Category Archives: Libertarian

Augustus Sol Invictus, the lawyer, "revolutionary conservative," and crusader "to guard western civilization against foreign aggression and internal corruption," has for the past few years been the single most controversial member of Florida's Libertarian Party, for reasons Brian Doherty reported on at length (including an interview with the man himself) in October 2015. (Among the colorful details you will find there: disputed allegations of neo-Nazism, accurate reports of ritual goat sacrifice, and an O. Henry-style appearance from dirty trickster Roger Stone.)

Well, as of July 13, after years of recriminations, resignations, and mutual accusations of bad faith, the L.P. won't have Invictus to kick around anymore. The onetime trouncee in an unusual L.P. primary fight over Florida's U.S. Senate election in 2016 posted a video on his Facebook page, declaring that he was "Moving from the collegiate levels to the big leagues, and playing to win," seeking along the way to "unite the right wing of American politics at long last in order to save our country and our civilization." You can watch the full video here, and also see recent footage of Invictus speaking at an L.P. gathering in Queens, and also an alt-right rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

In May, Invictus and I both gave lunchtime talks at the Florida L.P. 2017 state convention (snippet from him here; my full thing here), after which I had two main takeaways: 1) The Party was clearly rattled by his ongoing presence (and sponsorship), and 2) his apocalyptic, nationalist-populist vision of libertarianism stuck out like a throbbingly sore thumb compared to what I usually encounter at Libertarian gatherings. I do not often hear discussion, however guarded, about "the genocide of the white race," from either capital- or small-l libertarians these days.

Invictus portrays this as the result of "leftists who have infiltrated and corrupted the Libertarian Party," leading to an insufficient defense of his chin-leading on the front lines of the Free Speech/AntiFa wars. Most L.P. activists I surveyed counter along the lines of Andy Craig: "We can only hope his gang of enablers and skinhead fans now follow him back whence they came." (Libertarian National Committee Chair Nicholas Sarwark simply tweeted, "May he go in peace.")

Is it symbolic that a man who seeks to unite white nationalists with western-chauvinist Proud Boys (of which he's a member), a fierce anti-Fed activist who says stuff like "the international finance system must be destroyed, the New World Order must be destroyed, the Left must be destroyed," would find Donald Trump's GOP more copacetic than the contemporary L.P.? Maybe, though I wouldn't read too much into a single case that has all the trappings of an outlier. The man, after all, did lose a party primary election by 48 percentage points. People (including top-ranking candidates) flow in and out of the Libertarian Party like water; it's the fate of third parties in a stubbornly two-party system, even at a time when all the L.P. measurables are at an all-time high.

"We find ourselves afflicted by the deadliest cancer in human history," Augustus Invictus declares in his mission statement at The Revolutionary Conservative, "manifest in the twin symptoms of leftism and international finance: in a word, globalism." It's a diagnosis that has even less resonance within the Libertarian Party in month six of Donald Trump's presidency.

Visit link:

Controversial Western Civilization Crusader Augustus Sol Invictus Bolts Libertarian Party for the GOP - Reason (blog)

Another major milestone has been reached in the Syracuse mayoral election. Democratic hopefuls have submitted their petitions to stay in the race. There are five Democratic candidates: Joe Nicoletti, Juanita Williams, Alfonso Davis, Raymond Blackwell, and Marty Masterpole. But getting enough signatures doesnt mean theyll all be on the ballot. Onondaga County Board of Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny says there are two main reasons candidates can be knocked from the race: If they failed to collect enough signatures from registered Democrats within the city, or if their witnesses to those petitions were not qualified.

"Every candidate has had a general objection filed against them, which means that the possibility of specific objections against a any candidate could come in against any candidate over the next week or so. In all likelihood, maybe one or two won't survive, but we just won't be able to tell until the end of thechallenge weeks."

While parties and candidates must encourage voting, Czarny says the Board of Elections will engage with local media to remind citizens of registration and voting deadlines. Czarny is hopeful that the circumstances of this primary could motivate more participation from the people of Syracuse.

"Primary elections tend to be the most low-turnout elections. My hope is with the number of candidates and the open mayoral seat, we'll see a higher turnout in this primary than we would have, say, four years ago."

