Yes, they should.

I totally agree with the candidate training seminar. every LP state party should have training seminars for candidates. This is definitly neccessary. If i was a cnadidate I would not have problems with a training seminar, becouse the training is to the candidates advantage.

Excellent idea. Very practical for the LP.

YES, yes, yes - NO investment could be more appropriate. FYI, here's my Campaign Manual for serious "to win" candidates - hope it's worth a look: http://homepage.mac.com/smalltalker2/FileSharing1.html.
Select "libertarian" then select JK Campaign Manual.

Joseph: I downloaded your JK Campaign Manual and have had a chance to skim it to see if it was worth reading in earnest. It definitely passes my early filter (for whatever that's worth) and I look forward to looking it over thoroughly. You mention inside that it is an excerpt from a larger work - do you have plans to publish that or make it otherwise available? Of course, I would expect you to charge for such a thing, I just wondered if you completed the project. We really need more material like this that's tailored to our "activist-who-wants-to-be-a-politican" crowd. Anyway, thank you very much for making this available and let me know about the rest of the manual.

Ahh, that link to Joe Knight's campaign manual should be http://homepage.mac.com/smalltalker2/FileSharing1.html -- then go to the libertarian folder. The file you want is called JK Campaign Manual.zip. Enjoy and be enlightened.

I agree. We need to spend as much time and money on training as possible.

The next step is to help fund these candidates so that they can put their knowledge to work and elect some high level Libertarians.

Ben Todd
Libertarian for Vermont house 2006
Orleans-Caledonia district

No, state LP's should not necessarily invest except perhaps for very basic workshops like the LP Success ones--but they should publicize the training available.

The presently dormant Libertarian Citizen Seminars were on a free will donation and got people in office and with record totals.(http://www.fullslate.uni.cc/) Another good source was the Gorman seminars: http://www.lpnc.org/tarheel_lib/articles/jan_2002/Gorman.html

This may however make perfect sense for PAC.

I think it's a terrific idea.

The LP has more advantages If we also put our focus on local and state elections also. If the LP can do that and be successful, then congressional elections won't as hard to win.

Re. Campaign Manual, Travis writes "You mention inside that it is an excerpt from a larger work - do you have plans to publish that or make it otherwise available?" and Joseph responds from the technological dark ages that it exists on disk only in Smith-Corona word-processor format and has to be re-typed from hard copy but the sections on organizing and leadership will be available this year. The outreach and communications chapters aren't really an improvement over the Advocvate's material so activists are referred to ASG for these topics.

The free-market should be the determining factor. If there are enough people willing to pay for and attend candidate training, then it should be done.

If there aren't enough people willing to pay for and attend, then the state party needs to do some more development.

People attending such training classes should be required to pay something (otherwise the lessons don't stick very well). But partial subsidies are not a bad idea either.

But Greg, the free market has determined that some members of the party (like me) are willing to give their cash (through donations, membership fees) to a cause like this, so candidates don't have to buy it - and don't libertarians support the free and untaxed exchange of gifts?

I'm the Political Director of the LPNY. We're looking for candidates for our 2006 statewide races -- if we get 50,000 votes for our Gov. candidate, petitioning becomes much easier for the next 4 years under NY election law.

We are looking for candidates for Governor, Lt. Gov., Attorney General, Comptroller, and US Senate. Anyone interested should contact me at wredlich@gmail.com, or at 888-733-5299.

Shane: If possible, it would be nice if you could make this a post on the blog.

Thanks,
Warren Redlich

As long as they're not losers
http://www.alternet.org/story/20961/

this comment has nothing to do with the above topic, but there's nowhere else to turn. I'm 18, and just getting into Libertarian philosophy, but have stumbled upon this site: http://world.std.com/~mhuben/faq.html
which clearly states many anti-libertarian points that I am not knowlegable enough to refute. Please, someone help!! Tell me they're wrong!

For the past three years, C-Span has broadcast some campaign management seminars held every year at George Washington University. These are usually held between Christmas and the start of the winter semester. I have VHS taped them and transcribed them in Pennsylvania and have distributed them on internet groups, etc.

