Are Libertarians Spoiling the Midterm Elections?
"When you give [Democrats and Republicans] your vote, you #39;re telling them #39;Go ahead, keep on doing what you #39;re doing, #39;" explains Libertarian National Committee Vice Chair Arvin Vohra. "And...
By: ReasonTV
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Vote Libertarian this one time
Michael McDermott For New York State Governor New York gubernatorial election 2014 VOTE NOV 4th # RENTISTODAMNHIGH.
By: Mike S
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Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Keen Umbehr received the endorsement Wednesday of a former New Mexico governor and 2012 presidential candidate.
Gary Johnson, who was the Libertarian Party's nominee for president two years ago and was Republican governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003, recommended Umbehr rather than Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, of Topeka, and Democratic Party nominee Paul Davis, of Lawrence.
Keen Umbehr has been fighting for more transparent and accountable government for over 25 years, Johnson said. The man has repeatedly risked everything to do the right thing.
Johnson said Umbehr was the best candidate based on a proven background and steadfast commitment to uphold the Constitution.
Umbehr, an Alma attorney, said Johnson worked as a gatekeeper of poorly drafted legislation in New Mexico. In eight years, he said, Johnson vetoed more than 700 bills.
He also had the most open governor's office imaginable, setting aside one afternoon each week when anyone could schedule a short meeting directly with the governor for any reason, Umbehr said. Thats good and transparent government, and Ill follow his lead on both of these policies.
The Brownback campaign released a 30-second commercial Wednesday designed to outline how the governors policies contributed to moving Kansans into the workforce and off public assistance. The spot features Olathe mother Bobbie Jones Kimble, who was previously homeless and unemployed.
Bobbie's story is remarkable, Brownback said. She worked to break the cycle of poverty by learning the dignity of work.
He said more than 20,000 people had left state assistance rolls since January 2011. Eligibility for programs designed to assist people living in poverty has been a focus of reform in the GOP administration.
Jill Docking, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor on the ticket with Davis, and Sandy Praeger, a Republican serving as the states insurance commissioner, said Wednesday a plan developed by the Legislature and embraced by Brownback to take over Medicare should be abandoned.
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The Libertarian Angle: Separating School State
The Libertarian Angle.
By: The Future of Freedom Foundation
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Libertarians in Texas want voters to know, there's a third option out there.
"It's really time for voters to step outside the box," Arthur DiBianca, Travis County Libertarian Party treasurer, said. "If you keep voting Democrat and Republican, you're going to keep the same stuff we've been getting for decades."
And in Travis County, voters will see a lot of Libertarians on the ballot this year.
"We have 37 candidates this year, which is a record for us," DiBianca said.
The Austin area in particular has racked up its Libertarian base.
"We believe it's also the most Libertarian candidates on the ballot in any county in America this year, so we're excited about that too, TCLPs treasurer said.
The party's platform has a mix of ideologies, promoting both fiscal responsibility and social tolerance.
"I would say the biggest thing that we're commonly looking at is trying to get away from an overreach of government, overreach of corporatism and things like that, Libertarian House District 46 candidate Kevin Ludlow said. "I don't have any loyalty to either of the two parties so I think what I'm finding is people generally believe me when I say If I were elected, I absolutely would push forward with legislation on these things."
In Texas, a Libertarian has never held statewide office, but they do see the 2012 election as a success for them. Five of their candidates were able to each garner over 1 million votes.
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Quick Question About the Timely Plane Crash of Iowa #39;s Libertarian Senate Candidate
Just throwing this out there, but does anyone else find it a bit...oh, I dunno, odd...that the Libertarian Senate candidate for Iowa, Dr. Doug Butzier, died all alone in a plane crash less...
By: TRUTHstreammedia
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Quick Question About the Timely Plane Crash of Iowa's Libertarian Senate Candidate - Video
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina says he smokes marijuana and receives therapeutic benefits from using a drug still considered unlawful in the state.
Sean Haugh of Durham acknowledged marijuana use during a recent video interview posted on the website of a Washington-based reporter who looks at beer and politics. Haugh is running against Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican nominee Thom Tillis.
Haugh made the comments after reporter Matt Laslo asked him if he had smoked marijuana during the campaign. Haugh says "I actually do" and that the use eases arthritis and carpal tunnel pain.
Haugh didn't immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment late Monday. The liberalization of drug laws is part of his platform, as other Libertarians support.
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A foundation led by the owner of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team and the Charles Koch Foundation have pledged $6 million to create a new center that will study enterprise and markets at the University of Maryland's business school.
