ego-driven, 'my way or the highway' horse$#@! is getting tiresome.  This forum needs to support AP just like we did Rand in 2010.  This is the FIRST time I have felt the desire to actually spend my time and money on a campaign that could make a real difference in a long god damned time.  AP actually inspires and walks the walk.


You obviously have no idea how to get someone elected. Because if you did you wouldn't even remotely be considering supporting AP.


If you want to support a liberty candidate for Senate, try Eric Brakey in Maine. He is in the best position to win. I am still not going to hold my breath, but he does have a lot more going for him than AP, who literally has nothing going for him.



Why don't you take some classes and learn what it takes to win an election so that you can become educated on the subject?

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## jllundqu

> You obviously have no idea how to get someone elected. Because if you did you wouldn't even remotely be considering supporting AP.
> 
> 
> If you want to support a liberty candidate for Senate, try Eric Brakey in Maine. He is in the best position to win. I am still not going to hold my breath, but he does have a lot more going for him than AP, who literally has nothing going for him.
> 
> 
> 
> Why don't you take some classes and learn what it takes to win an election so that you can become educated on the subject?


Why don't you take your 'holier than thou art' self and go play in traffic.

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## Matt Collins

> Why don't you take your 'holier than thou art' self and go play in traffic.


Fail.



https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/tu-quoque

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## Occam's Banana

> Originally Posted by Matt Collins
> 
> 
> Why don't you take some classes and learn  what it takes to win an election so that you can become educated on the  subject? 
> 
> 
> Why don't you take your 'holier than thou art' self and go play in traffic.

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## H. E. Panqui

...the stinking republicans deserve the ted cruz-loving petersen...and his stinking 'penny plan,' capping federal spending at 18% of gdp, his insults directed at marijuana users, his OBVIOUS IGNORANCE of our monetary order [typical ludwigger] etc..

...petersen, boob barf, wayne allen root, etc., are great examples of stinking conservative republicans infesting the LP...ugh...

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## William Tell

Well he's running as a Republican. He's already torpedoed his own campaign in Missouri as far as I'm concerned.




> As I’ve said elsewhere,  my vision for America is one where gay married couples can defend their  marijuana fields with fully automatic machine guns. Technological and  social changes notwithstanding, this is ultimately the kind of world  that the Founding Fathers envisioned — where all lives matter from  conception to death, and where all people are given the opportunity to  make the most of their inherent liberties as rational human beings.
> 
> 
> Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/ed...#storylink=cpy


 http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/ed...159554424.html

Not to be a Collinz but this is not how you win a conservative seat.

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## fedupinmo

> Well he's running as a Republican. He's already torpedoed his own campaign in Missouri as far as I'm concerned.
> 
> http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/ed...159554424.html
> 
> Not to be a Collinz but this is not how you win a conservative seat.


Looks like he wants to force us all to accept two left shoes as a pair of shoes, despite our rights to perceive reality as it is. So no.

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## William Tell

> Looks like he wants to force us all to accept two left shoes as a pair of shoes, despite our rights to perceive reality as it is. So no.


And he seems to think the founding fathers did too.

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## sparebulb

> Yea, start small. Effect change at the lowest levels first and foremost. 
> Through that, you can grow a reputation and then head onto the big pond. This may be a big waste of time, resources, and money.


^^^^THIS ^^^^

He should demonstrate that he is competent as dogcatcher or city council member before he attempts to insure McCaskill's victory.

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## clint4liberty

Austin Petersen at least has a campaign strategy.  The early fundraising numbers and donor numbers are on par to double his entire Presidential run.  Running as a Republican opens the possibility of 50% plus voting for him versus less than 10%.  The heavy hitters are not running at this juncture.  So, let us all move past his growing pains running in his inaugural campaign and give him a chance.