I would suggest that all of you check CSpan's web site after Christmas and set your vcrs or DVD or IRA's or whatever you crazy young people use nowadays, and tape these. Why I remember when we didn't have these fance MP3 players. All we had was 8-Track players.... oh sorry, drifted off again.

Anyway, tape these seminars around the Holidays. There will be about a dozen of them. Topics include Media relations, holding profitable fundraising events, forming coalitions in issues based campaigns, opposition research, campaign budgeting and so on. You can learn a lot from these free programs.

Most of our members have not studied the exellent free campaign manual available on this site. But they've read Atlas Shrugged.

Go figure!

Tim: Could you please supply the full path to the campaign manual you reference. I can't seem to find it and would like to pass it on.

Kyle: I read through a bit of that website, and feel that it is describing typical ANARCHIST (or minarchists, or anarcho-capitalists, or whatever) language more than LIBERTARIAN language. The contents of the site to which you linked are good rebuttals of anarchist thought. I hope that helps.

Do you think we need to focus on candidate training? Or something else? Do you know what we need to do to help us win? Let us know. Check out

http://ReformTheLP.org

Do you think the LP has a message that the public just isn't ready for yet? Have an idea for changing the pledge? Have other ideas that can turn around a less then successful 34 year history? Maybe you are right. Help us change this so we can start getting elected. Try visiting

http://ReformTheLP.org

Kyle,

They are wrong. They are viewing all libertarians as anarchists.

Such as them saying we don't own our country and them supporting what appears to be high taxes shows they know nothing about our constitution.

Our government was founded on the constitution anything not in it the government does not have the privalege to do. People have rights from God and the government has privaleges from the people. You can read a paper I did on the devine right theory
http://molibertarian.blogspot.com/2005/08/
my-history-paper.html

Again, I am deviating from the topic, but I feel I should point out that the Authoritarians are rising out of the woodwork as Hurricane Katrina approaches. Never fails, as soon as a natural disaster approaches, this country goes into third reich mode. Maybe if we got rid of FEMA, and the rest, these morons would stop building cities that are 12 feet below sea level.

Now returning you to your regularly scheduled topic, already in progress.

I would say Libertarianism is orginiated from The Old Right of 1930's and 1940's. The Old Right by modern standards would considered as Pat Buchanan. The Old Right staunchly opposed interventionism, and believed in a mjor decrease in the size of government. The Old Right staunchly opposes world government. Those are the things of Libertarianism and the Old Right I endorse.

I just looked for the LP campaign manual and can't find it. They must have removed it when they revamped the lp.org web site.

If anyone wants a copy, just email me at chair@lppgh.org and I will email it to you.

It is very long though. There are 19 sections. I will email it in three sections.

tim

Kyle,

I got to the first claim about the original intent, in which the author writes:
"I think the best way to interpret the constitution is the way the founders explicitly specified in the Constitution: look to the courts, especially the Supreme Court. The Constitution leaves the method of its interpretation by the court entirely to the court to decide."

You can see for yourself what the Constitution says here:
http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articleiii.html#section1

It would appear that on the first point the author is being dishonest.

If you are troubled by any other point the author makes, share it here and we can address it.

The author of that particular anti-Libertarian FAQ also points out that corporations are just as corrupt, or more so, than governments, and therefore, we need government control in our economy. Although I don't believe this to be true, I find myself lacking good counter points to that statement. I mean, if there's little/no gov't involvement in the economy, what's to stop some mega-corporation from controlling whole cities?? Also, what about pollution from major corporations? Should the government regulate that??

You can pick up some easy reading books on running campaigns. They cover most of the basic. I haven't read the thicker books, but I imagine the cover more than the basics. I've been to a couple candidate training seminars, and the seminars can reinforce the books or vice-versa. A refresher now and then is always helpful.

I'm working with another group in Vermont to host a candidate training seminar for potentional Libertarian candidates at the end of this year.

Kyle,

You asked:

"The author of that particular anti-Libertarian FAQ also points out that corporations are just as corrupt, or more so, than governments, and therefore, we need government control in our economy. Although I don't believe this to be true, I find myself lacking good counter points to that statement."

Corrupt businesses will fail, that's the beauty of the free market. A corrupt government, on the other hand, is significantly harder to get rid of.

