Libertarian Strategy Monthly

Herding Cats Since May 2009

Volume 1 | Issue 6 Thursday, October 1, 2009In This Issue:

Pages 2-4

Opinion

What The Next LNCChair Should DoPages 4-6

Opinion

Advocating ‘GoodGovernment’ LawsTo Promote LibertyPages 6-13

Opinion

The Future of Limited GovernmentPages 13-15

News & Analysis

MacBride’s 1976Campaign AnalysisPage 15

News & Analysis

Libertarianstrategymonth.comLaunchesPage 15

News & Analysis

LPIA Active DonorsUp 12%Page 15

News & Analysis

Libertarian Joe KennedyRuns For U.S. Senate

Issue Brief:

Excerpted From ALibertarian Party PressReleaseAmerica's third-largestparty wants to remindvoters about Republicansupport for government-run health care plans.In 2003, President Bushand the RepublicanCongress enacted aMedicare prescriptiondrug expansion. It wasoriginally expected tocost $400 billion, but justtwo years later the costwas revised upward to$1.2 trillion.In 2006, RepublicanMassachusetts GovernorMitt Romney supportedand signed a bill thatrequired all residents topurchase healthinsurance, and increasedstate health insurancefunding.In 2007, RepublicanTexas Governor Rick Perry issued an executiveorder to force sixth-gradeschoolgirls to receiveHPV vaccinations.

Privacy Alert:

Excerpted From AnACLU Press ReleaseThe American CivilLiberties Union testifiedbefore a key Housesubcommittee today onthe need forcomprehensive reform of the USA Patriot Act. TheACLU has challenged theAct both in the courts andin the halls of Congress inthe nearly eight yearssince its passage. Threesurveillance provisions –the John Doe rovingwiretap provision, Section215 or the “libraryrecords” provision andthe “lone wolf” provision– are up for renewal thisyear and will expire onDecember 31 if Congressdoes not take action.“The Patriot Act has notonly been a minefield forAmericans’ rights, it alsostarted a steady expansionof many of America’ssurveillance laws,” saidMichael German, ACLUNational Security PolicyCounsel and former FBISpecial Agent.

“It is better to be defeated standing for a high principle than to run by committingsubterfuge.” Grover Cleveland

Libertarian Strategy Monthly

Opinions of our guests do notnecessarily reflect the opinions of Jake Porter, J.D. Porter Consulting,or Libertarian Strategy Monthly.

J.D. PorterConsulting

Business, Non-Profit,and Political ServicesE-mail: jake@jakeporter.org www.jakeporter.org

Conversing With Jake

What The Next LNC Chair Should Do

By Jake Porter

irst of all, I am nota candidateand have noplans onbecoming acandidate forthe LNCChair’s raceduring the2010 LNC elections. That being said, Ihave some suggestions for the delegatesas to the type of candidate for Chair theyshould support at the 2010 convention.

2012 Presidential Campaign:

First, the 2010-2012 LNC Chair shouldnot under any circumstances be acandidate for our 2012 Presidentialnomination. This is a clear conflict of interest. Additionally, in the past, therehave been serious allegations that ourparty has suffered from some nationalstaffers playing party politics with ourPresidential nomination. It would be aterrible idea to place someone with theability to hire and fire staff in a positionto use party resources to directly benefithis or her campaign or to sabotage acompetitor’s campaign.

The Budget:

The LibertarianParty needs abudget that willspend money ondoing actualpolitics. Forexample, weshould have abudget thatincludes ballotaccess,advertising, andcandidate and volunteer support. At theend of the year, it should be included inthe Annual Report sent out to all duespaying members of the party so they candecide if we are spending their moneywisely.

Strategic Planning:

There is absolutely no reason, no excusefor a million dollar a year organizationnot to use any strategic planning.Unfortunately, this is what the LNCdoes. It is an embarrassment, it is inane,and it could possibly be the downfall of the Libertarian Party. Would you investin a business with no plans or goals? Isure wouldn’t.When I talk about strategic planning, Iam not discussing a 250 page detailedplans with pictures and arrows on it. Iam talking about beginning with the endin mind, and then finding out what wecan do short-term to get to ourdestination. For example, our goal long-term could be to control Congress by2030. Realistic or not, it doesn’t reallymatter. What matters is what we dotoday to get to that point. Based on thatgoal, we could set goals for this LNCterm and determine what we should do

Libertarian Strategy Monthly

during this term to reach our goals forthe term. By setting short-term goals,we will be much closer to our end goalno mater if we ever actually reach it ornot.A few, but not a complete list of goalsfor the 2010-2012 LNC should be:

Affiliates:

We should have an activeparty in every state and WashingtonD.C.

Ballot Access:

There is no excuse thatour Presidential nominee should not beon the ballot in at least 49 states andWashington D.C. in 2012.

Communications:

Our supporters shouldbe able to download flyers, brochures,and other materials to help themcampaign. It would be a good idea toproduce a radio and televisionadvertisement to brand the LibertarianParty. If we don’t establish our ownbrand, someone else will and we maynot like how we are perceived by theAmerican public.

Elections:

Candidates should be giveninformation like was available in the“Success 99” documents that help themfundraise, advertise, talk to the media,etc.We should try to increase the number of candidates we run for Federal office andboth the vote totals and the percentagewe receive by a specific percentage over2008. This creates stability as a partythat does not run candidates, doesn’thave much influence in the publicdebate.

Subcommittees:

As the old Toby Keithsong said, “A little less talk, and a lotmore action” is exactly what we need onthe LNC. Gabbing and gossiping aboutother LNC members and endlessdiscussion of Roberts Rules of Order isan unproductive use of time andresources to say the least. If you want tobe an LNC member, you should be on aworking committee to help set, monitor,and implement goals and strategy.

Positive Campaigning:

I don’t know about you, but I hatereceiving gloom and doom direct mail.“Donate now or we will turn of thelights!” That type of negative thinkingbrands us as losers that spend too muchmoney on lights and not enough moneyon real politics. Think of somethingpositive, and raise funds for that. Forexample, production of a high-qualitytelevision advertisement sounds like agood project that needs to be funded.Another good example is ballot accessso you can vote for a Libertarian in yourstate.

National Headquarters:

No doubt, this part of my article willcause some controversy, but it is an issuethat desperately needs to be discussed.Washington D.C. is a very expensivelocation to have the nationalheadquarters. Additionally, the highcost of living in Washington D.C. meansthat we are forced to pay staffers morethan what we would pay if they, forexample, worked in Des Moines, Iowawhere the cost of living is much moreaffordable.Please don’t get me wrong. There arebenefits to having the nationalheadquarters in Washington D.C. For