| The New Path, the path to Libertarian Renewal, is a commitment to take some of those first steps. The New Path starts by fixing our National Party, so that it plays an effective positive role in the greater Libertarian political movement.
The New Path will not take us to the America of our dreams. The New Path will set our party on the march in the right direction.
What is the New Path? The New Path promises thoughtful strategy, hard work, and persistance to start us on the road to a Libertarian majority. Not only doesn't the New Path promise miracles, the New Path promises that there are no miracles.
Where should we begin? Consider some early steps on the New Path. We need to start on all of them now.
Step Number One. Listen! The National Committee should listen carefully to the Libertarians in the trenches. Listening is the start of voluntary self-organization. Listen to our fellow Libertarians, the people from sea to sea who do the hard work for our party. Listen to their ideas. Listen to their hopes and fears, their thoughts and needs. Listen to their complaints, their reasons for joining or leaving our party.
Step Number Two. We need an effective, functional National Committee that spends its time doing real political work. Our National Committee has room for structural improvement. There's nothing wrong with bylaws or rules of order, but bylaws and rules of order are at most a means to the real end: We're here to win lots of elections.
Step Number Three: Mobilize the Libertarians. Our largest resource is the time and energy of our volunteers. Mobilize libertarians all across America to do active political work. Volunteer activism does not 'just happen'. It happens because it is supported by leadership.
Step Number Four: Sound financial management. The Libertarian National Committee dominates libertarian fundraising. It has an overwhelming moral responsibility to spend that money to do real politics. The new Libertarian Association of Massachusetts financial plan shows one effective way to reach this goal: Assign donations on arrival to concrete objectives, such as Outreach; don't let administrative costs soak up the entire budget.
Step Number Five: State and local group support: Our objective should be 54-'state' political activity, including the fifty states, D.C. Puerto Rico, Guam, and everywhere else our flag flies over American soil. Affiliate support includes includes volunteer and activism materials, like trifolds you can actually use after downloading, 'how-to' advice, and personal contact.
Step Number Six: Working Groups. Our National Committee should develop working groups to do political work. Working groups should be composed largely of libertarian volunteers, with a few LNC members to provide inspiration, support, and such resources as the LNC can generate.
Step Number Seven: We need real libertarian affinity groups and think tanks. We need more groups like Outright Libertarians and AntiWar.com that support our sides on issues. Reach out to other pro-liberty groups like DOMA-repeal groups, Anti-war Veterans, the Campaign4Liberty, and the Tea Parties. The LNC can't become those affinity groups and think tanks, but it can support member-volunteers who make it happen.
Step Number Eight: Public Outreach. More and more the American people are hearing the word 'Libertarian'. We need to make sure: When Americans hear 'Libertarian', they will immediately think of our sound policies, foreign and domestic, social and financial. We do that through outreach and advertising.
Step Number Nine: Young people. Most Americans only choose a political party once or twice in their entire life. When America's young people choose a political party, they should choose us. Their other alternative, after all, is national debt slavery to the warfare-welfare state. Young people need to know: We are the only road to a better America.
That's not a full list of steps, but it's a nice start for a new year just starting. I'd be delighted to listen to your ideas, too.
George Phillies
phillies@4liberty.net
508 754 1859 |
Gold America Group