"I mean, if there's little/no gov't involvement in the economy, what's to stop some mega-corporation from controlling whole cities??"

With big government, all you have to do is get a majority on the city council (3 or 4 usually), and then you can, in theory, condemn the whole town and give it to your business.

With small government, the city council would not have that power. The business would have to buy the city acre by acre from the owners if it wanted control.

"Also, what about pollution from major corporations? Should the government regulate that??"

I would love to see private property owners be able to sue the source of pollution to make their property clean again. This may encourage businesses to spend their money looking for cleaner methods instead of using their money lobbying Congress to change the regulations. Their regulations are usually a limit on how much they can damage their neighbor's property.

I could see that with a Libertarin nation would inculed Libertarin so under that system people would not buy good form a bad Corp further govermental Force can be used to protect agist a greater use of force in Anti-turst legsation could be use if the Corp is a danger to the people or the Market

You could start your own candidates education program today if you go to the bookstore and buy any one of these books. Why wait?

Also I wouldn't limit the education effort to candidates. Campaign managers and key volunteers should also be brought up to speed on the basics of campaigns. Also a knowledge of Robert's Rules is necessary to run a successful county chapter meeting. The county chapters are very uneven in their competence and anyhthing that brings up the quality of leadership on the county level will help the party. A rising tide lifts all boats.

Recommended Books:

The Campaign Manager- by Catherine Shaw
How To Win a Local Election - by Judge Lawrence Gray
Winning Elections - by Faucheux

Sales Books:(We are in the communications and sales business)
Selling for Dummies -by Tom Hopkins
Prospecting for Dummies - by Tom Hopkins
Advanced Sales Strategies - by Brian Tracy
The 25 habits of Highly Successful Salespeople - by Steve Schiffman
Power Sales Presentations - by Steve Schiffman

Robert's Rules of Order - Needed to conduct a meeting.

Fundraising For Dummies- Another excellent 'Dummies" book.

i'd also suggest "Selling the Dream" by Guy Kawasaki

The LP needs to focus on outreach and education more; running candidates is a waste of time until we get somebody like Boortz who could actually win.

Am I hallucinating or was their another blog topic here?

Hi Paul,

the original questions were:

Do you feel that the "Weekend for Winners" is the kind of effort that state LP organizations should be making? Are there better ways for states to invest their time and resources?

Andrea Millen and Mark Hinkle, among others, were staging nuts and bolts campaigning workshops thiry years ago. So why doesn't each state party have a cadre of sophisticated campaign technicians today? Something must be missing in the way these workshops are employed. Perhaps it is just that following through on the techniques presented was hard work, and those who employed them burned out when their efforts still resulted in miniscule vote percentages? Where is the magic bullet??!!??

If one assumes the following is correct:

(1) A Candiate cannot win unless voters accept them as better than the alternative.
(2) The Candiates message is one the voters support.
(3) The campaign can get the candiates message out.

If so then the party must present a creditable Candiate and someone with a successful political history. Seems that local offices should be the long term goals. The Candiate must have a message the majority can support to be supported by a majority and the Campaign must spend enough money to get that message out.

Other than jawboneing others, a peoples vote is their opportunity to influence public policy. If a voter thinks a candiate cannot prevail only the hard core party loyal will vote for them. To win the party must capture the center of the political spectrum. That is goal of the two major parties as they change their message and platform around over the years. Can't the LP learn from their success? Unless one is in office, can one make changes they so strongly believe in.

Reservations for "Weekend for Winners" must be made by FRIDAY SEPT 2!

This is a great opportunity for Libertarians to get serious about winning and changing our world. This is the best training deal available for activists/volunteers/candidates.

Don't sit home and complain that the LP doesn't do enough; YOU ARE THE LP!

Visit www.LPTexas.org for more information and to reserve your spot.

It appears that most Libertarians would rather sit home and read a book than invest in winning. Does that suggest it is a waste for state LP organizations to try "Weekend for Winners" type of efforts?

Patrick,

Actions speak louder than words; if nobody shows up, then you have your answer.

Another "sales" book that should definately be on the list is The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance by Dudley and Goodson. It's for all the rest of us who are uncomfortable doing the things in the other sales books.