I've been a member of the Libertarian Party for over 20 years. I came in at a good time - right after Harry Browne's second presidential campaign and in time to support Michael Badnarik for president. Badnarik was everything I'd ask for in an LP candidate: principled, well-spoken, and fire breathing.
Then, things got a little screwy. The party nominated Bob Barr in 2008 followed by Gary Johnson in 2012 and 2016. The latter campaign featured "libertarian for life" Bill Weld as the VP nominee, who endorsed (for all intents and purposes) Hillary Clinton before the election and subsequently quit the party to run as a Republican in 2020.
Ouch.
I was generally pleased with Jo Jorgensen's 2020 campaign, although there were some missteps. But at least the party nominated an actual libertarian for a change.
Still, the party was failing to inspire people and missed a golden opportunity to send a loud and clear message against the Covid lockdowns and vaccine mandates, opting to message on issues that wouldn't be too controversial.
Just before the party's national convention on Memorial Day weekend, I received the party's LP News: Convention issue. It featured two issue pieces: on the importance of open borders and legalizing "sex work" (prostitution).
Now, one can make a solid libertarian case for both of those positions, although on borders there is room for some debate from a purely property rights perspective (the only libertarian perspective). But is this really going to attract interest in the party while people are suffering the worst inflation of their lifetimes and are daily propagandized about a proxy war the DC Empire started in Ukraine and the immediate need to surrender their right to keep and
bear arms?
Obviously, something had to change and something did. The Mises Caucus stormed the convention on Memorial Day and won every voting board member seat, including the chair of the Libertarian Party. I had a chance to speak to the newly elected Chair, Angela McArdle, on today's episode of Tom Mullen Talks Freedom.
This is one you don't want to miss.
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