Challenge:
Getting actual voters (Libertarian, Republican, Democratic and Independent) to actually cast their ballots for Libertarian Candidates
Solutions:
Instead of telling ourselves why voters SHOULD vote for our candidates, we need to honestly and objectively ask ourselves why voters DON'T vote for us; We MUST keep in mind that NO voters owes any party or candidate their vote. It is up to the Parties and candidates to earn those votes.
Evaluate our candidates on how they present themselves to the public to determine why, from the very beginning of each campaign, voters perceive our candidates as fringe people who the voters would not WANT to represent them;
We need to create either offices or staff positions at all levels of 'Election Coordinators'. They would be responsible for active outreach to our candidates and potential candidates, not merely to advise the candidates but also to be an active clearing house for all necessary legal advise for running campaigns, for being a central recipient who all necessary local and state documents and forms (including ethics compliance forms and other requirements beyond the simple act of turning in filing documents). Their job will be to PRO-ACTIVELY ensure that our candidates have every document they need, to make sure that all documents are properly filed with the appropriate agencies, to make sure that general Libertarian Party materials are sent to the candidates, to develop relationships with service providers (such as printers) who will reduce the cost of their services for coordinated services for candidates throughout a county, district, or state; etc. Election coordinators should also be able to act as a "booking agent" who will actively find engagements for our candidates to speak at and for event coordinators to contact to arrange for candidates to speak at their events. Election coordinators would also help candidates to set up and conduct fundraising events, as well as ensure that any such event conforms with their state's laws and election codes.
We MUST examine our messages to the voters and the public. The far-right, "I hate even the very idea of government" anarchists and objectivists can strike those voters who are not ALREADY in agreement with the"down will all governments" philosophies as nihilist with no actual plan for how to even develop a plan for gradually moving us in that direction. The vast majority of Americans do not WANT, and are not comfortable with the IDEA of a complete absence of government. It scares them. If we ever want MAINSTREAM voters to hear us and give us any chances to show what we could do in office, we must be willing and able to be a Party with a wide spectrum of right to left political ideologies AND able to present even the extreme ends of our Party in ways that will not cause mainstream voters to simply write all LP candidates off as members of a lunatic fringe.
In the races with no opposition from one of the two major Parties, our leadership needs to work with the leadership of the other Parties to get their support as an alternative when they have no candidates in a particular race. In races with no LP candidates, we should help support candidates who are friendly with our goals and objectives.
We MUST make redistricting a major part of the message of ALL of our candidates in 2010. Until and unless the states develop politically neutral, non-partisan districts, neither us nor any other third-party movement will have a chance to become significant participants in our governments.
Rhys Blavier is a libertarian author writing from Tomayor, Texas. Rhys Blavier extends his profound thanks to Angela Keaton (AntiWar.Com) and Lee Wrights (LibertyForAll.net), and encourages others to support their long-time and dedicated work and their effort to support the cause of liberty and freedom and the advancement of the libertarian philosophy. This article is Copyright 2010 by Rhys Blavier and reproduced by permission.
|
Gold America Group