The Board of Elections has found that in years with an open mayoral seat like this one, more people vote in primaries. However, Czarny believes that political tension nationally could also contribute to greater local voting interest.

"What could be different this year is you see this wave of activism sweeping the country now. Even special elections are getting higher turnout. The increasedawareness of local elections and elections in general could translate to higher turnout numbers in the fall."

One candidate who will not be on the Democratic line is Chris Fowler, who didn't submit the 1,000 required signatures from party members to secure a spot on the ballot. He recently gained the Libertarian Partys nomination, but now must gather more than 1,300 signatures to create a Libertarian Party line on the ballot. Also running for mayor are Republican Laura Lavine, Green Party's Howie Hawkins, and Independent Ben Walsh. Primary elections are September 12th; the general election is November 7th.

Read more here:

Syracuse Mayoral Democrats Turn in Petition Signatures; One Candidate Switches to Libertarian Party - WAER

On Saturday, gubernatorial candidates Ralph Northam and Ed Gillespie will debate at the Homestead in Hot Springs as guests of the Virginia Bar Association.

Libertarian candidate Cliff Hyra wont be on the stage.

The Bar Association says Hyra failed to meet its criteria, which are spelled out in its debate policy. But Hyra does meet those criteria, except one. He is legally qualified to hold the office, and he will be on the ballot. The only criterion he does not meet is subjective: The candidates candidacy must, in the sole and exclusive judgment of the VBA, be significant; he or she must have a reasonable chance of being elected. To be a significant candidate, a candidate must, at least 30 days before a scheduled debate, have demonstrated substantial voter interest and support.

The Bar Association is a private organization, and has every right to make whatever rules it cares to. Whats more, its significant candidate requirement mirrors the rules of many other organizations that sponsor debates which is why debates for high office such as governor and president almost never include third-party candidates.

But the requirement also creates a Catch-22 for Libertarians and other third parties: To get the exposure provided through debates and in media coverage, they first need to be significant but in order to be significant, they first need the exposure provided through debates and media coverage.

Whats more, the VBAs policies undermine one of its stated principles: The VBA debates are not intended to in any way promote or advance one candidate over another. Shutting out one qualified candidate does precisely that.

Were not trying to pick on the VBA here. As noted above, just about every sponsoring organization has similar rules. But those organizations profess to hold debates for the purpose of educating and informing the public. Shutting out a qualified candidate who will be on the ballot achieves the opposite. Most people know generally where Democrats and Republicans stand. They know less about where third parties stand. If sponsoring organizations are truly interested in educating the public rather than enhancing their own perceived prestige then they will invite every candidate on the ballot, not just the big two.

Read more:

Editorial: Libertarian Cliff Hyra has earned a spot in gubernatorial debates - Richmond.com

There are around 7,000 seats in the upper and lower houses of all the state governments in America, and of those, 4 are currently held by representatives of the Libertarian Party. This statistic provides a simple explanation to why third parties, in general, have such a hard time in elections, particularly the presidential election. In 2016, Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson pulled in 3.27% of the national vote, making him, based on numbers, the most successful Libertarian and third party candidate to ever run for president. Today, now over five months into Republican President Donald Trumps term, many officials in both the Democratic and Republican parties are changing their tune and switching their affiliations to be with the Libertarian Party.

The state of New Hampshire has become in a sense the epicenter of Libertarian activity, its state motto of live free or die clearly aligning with the partys principles. The past year has seen three state representatives switching to the party, two coming from the Republicans and one from the Democrats. In a statement regarding why he chose to change, Rep. Brandon Phinney shared that he felt the Republican Party was pressuring him to push certain ideas that didn't align with his own principles. Rep. Joseph Stallcop, the Democratic convert, said that the primary parties goal is simply to expand government and their own agendas, ignoring the protection of the peoples rights. The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire is now gaining ground in passing legislation that aligns with their values too, hoping to soon create laws that legalize recreational marijuana and outlaw the death penalty.

