KS Liberty Candidate Official Announcement!!

[CaptLouAlbano]

I've never seen any evidence to suggest that. However, if you have some, I'd love to see it! Please share. Folks here talked about this in 2012. http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...side-the-GOP&p=4525979&viewfull=1#post4525979

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Steve_Vaillancourt

http://sos.nh.gov/2000RepGen.aspx?id=3187


Won House in 98 as a Dem, lost the 00 primary for State Senate as a Dem, switched to LP to run for his House seat, won and then changed to GOP. Won every election since. My guess is that in 00 when he lost the primary, party rules or state rules forbade him from running as a Dem. Either way, he won on his own merit, not the LP and switched right after.

 

[Keith and stuff]

So you agree with everyone else here that has talked about it and he did win as LP in 2000 so the 1984 info is not correct you could change you position to not previously elected or something. I encouraged the OP to get involved with politics as an LP, if desired. IMO, unless a decent candidate has a shot at winning, which isn't the case in this KS race, or the election is in NH, it likely isn't that important how a liberty person gets involved, so long as the person learns valuable skills.

 

[Roxi]

I think it is very constructive. You have two people running for office that are way under qualified, in a party that no one pays any attention to. It's a lesson to those that read this forum what not to do, and what not to donate time and money to. Very educational in that regard.

Honestly, the LP has had 40 years to establish themselves as a legitimate party. That ship sailed a long time ago, and year after year they keep running the same failed playbook. What's that line by Einstein, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". That pretty much sums up the LP.

Yours was constructive... I was referring to the other comment. I appreciate the comments too. I disagree in principal, even though I completely get your point, and to a degree, I agree with it. Except, I think it's important to keep fighting to come to a point where the LP is a major party. I spent a long time working within the GOP, and while I'll continue to support candidates that do, and local people taking over their GOP, I will no longer have anything to do with it, local or otherwise. They wouldn't have me anyway after walking out of the convention with my middle finger in the air, but that's a whole other story.

 

[Roxi]

No, it's not a lot, and the offices aren't that high up but there are lots of Libs in holding official elected titles: http://www.lp.org/candidates/elected-officials

 

[lib3rtarian]

Constructive criticism is expected and encouraged. Negative blanket poo pooing isn't necessary. Just sayin.

Personally, I think that it's important to continue to fight to bring the LP into the light as a legitimate party. I also think that plenty of people are more likely to vote for someone who has never held an official office rather than an established party hack.

I have "liked" the LP FB page, and so I get their news feeds. The way they make their announcements about candidates, you would think they are 1% away from winning the majority vote, but in reality, they get <1% of the vote, IF they are lucky. It's really pathetic and sad to watch, for the rest of us. And they are not even content to have candidates run at the very local level and build a base, but go directly for governorships and the presidency. Talk about wishful thinking.

Another reason why I have no sympathy for the LP is their elitist mentality. They constantly bash Ron and Rand on FB for being neocons (!!) and sell-outs. Who made libertarianism a household name? Certainly not the losers in LP.

Screw the LP and screw anyone wasting their time with them.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

So you agree with everyone else here that has talked about it and he did win as LP in 2000 so the 1984 info is not correct you could change you position to not previously elected or something. I encouraged the OP to get involved with politics as an LP, if desired. IMO, unless a decent candidate has a shot at winning, which isn't the case in this KS race, or the election is in NH, it likely isn't that important how a liberty person gets involved, so long as the person learns valuable skills.

I'll concede that on a technicality. He won on the LP line, but solely because he was previously elected. The LP has not generated their own victorious candidate since Marrou in 84. And even still, if we concede on Vaillancourt its been 13 years and how many 1000's of state legislature races since they have won again? And if the LP was such a good vehicle for Vaillancourt, why then did he switch to the GOP and not stay in the LP?

 

[Keith and stuff]

I'll concede that on a technicality. He won on the LP line, but solely because he was previously elected. The LP has not generated their own victorious candidate since Marrou in 84. And even still, if we concede on Vaillancourt its been 13 years and how many 1000's of state legislature races since they have won again? And if the LP was such a good vehicle for Vaillancourt, why then did he switch to the GOP and not stay in the LP?

