November 1997
The Pulse: Time for an "image" makeover?
Does the Libertarian Party have an "image" problem? You bet, say a large majority of Libertarians -- but they disagree on what causes it and how to fix it. A whopping 77% of the Libertarians who responded to last month's Pulse question agreed that the LP's public image needs work.
Only 5% disagree, while 9% said the party "sometimes" has an image problem, and 9% gave no definite answer.
But what causes this image problem? Almost every answer was different -- ranging from general ideology, to specific issues, to voter education, to Ayn Rand's influence, to the party's name. Here's a sampling of responses:
Libertarians are hampered by one thing -- the name. The name "Libertarian" has inevitable connotations with two other words: libertine, and of course liberal.
-- Louis Chandler, Monroeville, PennsylvaniaThe LP seems too much like a conservative party. This is because of too much emphasis on the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, neither of which our movement is about. It is about individual rights, not tradition.
-- Keith Mitchel Donat, Shaker Heights, OhioA lot of people don't know enough about us. Folks don't trust something that they don't understand. We need a short, compelling explanation of what we are about.
-- Ron Clark, Litchfield, IllinoisThe party appears to be associated with very few incremental reforms and a large number of radical ones. Advocacy of immediate, sweeping change in all areas simultaneously is inevitably going to alienate voters.
-- Steven DuBois, Salina, KansasAny image problem that we have is surely the result of our nonconformity, our iconoclasm, our refusal to accept the Republican/Democrat hegemony. There's nothing we can do about this except persist.
-- Bill Murley, Holiday, FloridaA good part of the public thinks that Libertarians believe in the Social Darwinist notion of "Survival of the Fittest" [because] Libertarians have been implicated in the Randian attack on altruism. It is about time that the Libertarian movement emerge from behind Ms. Rand's shadow.
-- Robert Maynard, Williston, VermontSinging to the choir and pretending that facts, not feelings, sway opinions will never get us into office. Our success is in telling our friends, one-on-one at the precinct level, that we defend, for every individual, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
-- Danny Peele, Raleigh, North Carolina
December Pulse Question of the Month
Last month marked the 40th anniversary of the publication of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged -- considered to be one of the most influential books on the modern libertarian movement. QUESTION: What one book most influenced your journey to libertarianism? And why? (Please keep your answers to 100 words or less.)Who can enter? Any LP member or subscriber to LP News. Include your name; anonymous answers won't be tallied. Enter just once per month, please. Deadline: December 10th, 1997. Send responses:
- Via e-mail: 73163.3063@compuserve.com. (Please include the word "Pulse" in the subject line.)
- Via fax: (202) 333-0072 (Attn: The Pulse)
- Via mail: Libertarian Party, Attn: LP News/The Pulse, 2600 Virginia Ave., NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20037
