Should You Run as a Republican, Democrat, or a Libertarian?

[FrankRep]

Listen to this excellent advice.


http://www.thenewamerican.com/images/stories/History/larrymcdonald.001.jpg (http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/history/item/4684-kal-flight-007-remembered)
Ron Paul: "[Larry McDonald] was the most principled man in Congress."
- The Philadelphia Inquirer


Ron Paul on Congressman Larry McDonald (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_McDonald), the President of the John Birch Society (http://www.jbs.org/).



Ron Paul went to Congressman Larry McDonald, a Democrat, for advice on running for Congress. McDonald said, "Run in the party you think you can WIN because political parties are irrelevant." This made Ron Paul become a Republican.


Ron Paul explains:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ary5F5jKJY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ary5F5jKJY

[MRoCkEd]

Great advice.

[FrankRep]

Great advice.

Lets hope the Libertarian and Constitution Party listens like Ron Paul did.

[TheTyke]

Yep! Ron has reached so many more people because he made that decision. It behooves us to follow his example if we wish to maximize the effect of our labors.

[FrankRep]

Great advice.
More people need to follow this advice. So bump.

[twomp]

More people need to follow this advice. So bump.

This advice was given over 30 years ago. Before there was an internet and an alternative source of news. Quit trying to push your 2 party system. If in 35 years, the same two parties are still dominant in our politics then the liberty movement failed.

[LibertyEagle]

This advice was given over 30 years ago. Before there was an internet and an alternative source of news. Quit trying to push your 2 party system. If in 35 years, the same two parties are still dominant in our politics then the liberty movement failed.

It's not OUR two party system. Unfortunately, only 2 parties are allowed in debates. That is a fact. So, until you have a way to change that, if you want to get someone elected, those are our only choices. To ignore reality seems rather asinine.

[BamaAla]

It's not OUR two party system. Unfortunately, only 2 parties are allowed in debates. That is a fact. So, until you have a way to change that, if you want to get someone elected, those are our only choices. To ignore reality seems rather asinine.

Third parties are "allowed" in debates, but they rarely qualify to the arbitrary rules.

We have a two party system thanks to Duverger's law and that isn't going to change anytime soon. I think the best option is to gain power in one of the extant dominant parties, but if an individual wants to run on a third party ticket, more power to them.

[CaptLouAlbano]

This advice was given over 30 years ago. Before there was an internet and an alternative source of news. Quit trying to push your 2 party system. If in 35 years, the same two parties are still dominant in our politics then the liberty movement failed.

And we have had the majority of Americans on the internet for 10+ years. In that time, have third parties done better or worse? I'll give you the answer - it's worse. Meanwhile, within the GOP there are more libertarians and paleocons holding elected office than ever before.

What most people fail to understand when they demonize the "two party system", is in reality we do have a "multi ideology" system in play through the primary system. The Dems have their different wings of the party, as do the Republicans. In the primaries, those competing ideological wings battle it out to see which candidate will win the nomination and face opposition in the general election. Take the last Presidential nomination for example, you had: a neo-con, a social-con, a libertarian, a moderate and a liberal all on the ballot. Five different camps represented all under the umbrella of the GOP. And it is like this every year, in many of the races across the country. Like Thomas Massie in KY; in his primary there were seven candidates representing different wings of the party.

[muzzled dogg]

Good advice. You'll realize that you can't win as a libertarian anywhere

[CaptLouAlbano]

Good advice. You'll realize that you can't win as a libertarian anywhere

Simple reason for that is numbers.

I'll give an example. Here in my county the local LP activist group is about 8 people. So when if they run a candidate for US House, for example. They have 8 people to reach close to 100,000 voters. Compare that to what we have here in our local GOP. We might have a primary battle for that seat (as we did in the special election this year), but when the general hits through our GOP committee and affiliated organizations we have an army of people ready to go out and hit the streets.

[LibertyEagle]

Third parties are "allowed" in debates, but they rarely qualify to the arbitrary rules.
True. What I meant is that they keep changing the rules so that only the 2 are in them.


We have a two party system thanks to Duverger's law and that isn't going to change anytime soon. I think the best option is to gain power in one of the extant dominant parties, but if an individual wants to run on a third party ticket, more power to them.

You bet.

[pcosmar]

We have a two party system thanks to Duverger's law and that isn't going to change anytime soon.

Had to look that up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duverger%27s_law

Now there is a law that needs to be overturned.
Not sure how,, (not in favor of MORE law) But Parties need to be neutered and individuals elected.

[CaptLouAlbano]

Not sure how,, (not in favor of MORE law) But Parties need to be neutered and individuals elected.

They are, they're called primaries. That is how Rand, Sanford, Massie, Amash and countless other libertarians won elected office.

[jjdoyle]

This advice was given over 30 years ago. Before there was an internet and an alternative source of news. Quit trying to push your 2 party system. If in 35 years, the same two parties are still dominant in our politics then the liberty movement failed.

While I understand the hatred of the two party system, and I think it is justified, I do believe this advice makes most sense. For example, if you look at polling numbers, and election outcomes over the years and see a Republican or Democrat winning by 10% of more in a certain area, chances of that changing for one candidate isn't likely. You would do better off running as the party that is favored in the area.

NOW, the one problem with that, is how powerful name recognition can be, as with the Joe Lieberman story and him just switching parties because he lost the Democratic primary.