LP Commits Election Suicide (again)

By Tom Rhodes 8/6/12

Gary Johnsons announced support of gay marriage, again shows the vast majority of Americans that the LP is not suitable to lead the USA. The LP can't even get its leadership to support its candidate. Even members of the Libertarian Party’s Executive Committee endorsed Romney not the LP candidate. When put to a vote Gay Marriage loses by huge margins, over 60% here in Florida.

Look at Chick-Fil-A, record sales and egg all over the face of militant gays. Gary Johnson loudly proclaiming he doesn’t go to church and that gays shold be allowed to marry, pretty much killed his election chances. Why do we Libertarians continue to choose totally unelectable people to run for office. As a Libertarian, I’ve committed to voting for Johnson, mostly because there is no other real choice, and I couldn't live with myself if I voted for Obama or Romney. But Johnson's words have effectively killed any chance he has of winning the election.

In an email I received from Johnson’s campaing he said;

" I believe the right to marry who we choose is a constitutionally protected right.”

Exactly where in the constitution is the right to marriage found? More importantly where in the constitution does the federal government have an enumerated power to legislate marriage? Rather than champion equality under the law, Johnson endorses adding yet another group getting special treatment and the further disenfranchise of some based on who they choose to enter contracts. If your single, and don’t choose to enter into a binding contract with another, you can be and are treated to different rules than those who do choose to enter into a contract with another.

Although there shouldn’t be any governmental authority to regulate marriage, constitutionally if the government does have that right it is clearly a States Right. Johnson chooses to ignore States Rights on this issue, and tell the 31 states who have had votes on the issue, that those voters are wrong.

Having met with and talked to Gary Johnson, I could not support him and didn’t as the choice for LP candidate for president during the LP selection process. I lost this and will vote for the LP candidate. The reasons I didn’t support Johnson were based on his words and stated beliefs. Mostly it appeared as though he was an opportunist Republican taking advantage of the LP. He appeared to have values that followed the wind, and took the position that could get him the most press. When directly asked Johnson was clear in stating that promoting the LP, and making the LP an effective political party was not his job, and not something he considered he was responsible for. His words were basically I'm out for me not the Libertarian Party.

That is why I didn’t vote for him at the Libertarian Party of Floirda state convention this year, and why I’ve clearly stated to those on the LPF EC that I don’t think they should have supported Johnson. Again we are stuck with an unelectable LP presidential candidate on the ballot in all 50 states, who’s words and actions alienated 75% of the population which claims to be Christian and hold Christian values.

Libertarian Values are not and do not have to be anti-Christian. In fact whether my fellow Libertarians accept it or not, libertarian values are rooted in Christianity, not secularism. Read The Christian foundations of the rule of law in the West: a legacy of liberty and resistance against tyranny. The idiocy of embracing non-libertarian and often sometimes anarchist ideas has become the halmark of the Libertarian Party, it dooms us to failure. The devisive hot button issues do not have to be part of the LP Platform, and still be libertarian. Taking positions contrary to the majority of society, that even libertarians can and do disagree; based on sound libertarian thinking and philosophy, is a receipe for failure.

The inability to the LP to win support influential libertarians. The fact that the Cato Institute, a clearly libertarian think tank doesn’t endores the LP. The fact that famous libertarians like John Stossel don’t openly support the LP. This is a sign that as a political party the LP is not going anywhere, and is completely inffective on a national scale.

The Libertarian Party of Florida, used to be a debate club and joke of a political party in Florida. Over the past few years, people within the LPF wanting a professional party with real political influence worked hard and diligently at changing it. Most of the old guard LPF leadership as been replaced, and the LPF is a far better and more professional party than before. The Platform in Florida is devoid of the most devisive issues that libertarians fight over. The objectives of the LPF are clear, and the leadership is working towards those objectives. Changing the LPF from a debating society to a real professional party is taking time but progress is visable and noticeable. The same must happen at the national level.

Taking stands that libertarians don't agree on, and most of America is divided on, and putting them in the platform is not a way to unify people around the idea of liberty, much less the Libertarian Party. To win the hearts and minds of the American people, the LP must change. The polls are clear, most of American is libertarian in beliefs but not part of and don't want to be associated with the Libertarian Party. To be effective, the LP needs a larger base. This base is available, but the LP must stop attacking the majority of Americans with extremist ideas that even its own leadership isn't unified. The image of Libertarians as being amoral atheistic anarchists must be addressed and changed. To do this it must start at the local grass roots level. Until and unless the national LP can learn that it must win small local elections, to establish a solid libertarian base before it can tackle the presidency, and big national elections it will remain a party going no-where. The LP must actually put efforts into helping its state and local affilliates, it is doomed to keep repeating what the LP consistantly does ; lose.

To see what effective grass roots change looks like, you should look up and follow the campaign of Collen Fretts. This is the model the LP should be looking at, not another unelectable opportunist like Gary Johnson. It's not too late for local LP affiliates to effect change, the selection of Gary Johnson for US President candidate on the national scene is once again evidence of the LP committing political suicide.

Oh well, maybe next time. . . .