by Eric Dondero

Naples is a city of about 80,000 on the southwest Florida Coast. It is most certainly an upscale community, mainly of wealthy retirees from New York, and other northeastern states. There's a golf course on every corner, literally.

In the early 1990s, during the first years of the Republican Liberty Caucus, Naples was a hub of sorts for Libertarian Republicans. 1976 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate and RLC National Chairman Roger MacBride lived there in a posh condo overlooking the water. He would host many early RLC meetings and weekend get-togethers.

I was living in Tallahassee at the time, and running the national RLC from there. Though, in its first couple years, the RLC was a very Florida-focused organization. No accident that today, the Florida RLC is without doubt the most organized and active of all RLC affiliates nationwide.

A Refugee from the Ross Perot Movement

A local real estate agent in Naples named Scott LePore got active with us in the RLC. He came from the Ross Perot and Term Limits movements; not quite a libertarian, but a reformer "fiscally conservative/socially moderate" sort. Scott soon became very active with us movement libertarians, and even served on the Florida RLC board. He also became friends with Roger MacBride.

I eventually lost touch with Scott, but it appears he stayed active all these years, and stuck with the GOP. So much so, in fact, that he's now got a promotion.

For Youth, Social Networking the key to growing the GOP

From NaplesNew.com, "Collier’s new GOP leadership sees exciting future for Republican Party" Feb. 6:

Schwerin and Collier County Republican Club President Scott Lepore, 43, hope to breathe new life into the local party, an effort under way in every town around the nation.

[Frank] Schwerin, a cardiologist, and Lepore, a Realtor, may have different styles but believe they will work well together.

“It’s going to be a hand-in-hand partnership,” Lepore said. “It’s two different formats for two different purposes (but) when I met Frank, I felt here (we) are two people who think the same. Now, I’m a member of the Collier County Republican Executive Committee, and, as far as I’m concerned, everybody’s on the same page.”

Lepore took over as club president in January 2009. Since then, membership has increased and the club has banked twice its previous take.

Lepore brings verbal energy and new ideas for socializing to the mix.

He moved club meetings to the Bellasera Hotel in downtown Naples, reduced admission from $20 to $10, and kept the socials going through the summer. He brought in exciting young speakers, such as U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio.

It's a little ironic that my old friend Scott is now helping to run the Collier County Republican Committee. Back in the old days, he was a bit of an outcast, barely let inside the door of the local GOP. He was seen as brash, and a bit too over-energetic for the staid establishment oldtimers.

Republicans now a "Scott Brown/Marco Rubio Party"

“These are very exciting times,” Lepore said, noting that 161 people came out to hear Rubio speak.

Rejuvenation of the party is the key, Lepore said. One of the reasons the Republicans took such a beating in the 2008 presidential election was because the party didn’t inspire the youth of the nation, Lepore said.

That is changing with the recent election of Scott Brown, a young Massachusetts Republican who won the U.S. Senate seat traditionally held by a Democrat; and the energy of Rubio, who is capturing national attention, Lepore said.

Pro-Military Libertarian now Chairs Collier County GOP

But it gets even better. Seems that the newly appointed Chairman of the Collier County Republican Executive Committee is also a Libertarian Republican. Continuing:

Both Lepore and Schwerin stress the necessity for involvement of youth, coupled with traditional conservative Republican values.

“I have a passion about America and freedom,” Schwerin said. “I’m pretty Libertarian except that I’m pro-life and believe in a strong military.”

“My skill set is that I don’t pull punches,” Schwerin said.

Schwering goes on to account that he's been active with the GOP ever since the days of Nixon. And was even taken to the White House as a young child to meet President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He also ran against current GOP Congressman Connie Mack in 2004.

Photo - Collier County GOP Exec. Comm., Chairman Schwerin far leftside.