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## clint4liberty

Austin Petersen US Senate campaign is about organizing.  After all, he did listen to Rand Paul's original campaign manager in 2010 yesterday.  Got to be willing to travel everywhere in Missouri, meet voters face to face, set up phone banks, canvass door to door, robo calls, and all that is needed for a modern grassroots statewide campaign.

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## Brian4Liberty

Why I’m running as a Republican for U.S. Senate
By Austin Petersen




> Since President Donald Trump’s unexpected victory last November and Republicans’ triumphant return to congressional majority, Washington has returned to business as usual. After running on repeated promises of minimizing government and ending federal micromanagement of American lives, Republicans have shown themselves unable to pass any substantive reforms.
> 
> Missourians deserve better than this. They deserve a government that faithfully represents them, not one that favors lobbyists and special interests. They deserve a government that pushes for real reform, not one that accepts milquetoast, watered-down solutions. Above all, they deserve a government that trusts them to manage their own health care, their own religion, their own finances and their own lives.
> 
> This is why I’m running to represent Missouri in the United States Senate. I want to give Missourians — and indeed all Americans — the kind of government that is worthy of them. Although I ran for president in 2016 as a Libertarian, I intend to make this run for the Senate as a Republican. I have made this change in large part because after personally reaching out to over 4,000 of my supporters, more than 98 percent of them said that the party of Lincoln was the best fit for my pro-life, pro-liberty, pro-Constitution stands — and more importantly, the best way to bring change to Washington.
> 
> I bring a great deal of experience to the table, both inside and outside of the political arena. Outside the political arena, I created and currently run my own business — an online magazine dedicated to promoting the ideas of liberty — and I know too well just how hard the government makes it for ordinary citizens to do this. Inside the political arena, I’ve worked as a producer with one of the nation’s foremost experts on the Constitution, Judge Andrew Napolitano. I’ve helped manage grassroots campaigns and campaigns for public office. And in 2016, I ran for the highest office in our nation, fearlessly challenging establishment opponents for the Libertarian Party’s nomination.
> 
> Because of this experience, I offer a kind of commitment and clarity that few other politicians do. I make no bones about expressing my disagreement and fighting for my beliefs. I have critiqued both previous and current administrations, and I refused to endorse the Libertarian Party’s vice presidential candidate, Bill Weld, in 2016, despite massive pressure from party donors.
> ...

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## Brett85

> ...the stinking republicans deserve the ted cruz-loving petersen...and his stinking 'penny plan,' capping federal spending at 18% of gdp, his insults directed at marijuana users, his OBVIOUS IGNORANCE of our monetary order [typical ludwigger] etc..
> 
> ...petersen, boob barf, wayne allen root, etc., are great examples of stinking conservative republicans infesting the LP...ugh...


Yeah, liberal libertarians like Gary Johnson are so much better.

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## Brett85

I'm a fan of Peterson.  He's certainly a much stronger libertarian than Gary "bake my damn cake" Johnson.  As others have said though, perhaps he would have a better chance to get elected to a political office if he started out lower.

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## Matt Collins

> Austin Petersen US Senate campaign is about organizing.  After all, he did listen to Rand Paul's original campaign manager in 2010 yesterday.  Got to be willing to travel everywhere in Missouri, meet voters face to face, set up phone banks, canvass door to door, robo calls, and all that is needed for a modern grassroots statewide campaign.


None of that really matters if you don't have a narrative or some sort of claim to fame prior to running for office

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## Brian4Liberty

> No because Dave Brat did everything right and Cantor did everything wrong which caused Brat to get lucky. AP doesn't have a clue how to win an election. Not to mention a statewide election is a very different ballgame than a district election.





> None of that really matters if you don't have a narrative or some sort of claim to fame prior to running for office


So, if Peterson did "everything right", he wouldn't need a prior claim to fame.

It's a long shot, but I wouldn't throw in the towel just yet...

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## brandon

Petersen seems half decent from his speeches, but the last thing we need is more narcissistic career politicians and I'm afraid he falls in that camp. Go get a job and prove yourself as a successful leader in the private sector before running for office. Otherwise you just seem like another leech.