While there are currently no Libertarian officials in Congress, the party has their eyes on certain representatives whose work aligns with the partys values. Many analysts and speculators see the strategy as people running to be elected in one of the primary parties with the motive to convert to the Libertarians once elected. Nebraska State Senator Laura Ebke, the first to officially change to the third party says that this is the wrong strategy, as it could result in the person not getting elected at all. Instead, she sees the opportunity to work with sitting officials who seem to lean their way. While the funding for third party candidates election and reelection campaigns isn't nearly as great as the primary parties, Ebke and others are confident that if their party can be willing to put aside small differences with voters but agree on key points, they have a strong chance at increasing their numbers in state and federal legislatures as well as in the presidential race.

View original post here:

Libertarian Party Gaining Ground as Primary Parties Lose Support - The Conservative Nut (blog)

A Case for Centrism Being Libertarian Libertarians should observe the current shifting of the Democratic and Republican parties with concern, perhaps even fright. The days of the Reagan coalition, where conservative leaders like William F. Buckley gave a voice at the table (though not a ... If Governor Cooper Wins His State Board of Elections Lawsuit, Will Wake Dems Lose?The Independent Weekly all 2 news articles »

See the original post here:

A Case for Centrism - Being Libertarian

With season seven of the smash HBO show Game of Thrones debuting on Sunday, Reason has released another hilarious video putting a libertarian spin on the fantasy epic.

ReasonsAustin Bragg, Meredith Bragg, Andrew Heaton, and Remy Munasifihave made libertarian versions of Star Trek and Star Wars in the past. Star Trek: Libertarian Edition won a Southern California Journalism Award forBest Humor/Satire Writingof 2016.

Now Heaton and the Braggs are back. The video features Heaton and Austin Bragg playing numerous roles. Heaton plays theHand of the King attempting to convince the small council that small government and non-interventionism is the key to a more prosperous Westoros.

Heaton and Austin Bragg also play two members of the Nights Watch trying to figure out why their ancestors built a giant wall to keep out the free folk, people who marry whoever they want, live however they please, and elect leaders instead of being under the rule of someone they never approved of.

Also, watch as Heaton attempts to remember what the sayings are for House Republican and House Democrat while attending lessons with Maester Luwin, and learn that the Libertarian sigil is a porcupine humping a pile of money.

Reason releases humorous videos regularly. Some havemockedSaturday Night Live for itsHillary Clinton Hallelujah musical number, and CNN for its biased reporting.

Continued here:

Reason releases hilarious parody video 'Game of Thrones: Libertarian Edition' - TheBlaze.com

Being Libertarian

In Case You Missed It: Augustus Invictus, Education, Rwanda Being Libertarian Invictus went on to cite a number of reasons why he left, including baseless attacks by fellow libertarians. Over the course of his campaign he was called a devil worshiper, a genocidal maniac, a fascist neo-Nazi hate monger, a white supremacist, and ...

Go here to read the rest:

In Case You Missed It: Augustus Invictus, Education, Rwanda - Being Libertarian

For the fourth election cycle in a row, the Libertarian Party of Arkansas has been officially recognized as a new political party. It needed 10,000 signatures to be able to put its candidates on the 2018 ballot. The Arkansas Secretary of States office has certified that 12,749 out of 15,108 signatures were determined valid.

The party had 90 days to collect signatures. Libertarians submitted them on June 12th. In a statement, LPA Treasurer Stephen Wait said it came at a cost of over $25,000 in addition a lot of volunteer hours.

Political parties in Arkansas need to garner at least 3-percent of the vote in either the governors race or a presidential election to retain automatic ballot access for the next election. In 2016, Presidential candidate Gary Jonson garnered 2.6 percent and in 2014 gubernatorial hopeful Frank Gilbert received 1.9 percent support.

Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson has declared he will run for the states top office again in 2018. No Democrats have announced at this juncture. Libertarian Mark West is seeking his partys nomination. West took in 23.7 percent of the 2016 vote for the U.S. House seat for District 1 in east Arkansas.

Go here to see the original:

Libertarian Party of Arkansas Gets 2018 Ballot Access | KUAR - KUAR

PHOENIX A federal judge has rebuffed a bid by the Libertarian Party to kill an Arizona law even its sponsors concede was designed to make it harder for minor party candidates to get on the general election ballot.

