Renouncing The LP (And All Its Works)

I first became a libertarian in November, 1970 before the Libertarian Party was formed. In the 43 years since becoming a Libertarian Party activist, I have never been more disgusted or painfully embarrassed since Gary Johnson and William Weld were chosen as its purported 2016 nominees. In 2007 I registered as a Republican so I could vote for Ron Paul in 2008 and 2012. I re-registered as a Libertarian earlier this year in March so I could vote in the Libertarians’ US Senate primary in Oklahoma for a long-time colleague, Robert T. Murphy.

In all these years I have seen the movement explode with dynamic growth and enthusiasm. Through this heady period I have encountered most of the major Libertarian luminaries and have spent tens of thousands of hours in meetings, door-to-door canvasing of voters, ballot petitioning drives, manning state fair booths, strategic planning retreats, April 15th tax protests, anti-compulsory education rallies, supper clubs and study groups, giving media interviews, etc., as well as helping to organize dozens of political campaigns, from local level races to the presidency. I have written hundreds of flyers, pamphlets, brochures, news releases, news letters, fund-raising appeals, letters to the editor, and newspaper Op-Ed articles. Because of the long-standing trust my fellow LP members had in my dedication to the Party, I was nominated as a Presidential Elector in 1984, 1996, and 2000.

Through it all I have remained what I was in the beginning: a Rothbardian. And so I shall remain until I die.

In the past I was involved in numerous legal actions concerning ballot status recognition and the ability to be registered as a Libertarian even if the party did not have full recognition, some law suits going all the way to the US Supreme Court. But I will now change my registration status back to that of an Independent. I am through with the LP from now on.

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6:19 pm on September 18, 2016