If anyone disagrees please tell me what his qualifications are.

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## brandon

> They should start small like Rand Paul. Oh wait Rand Paul became a senator with no political experience.


Political experience makes me want to vote against people. I want to vote for people that have proven themselves in the private sector. What has this dude ever accomplished in his life other than having a pretty face and reciting the talking points you agree with?

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## The Rebel Poet

> ...the stinking republicans deserve the ted cruz-loving petersen...and his stinking 'penny plan,' capping federal spending at 18% of gdp, his insults directed at marijuana users, *his OBVIOUS IGNORANCE of our monetary order* [typical ludwigger] etc..
> 
> ...petersen, boob barf, wayne allen root, etc., are great examples of stinking conservative republicans infesting the LP...ugh...


What are you talking about? He wants to end the Fed.

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## GunnyFreedom

> I follow him on twitter and he says he has 6 days to decide whether or not to run for Senate in 2018..... man he would be a definite PLUS.  Can you imagine him in there with Rand and Lee kicking ass??

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## jurgs01

John Brunner is considering a run for this seat. He would be better than Peterson, although Peterson would be better than 95% of the other Senators.

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## The Rebel Poet

> Hated on Ron Paul, hates the NAP, embarasses the entire liberty movement any time he opens his pie-hole.


Holy $#@! you right! I just googled Austin Petersen Ron Paul and found some bazaar and viscous quotes.

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## angelatc

> John Brunner is considering a run for this seat. He would be better than Peterson, although Peterson would be better than 95% of the other Senators.


I would be in Peterson's camp because he's a pretty pure Libertarian even if he isn't a great Republican candidate.  He's a fountain of talking points.

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## H. E. Panqui

> What are you talking about? He wants to end the Fed.




...i've listened to him enough to know he is a monetary ignoramus as are many people who mindlessly chant 'end the fed' ...i want to hear ANY politician (including gary johnson with whom brett 85 ignorantly smeared me!) exhibit the basic understandings (see quote examples from knowledgeable people below) of our HIDEOUS CURRENT AND PAST monetary order before i hear them express their opinions about the FUTURE...peterson appears to me as a TYPICAL republicrat monetary ignoramus...i don't 'hate' him, but i certainly couldn't support, or even listen to, some yapping politician working their hot-dog hole about zillion dollar political issues when said politician is apparently WORSE THAN clueless as to the hideous origin, nature, etc. of even one dollar!..

...although i could be wrong...please paste his best/most important thinking as to 'our' stinking monetary order if you think he's so great...

...now this is what i want to hear from politicians:

I have never yet had anyone who could, through the use of logic and reason, justify the Federal Government borrowing the use of its own money... I believe the time will come when people will demand that this be changed. I believe the time will come in this country when they will actually blame you and me and everyone else connected with the Congress for sitting idly by and permitting such an idiotic system to continue. (attributed to Congressman Wright Patman)

"Once a nation parts with the control of its currency and credit, it matters not who makes the nations laws. Usury, once in control, will wreck any nation. Until the control of the issue of currency and credit is restored to government and recognised as its most sacred responsibility, all talk of the sovereignty of parliament and of democracy is idle and futile." (attributed to William Lyon Mackenzie King)

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## EBounding

This guy should run for City Council of a moderately sized Missouri town instead.

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## fedupinmo

> The establishment swamp has put eveything they have behind Josh Hawley in the GOP primary. They pretend that there are no other GOP candidates, and the race is between him and McCaskill.


Gary Nolan called them on that last week IIRC, and the RNC stooge claimed they were still neutral before the primary and that it was just the prez and vp pushing Hawley. Right...
Hawley has a big weakness... he ran "against" those who would use state office as a stepping stone to feddle office in his campaign for AG. Now he is doing exactly that...

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## Brian4Liberty



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