Judge David Campbell acknowledged Monday the 2015 law sharply increases the number of signatures that Libertarian candidates need to qualify for ballot status. In some cases, the difference is more than 20 times the old requirement.

The result was that only one Libertarian candidate qualified for the ballot in 2016, and none made it to the general election. By contrast, there were 25 in 2004, 19 in 2008 and 18 in 2012.

But Campbell said the new hurdle is not unconstitutionally burdensome. And the judge accepted the arguments that the higher signature requirements ensure that candidates who reach the November ballot have some threshold of support.

But Libertarian Party Chairman Michael Kielsky said the judge ignored not just the higher burden but the games that the Republican-controlled legislature played in making 2015 the change for their own political purposes.

The Republicans set out to get the Libertarians off the ballot and the Republicans succeeded, Kielsky said. And now, Judge Campbell has said, That's OK.

Kielsky is not just spouting party rhetoric.

In pushing for the change, GOP lawmakers made no secret they do not want Libertarian Party candidates in the race, contending that a vote for a Libertarian is a vote that would otherwise go to a Republican. As proof, some cited the 2012 congressional race.

Republican Jonathan Paton lost the CD 1 race to Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick by 9,180 votes. But Libertarian Kim Allen picked up 15,227 votes votes that Rep. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, argued during floor debate likely would have gone to Paton.

And in CD 9, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema defeated Republican Vernon Parker by 10,251 votes, with Libertarian Powell Gammill tallying 16,620.

And if the point was lost, Mesnard made the issue more personal for colleagues, warning them that they, too, could find themselves aced out of a seat if they don't change the signature requirements.

I can't believe we wouldn't see the benefit of this, he said during a floor speech.

The way the legislature accomplished this was to change the rules.

Prior to 2015, would-be candidates qualified for the ballot by getting the signatures of one-half of one percent of all party members within a given area. So for a Republican seeking statewide office, that translated out to 5,660 signatures.

The new formula changed that to one-quarter of a percent but for all people who could sign a candidate's petition. That adds political independents, who outnumber Democrats and are running neck-in-neck with Republicans, to the equation.

Under the new formula, a Republican statewide candidate in 2016 needed 5,790 signatures.

But the effect on minor parties is more profound,

Using that pre-2016 formula, a Libertarian could run for statewide office with petitions bearing just 134 names, one-half percent of all those registered with the party. But the new formula, which takes into account all the independents, required a Libertarian trying to get on a statewide ballot to get 3,023 signatures.

To put that in perspective, that is closed to 12 percent of all registered Libertarians. By contrast, the statewide burden for a GOP candidate, based on the number of registered Republicans, remains close to that one-half of one percent of all adherents.

It's B.S., Kielsky said. It's completely perverse.

But Campbell said there is nothing unconstitutional about the higher requirement to limit the field to bona fide candidates who had some chance of actually winning.

If a candidate was not required to show any threshold of support through votes or petition signatures, she could win her primary and reach the general ballot with no significant modicum of support at all, Campbell continued. And in the case of Libertarians, who often run unopposed in their party's primary, a candidate could win a spot on the general election ballot with only one vote in such a primary.

Anyway, the judge said, Libertarian candidates can now seek out support to get on the ballot from independents, a pool totaling more than one million voters in Arizona.

Kielsky said that misses the point.

That means we have to appeal to things that the independents care about but not necessarily the Libertarians care about to be a Libertarian candidate, he said. The distinction of being a Libertarian is diluted, if not lost.

And Kielsky called the requirement for a modicum of support a red herring. He said if Libertarians were not picking up significant votes, the GOP-controlled legislature would not have changed the law to keep them off the ballot.

Visit link:

Law requiring more signatures for Libertarian candidates remains - Arizona Daily Sun

The Libertarian Republic

Larry Sharpe Announces Run For NY Governorship As a Libertarian The Libertarian Republic Larry Sharpe, the 2nd place runner-up 2016 vice presidential candidate, announced that he was running for Governor of New York in 2018. He did this as a 'birthday announcement' and confirmed he was running as a member of the Libertarian Party, instead ...

See the rest here:

Larry Sharpe Announces Run For NY Governorship As a Libertarian - The Libertarian Republic