The center will be dubbed the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets after a $5 million donation by Ed Snider, a Maryland alumni and chairman of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the Flyers.
With another $1 million from the Koch Foundation, the university can hire three professors and a managing director, in addition to support staff, five doctoral candidates and four post-doctoral fellows.
Koch and his brother David run Koch Industries, an oil, gas, and chemical conglomerate that is the country's second-largest privately held company.
The Koch brothers are known for financially backing libertarian and free-market organizations, supporting conservative political causes, and helping to found other economic and policy think tanks like the conservative Cato Institute.
Charles Koch also is a board member at the George Mason University's Mercatus Center, a market-oriented think tank that some left-leaning critics argue is partisan and favors viewpoints held by the Kochs. The brothers have drawn criticism for similar donations to other universities.
University of Maryland officials said the center will conduct its hiring and research independently of the donors. The $5 million gift from the Snider Foundation is the second-largest in the business school's history after the $15 million naming grant from Robert H. Smith in 1997.
The center will draw on the expertise of academics outside of the business school and study "business as transactions among people within firms and markets" and "the history and philosophy of enterprise, markets and institutions," said Alexander Triantis, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Snider, who recently recovered from cancer, also is known for his libertarian views. He helped found the Ayn Rand Institute and was executive producer of the film "Atlas Shrugged: Part I," based on one of the libertarian author's books.
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Libertarian donors fund new research center at UM's business school
By Nick Niedzwiadek Published 3 hours ago
Its tough running as a Libertarian political candidate in the United States.
The plurality system hurts the chances of third-party candidates, and they rarely receive the financial support major parties enjoy.
That is why it is surprising to see ads popping up on Twitter and other outlets supporting North Carolinas Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate, Sean Haugh.
The American Futures Fund, a conservative advocacy group,started running $225,000 worth of ads targeting younger voters with blunt messaging, including Get Haugh, get high and More weed, less war.
The ads are noticeably campy, with young people holding the cutout signs and cheesy camera work throughout.
The ads came as a surprise to Haugh, who has spent most of his time campaigning on YouTube instead of TV or print.
Though Haugh clearly welcomes more awareness of his Libertarian platform, the ads appear to have an ulterior motive, as some of the group's other spots are critical of Sen. Kay Hagan, yet none mention Republican candidate Thom Tillis.
In one ad, a woman rhetorically asks, Does Kay Hagan support progressive values? Others paint Hagan as pro-war and out of touch.
The reason these ads are getting a cynical glace from observers is because Tilliss positions on military use is also different from Haughs. Tillis hasn't taken a stance on marijuana legalization.
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Libertarian Senate candidate Sean Haugh gets unexpected help from blunt ads
Sean Haugh Libertarian for US Senate - Vote No on the Amendment
Howdy! I #39;m Sean Haugh, Libertarian for US Senate in North Carolina in 2014. The General Assembly has snuck a new constitutional amendment onto your ballot. I...
By: Sean Haugh
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Sean Haugh Libertarian for US Senate - Vote No on the Amendment - Video
Sean Haugh Libertarian for US Senate 2014 - It #39;s Time to Vote for Me
Howdy! I #39;m Sean Haugh, Libertarian for US Senate in North Carolina in 2014. It #39;s time to vote for me! Think about how you will feel when you look at yourself in the mirror on Wednesday, November...
By: Sean Haugh
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Sean Haugh Libertarian for US Senate 2014 - It's Time to Vote for Me - Video
Peter Schiff #39;s Libertarian #39;Crimes against Humanity! #39; Warren Mosler MMT Explains
Funny how Warren Mosler is in Italy. If he tried educating people here in the states, he would probably get lynched! by the Ron Paultards, Schiffbots and Tea Bagged idiots! Which is why you...
By: Minethis1
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Peter Schiff's Libertarian 'Crimes against Humanity!' Warren Mosler MMT Explains - Video
The Libertarian Case Against Intellectual Property
Written by Roderick Long Read by Stephanie Murphy Edited by Nick Ford Online article: http://radgeek.com/gt/2011/10/Markets-Not-Capitalism-2011-Chartier-and-Johnson.pdf Also available: ...
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Editor's note: Salon has posted numerous critiques of libertarianism. This response was one of several we received offering a different view. (For more of our coverage on the topic, please see here.)
The Koch brothers have marvelous taste in art. That was the first thought that raced across my mind as I strode down the bustling hallway of one of the most secretive and influential buildings in American politics. Slipped against a wall of churning rural winds and rolling wheat fields, Koch Industries the media-christened Death Star of contemporary libertarian insurrection was the last place I ever intended to visit. Six years earlier I was serving time in a West Coast county jail, not defending public choice theory. But trial and error will do strange things to a politically inclined and introspective desperado.
