The 600 are all libertarians who ran as libertarians under the LP banner.
The RLC has never gotten anyone elected to any position. Not even dog catcher. --- In [email protected], "Eric Dondero Rittberg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hey, does that "600" List include Don Gorman up in New Hampshire who > was elected on both the Libertarian and Republican lines? > > > --- In [email protected], "Paul" <ptireland@> wrote: > > > > The RLC hs never gotten a single person elected to office, > libertarian > > or otherwise; not one. Also, the Republican party has no > libertarians > > in it and that includes Ron Paul. > > > > The Libertarian Party on the other hand has gotten over 600 > > libertarians elected. > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Eric Dondero Rittberg" > > <ericdondero@> wrote: > > > > > > Outstanding question Matt. And welcome to our Forum. > > > > > > Here's my thoughts on the matter. > > > > > > I think there was a groundswell of support for libertarian > ideals in > > > the late 1970s and early 1980s. This all culminated in the > highly > > > successful Ed Clark, Libertarian for President Campaign in 1980 > (and > > > to a lesser extent Ron Paul's LP Presidential Campaign in > 1988). It > > > also resulted in 3 Libertarians being elected to the Alaska > > > Legislature, and scores of Libertarians winning nationwide for > local > > > offices. > > > > > > Since then. the Libertarian Party has experienced a serious > decline > > > in electoral victories and Presidential vote totals. > > > > > > In 1990, Libertarian Party members started joining the GOP, and > > > formed the Republican Liberty Caucus. > > > > > > Since then, virtually all of the major libertarian electoral > > > victories have been a result of the RLC, not the LP. > > > > > > The LP's decline has seriously hurt the Liberty Movement. I > don't > > > see a "libertarian groundswell" out there any more like there > was in > > > the '80s. > > > > > > The RLC has been only partially successful. It has succeeded in > > > getting libertarians elected to office in a spotty fashion; 1 > guy in > > > Maine, another guy in Alaska, 2 guys down in Texas, 2 guys in > > > Colorado, and so on. > > > > > > The RLC has not succeeded in electing enough libertarians to > make a > > > difference. It's more like "Oh ya, that odd libertarian guy we > have > > > in our GOP Caucus here in the 'Pick-your-State' Legislature..." > > > > > > Unless libertarians of all stripes get super-serious about > politics > > > and trade in the on-line blogging and LP supper club monthly > > > meetings for precinct walking, sign waving, phone banks, and > > > fundraising for RLC-backed candidates, we are never going to > succeed. > > > > > > The entire libertarian movement, both LP and RLC, needs to > transform > > > itself into a libertarian version of the Club for Growth. > > > > > > I invite you to check out my web site which advocates this > approach: > > > > > > www.mainstreamlibertarian.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "matthew_reider" > > > <matthew_reider@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Full disclosure: I am neither a libertarian nor a fan of > > > unregulated > > > > capitalism. But I am earnest in trying to figure out where > > > > Libertarians stand - and I am not here to pick a fight. > > > > > > > > It seems like the Libertarian argument has gained some > strength in > > > the > > > > last decade or more. This correlates to the strength of the > fiscal > > > > conservative viewpoint and republican success over Democrats in > > > > representative government. > > > > > > > > It is my belief that these trends have much to do with one > another > > > and > > > > that Republicans have done a good job of co-opting the > Libertarian > > > > agenda while not following that agenda whatsoever. Reagan was > the > > > > first in a line of contemporary republicans who appealed to the > > > > public's sense of paranoia about "big government" and started > what > > > > became a twenty-five year republican mission to dismantle many > of > > > the > > > > federally funded social programs established by Reagan's > > > predecessors. > > > > > > > > My question to the group looks something like this: Do you > > > generally > > > > agree that Libertarian ideology has helped to elect people > like > > > George > > > > W. Bush to the white house and, if so, do you find this > troubling? > > > > > > > > Thanks for considering my question! > > > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > > > Matt > > > > > > > > > > ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