I am just saying that your 1984 number is too pessimistic. 13 years is bad but it is more accurate I don't know why he switched but it likely had something to do with him wanting to win. The NH House used to have a LP Caucus and a NH House Minority Leader. Those days are gone.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

No, it's not a lot, and the offices aren't that high up but there are lots of Libs in holding official elected titles: http://www.lp.org/candidates/elected-officials

Click on the names, and you will find that the large majority are non-partisan offices. And I would venture a guess that many of the partisan seats were fusion candidates like Dan Halloran (NY). So in 40 years, hundreds of thousands of elections and countless millions of dollars and man hours, this the best the LP can do?

And there are not "lots of Libs holding elected title", there's about 150 or so. Considering how many elected seats there are in the country, upwards of 200,000 I would guess, the percentage is really small.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

I am just saying that your 1984 number is too pessimistic. 13 years is bad but it is more accurate I don't know why he switched but it likely had something to do with him wanting to win. The NH House used to have a LP Caucus and a NH House Minority Leader. Those days are gone.

All in all it is pitiful considering that every year tens of thousands of people run for elected office on the LP ticket and lose. Again, back to the Einstein quote.

 

[Keith and stuff]

All in all it is pitiful considering that every year tens of thousands of people run for elected office on the LP ticket and lose. Again, back to the Einstein quote.

I highly doubt anywhere near that many people run on the LP ticket every year.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

I highly doubt anywhere near that many people run on the LP ticket every year.

Ok, then thousands - either way it is still a very poor result.

The point is, it is such a colossal waste of time and money. Especially, when there is a proven way for libertarians to win elected office, just look at Rand, Massie, Davis, Amash, etc for the answer.

 

[lib3rtarian]

The point is, it is such a colossal waste of time and money. Especially, when there is a proven way for libertarians to win elected office, just look at Rand, Massie, Davis, Amash, etc for the answer.

The LP thinks Rand, Massie and Amash are sellouts. If you think I am joking, just observe their FB page for a week and see their attitude for yourself. These losers think they are elitists who think they are too cool to associate with statists like us who support Rand, Massie and Amash and the candidates themselves.

 

[fr33]

The LP thinks Rand, Massie and Amash are sellouts. If you think I am joking, just observe their FB page for a week and see their attitude for yourself. These losers think they are elitists who think they are too cool to associate with statists like us who support Rand, Massie and Amash and the candidates themselves.

Your generalization is just like saying Rand Paul wants to bomb Iran and assassinate Americans since he's a member of the GOP.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

The LP thinks Rand, Massie and Amash are sellouts. If you think I am joking, just observe their FB page for a week and see their attitude for yourself. These losers think they are elitists who think they are too cool to associate with statists like us who support Rand, Massie and Amash and the candidates themselves.

Oh I know, I have seen some of their writings. A lot of the LP folks are much happier being part of a very small minority that no one pays attention to. It feeds their need to feel like they are on the outside looking in and better than everyone else.

 

[muzzled dogg]

LP = waste

 

[Bastiat's The Law]

LP = waste

I agree. Anyone running in a third party hasn't gotten "it" yet. This is after 5 years of Ron instructing us to reform the GOP and in typical Ron Paul fashion, he's right! We are beginning to see a sea-change occurring.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

I agree. Anyone running in a third party hasn't gotten "it" yet. This is after 5 years of Ron instructing us to reform the GOP and in typical Ron Paul fashion, he's right! We are beginning to see a sea-change occurring.

I have always believed there were four types of people who were activists in third parties:

The Naive - new folks who just don't have the political experience or knowledge to know they are wasting their time and money

The Delusional - those who see the past results of third parties, yet despite all the evidence they ignore logic, thinking that this time they can win.

The Opportunists - those who use the third party for their own future financial gain

The Outcasts - those who know third parties don't have a chance, they know they have little impact, but they participate solely because they like being part of a fringe movement because it satisfies their need to be "counter-culture"

 

[Brian4Liberty]

The Outcasts - those who know third parties don't have a chance, they know they have little impact, but they participate solely because they like being part of a fringe movement because it satisfies their need to be "counter-culture"

Small pond makes the fish look bigger.

 

[Krzysztof Lesiak]

LP is a waste of time. I'm a liberterian and it represents my beliefs, but 2-3% is a complete waste of time and money. The only way to be viable in an election is to run in the GOP. Third parties in America are a sad joke.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

Small pond makes the fish look bigger.

Agreed. I guess some people think that saying "I am the state chairman of the American Freedom Party" is a good way to pick up chicks.