PDA

View Full Version : Promoting Libertarianism, John Ramsey Plays The Long Game




qwerty
11-23-2012, 12:56 AM
Promoting Libertarianism, John Ramsey Plays The Long Game

Ron Paul’s presidential campaign was unique in the history of the libertarian movement, attracting more serious attention than those of any of his libertarian predecessors. Campaigning as an unabashed libertarian, yet working inside the Republican Party, his failure to wrestle the party away from its base among neo-cons and the religious right disappointed his legions of idealistic young supporters. Many were left wondering: Will the libertarian dream of peace, freedom, and limited government fade away after the quirky old Congressman rides off into the sunset?

Not if a young campaign volunteer named John Ramsey has anything to do with it.

I had the pleasure of meeting this earnest young founder of the Liberty for All SuperPAC when he tracked me down, made his first visit to Boston, and spent the afternoon walking around our country’s cradle of liberty talking politics, economics, history, and crayfish vs. oysters.

You may have read about John, the 23-year old heir to his grandfather’s small-town Texas banking and real estate fortune, after he inserted himself and his PAC money into two obscure Republican primaries in Kentucky and Michigan. His timely expenditures in the half-million-dollar range helped the libertarian candidates crush their machine-Republican opponents. While his beginner’s luck didn’t hold up when he backed a black, gay libertarian businessman against an entrenched incumbent in the Democratic primary for Travis County, Texas constable, that modest $35,000 loss surely yielded valuable lessons.

I didn’t know what to expect when one of Liberty for All’s staffers contacted me to set up the meeting. Given that, and not immune from the usual Northeast bigotry, I imagined a yahoo-cowboy, lucky-sperm club dilettante trying to bring some meaning to his privileged life.

MORE, http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrezza/2012/09/19/promoting-libertarianism-john-ramsey-plays-the-long-game/






http://www.pacliberty.com/