I dont just break the libertarian mold, I napalm it. Im Hispanic. I live below the poverty line. I joined a gang by 15, dropped out of high school by 17, and spent the first half of my 20s playing guitar in a raucous punk band. Yet despite how unconventional my background might seem, it unmistakably epitomizes just how diverse the broader libertarian movement has become over a relatively short burst of time, even as archaic perceptions in the media and public continue to stubbornly linger.
Following my release from jail I enrolled in community college and worked hard to account for misplaced time. Eventually I earned a speech communication scholarship and admittance into a number of highly regarded universities, including my dream school the University of California-Berkeley. It was the moment I had been waiting for. But by the time I procured housing in Oakland, old inclinations began to take hold. I knew that if I remained in California I would either gravitate back toward the violent gang world, or the drug-laden music world, I knew so well.
So I made a drastic decision. At the last minute I instead took up an offer from the most conservative school in the most conservative state in the country Brigham Young University in Utah. The education was superb, but the social setting was difficult. I stood out on campus with all my tattoos. I was irritable because I had agreed to abstain from alcohol and sex. And though students and faculty always treated me with dignity and respect, I sometimes had trouble relating to people.
Eventually I stumbled across a libertarian student group at a separate university across town. From there I attended a number of events, made a few new friends and began perusing literature from prominent free-market philosophers such as Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman and Ludwig von Mises all of whom contested everything I thought I knew about Republicans, Democrats and government.
The limited government message appealed to me. I recalled playing in a band and struggling to comply with overbearing tax laws. I remembered serving time with low-level drug offenders convicted under mandatory minimum sentencing laws. I thought back to the Mexican communities I had grown up in and the undocumented immigrants I knew who had been forced into a life of obscurity because of convoluted immigration policies. The assortment of unique experiences I had taken in over time suddenly swiveled full circle.
Within a year I was organizing full time and attending dinners with governors, prominent activists and presidential candidates such as Ron Paul. Eventually I returned to the West Coast to finish school. From there I was introduced to a number of Koch-funded organizations. The opportunities these organizations presented would prove invaluable. As a student, I interned through various summer programs. As a writer, I wrote for various websites and journals. And as a speaker, I spoke to various groups.
The libertarian movement never judged me because of my background. Though I was still rough around the edges, I was embraced and provided with more tools and opportunities to improve myself than I knew what to do with. These organizations not only helped hone my innate abilities, but taught me the value of tolerance and restraint (Im still working on the latter).
Ultimately, libertarianism didnt radicalize me, it moderated me. As a wayward teen I once adored revolutionaries like Che Guevara and took part in violent and destructive protests. I smashed windows of private businesses and helped overturn police cars in my misplaced animosity toward legal constructs and trade. Later I abandoned my progressive leanings and explored conservatism. I supported the war in Iraq and brandished an American flag in a clich spectacle of nationalism and machismo. Like most libertarians, I paddled both ends of the whirling political waters in search of something, anything, that put the puzzle pieces together.
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My unusual libertarian journey: How a former outlaw broke the political mold
Brooklyn, New York (PRWEB) October 27, 2014
Four candidates for Governor of New York debated Wednesday night in Buffalo. The candidates included Republican Rob Astorino , incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo, Green Howie Hawkins and Libertarian Michael McDermott.
"I rest my case" said McDermott, referring to the Democrat and Republican opening statements, "When you listen to my opponents you don't know who to believe".
McDermott continued, The Democrats and Republicans are the problem. The Libertarian platform is about the people. Its about the Constitution its about doing whats right and whats fair We have to reduce taxes and we have to get government down to within its Constitutional size.
On the issues, the major party candidates seemed to be shifting toward traditional Libertarian positions, including tax reductions, marriage equality and medical marijuana which have long been fundamental parts of the Libertarian platform.
McDermott urged voters to listen to the candidates not as Democrats and Republicans but rather as New Yorkers. The Democrats and Republicans are the problem. We have to get the people back into power. Vote Libertarian this one time.
Libertarians contend that the majority of people support both economic freedom and personal freedom and that limiting the choice to Democrats and Republicans forces voters to choose the candidate they dislike least. A Gallup poll indicates that 42% of Americans self-identify as political independents, far more than Democrats (31%) or Republicans (25%).
According to a George Mason University analysis New York ranked dead last in voter turnout in the 2010 gubernatorial election at just 32% of eligible voters. Absence of choices that reflect their views may be the cause of growing voter disengagement.
Third parties face an uphill battle. Under New York State election law, once a candidate for Governor receives 50,000 votes, any future candidates from that party face much less stringent requirements in order to appear on the ballot.
Otherwise, depending on the office, candidates must collect thousands of signatures.
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Cannabis candidate Chris Wright and Libertarian candidate Chris Holbrook say polls favor opening deb
Cannabis candidate Chris Wright and Libertarian candidate Chris Holbrook say polls favor opening debates to 3rd party By: Frederick Melo - Pioneer Press reporter since 2005, covering St. Paul,...
By: Pioneer Press
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Interview with Libertarian Candidate James Carr (Virginia 7th District)
This video was produced by iPadjournos reporters Ali Mislowsky and Shakola Walker. This is the YouTube channel of the iPadJournos project at Virginia Commonwealth University.
By: Marcus Messner
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Interview with Libertarian Candidate James Carr (Virginia 7th District) - Video
Richard Lion, a Libertarian who has previously run for state representative and mayor of Hartford, is challenging Democratic incumbent Jason Rojas in the 9th House District.
This is Lion's seventh run for public office. Lion, who describes himself as more of an activist than a politician, has yet to be elected.
"It's not that I don't want to win, but if winning was my number one thing, I wouldn't have run with the Libertarian Party. I would have run with the Democratic Party," said the 58-year-old Manchester resident. "But I don't think what America needs is another Democrat or another Republican. I think we need more parties."
The 9th House District covers East Hartford and Manchester.
In previous campaigns, Lion's primary topic was marijuana legalization. This time around, he says all drugs should be legal. The war on drugs, he said, creates crime on the streets, costs millions in tax dollars and oppresses people, he said.
"We're paying taxes to put people in jail," he said. "We can't lower our taxes if you're going to keep building stupid things and putting people in jail for no reason."
If cocaine were sold in package stores, the potency of the drug would be regulated, leading to less accidental overdoses. Revenues from taxing the drug could be used to help rehabilitate addicts, he said.
Legalizing drugs like cocaine would also reduce violent crimes associated with illegal street sales, he said.
Lion is opposed to what he believes are unnecessary construction projects like the University of Connecticut football stadium, the busway and the Rock Cats baseball stadium.
"They talk about wanting to lower taxes, but they propose to build a baseball stadium and a bus line to New Britain," he said.
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RICHMOND, Va While Virginia voters have become more aware of the Libertarian Party with last years surprising results for gubernatorial candidate Robert Sarvis, third-party candidates still encounter challenges in the elections this fall. For many, it starts with just getting on the ballot.
While Democratic and Republican candidates are automatically listed, third-party candidates must collect 1,000 signatures of registered Virginia voters in their district to earn a spot on the ballot.
Justin Upshaw, a Libertarian who wanted to be a candidate in Virginias 3rd congressional district, gathered more than the 1,000 signatures required, but more than half were counted as invalid when they were evaluated.
Admittedly, its an adversarial system, Upshaw, a former logistics specialist in the U.S. Army, said. With my case, we turned in 1,560 signatures and only 680 were approved.
The Virginia State Board of Elections reviews the signatures and compares them to voter registrations to verify their authenticity.
Upshaw got involved when a friend tagged him in a Facebook post by Sarvis, who was looking for candidates to run in the congressional races across Virginia to continue the momentum of the Libertarian Party after last years gubernatorial election. Upshaws friend encouraged him to enter the race. But even before running, Upshaw was thinking about the financial costs of campaigning.
I went on Sarvis Facebook page and I made mention of, you know, if I was a little bit better connected, had a little bit more funding, then this is something Id be interested in.
Fundraising and financial support is a major barrier to third-party candidates. James Carr, the Libertarian candidate in the 7th congressional district, primarily uses social media and local events as free platforms to spread his message of changing the partisan gridlock.
We couldnt just spend tens of thousands of dollars, so we set a very, very tight budget, hundreds not thousands [of dollars], Carr, who is running against Republican Dave Brat and Democrat Jack Trammell, said. If you havent raised $50,000, theyre not going to let you come in and debate the other opponents that are on a specific ticket.
I dont have financial support in the role that most candidates would define it, but I have moral support. James CarrCarrs campaign has relied on small-dollar donations from many supporters in the district. He reached the $5,000 threshold required to report donations to the Federal Elections Commission in late September.
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Third-party candidates struggle to overcome variety of political hurdles
Libertarian Gubernatorial Candidates Chris Holbrook and Chris Dock at Hamline University
http://www.ChrisHolbrook.org.
By: Anarchy in Action
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Libertarian Gubernatorial Candidates Chris Holbrook and Chris Dock at Hamline University - Video