Tuesday, November 20, 2007
My take on the Libertarian (sic) presidential candidates
The LP national office has a fun new tool for 'horseracing' the LP candidates. Actually, it's a nifty idea for fleecing terminally vain and/or delusional people with more dollars than sense, like my favorite political punching-bag Daniel Imperato. I guess for that purpose, it's an admirable tool. w00t! Keep sending the money, suckas!!
But. It would be a much more useful tool for Libertarian activists and likely convention delegates (you know, the folks who actually select the LP nominee) with two simple additions, which I mentioned yesterday:
1) some indication of how many individual donors each candidate has (and, ideally, how many of them are Party members).
2) some indication (other than a link to their websites) of positions.
For number 2, here's my highly-biased-yet-nonetheless-totally-accurate take on their positions and where they stand as Libertarians. Taking them in the (current) order they stand on:
Wayne Allen Root
Surprisingly Libertarian-sounding on many issues. Surprising because I don't remember thinking that the last time I checked his site. Obviously been getting coaching and (amazingly enough) paying attention. However, still addicted to the so-called war on terror. Confused on Iraq - wants the Iraqis to decide whether American troops stay (not just GO, but STAY, mind you). He presents this mind-bender with an amazingly straight face: Republicans say "stay." Wrong answer. Democrats say "Go." Wrong answer. It is a much more complicated issue than that. Umm, no, Mr. WAR, it's not.
A for effort. B for issues other than war. D for warmongering. Bzzt. Next contestant, please!!
Michael Jingozian
I've been meaning to get around to looking into Jingozian. The first thing that strikes me is that his website is written entirely with the 'royal we'. The second is that his candidacy is some sort of flagship for a (mythical? fantasy? dream?) coalition of third parties who will 'reset America'. Goody, another 'revolution'. sigh. I'm so sure the Greens and the Constitutionalists will want to jump on the Libertarian boat and head down the river with us. There's also the rather hysterical (and not in the funny sort of way) message embedded in the assertion that We must RESET our Government right now. Valid solutions will not be possible after 2010. Whoa. Bummer. And... five-year-plan? Hoookay... step away from the Visio software, bud. Enough with the flow diagrams!
Still, he actually seems like a libertarian, to the extent he talks about issues at all (which ain't much, from my quick read). There's points for that! Definitely a possibility. At any rate, not bootable just yet.
Daniel Imperato
Need I say more? Must I?
Sigh. I suppose I must.
Socialist nutjob. Seriously, I've met this guy; take my word for it. "Saving Social Security" is a top issue - and he doesn't mean saving it for the first-against-the-wall party after the revolution, he really means we should save it. Runs his own press service to get his clips on the web. And let's not even get into the weird Catholic Knights thing. He sure gets an A for effort, though, with all his flying around to darken the doorsteps of state LP conventions. "The Imp" (as I like to call him) surely just wants the LP's ballot line for his "Independent" candidacy. He'll be sad when he gets hosed in Denver. I won't.
NOTA
As always, a popular favorite among Libertarians. Understandable at this point. Entirely. Depressingly.
Future/Unannounced Candidate
Ron Paul votes. No surprise he's doing well among Libs. I've heard lots of 'insider talk' that he will run as a Libertarian. I discredit most of it, but won't be surprised either way.
Christine Smith
Another chance to check her out. A welcome improvement in her website. I'm feeling pretty warmly about her right now: right on the front of the site: My first act as President would be to order the immediate withdrawal of every single U.S. troop and all U.S. government personnel from Iraq. SWEET. Other positions as well seem to follow a radical libertarian plumbline at first glance.
Top of my list right now. I'm surprised. And somewhat relieved.
George Phillies
Generally pretty plumbline libertarian. But: I'm not happy with his immigration position (closed borders) and I am appalled at this statement Eminent Domain takings should be limited to traditional public purposes. Whoops. Deal-breaker. Sorry, George.
Dave Hollist
Ah, Hollist. Here's the picture of a perennial candidate. Got some weird 'contract' idea of government. Interesting. Well, not really.
Steve Kubby
Pretty much plumbline libertarian, and my best hope until I just reconnected with Christine Smith (thank the gods!). Unfortunately, he blew it for me by endorsing another candidate (??!!?) and blew it again by releasing possibly the worst campaign video I've ever seen. And I'm a Libertarian, remember. The video wasn't just bad, it was also a commercial for another candidate (!!??!!) Bzzt! Next!!!
Alden Link
Western Civilization and its traditions are under attack by radical Islamic fundamentalists who seek to spread their message through violence.
and
Just as private property owners have the right to decide whom they wish to invite onto their property, the government of each nation state, as a representative of the citizens living therein, has the absolute right to decide who shall be permitted to enter their country.
So. Moving on.
Barry Hess
Still has a "Hess for Governor" website up. I'm not taking him seriously until he takes him seriously.
John Finan
G-D Flash site makes it hard to capture his amazing prose, but I'll do it if I have to type it. OK, I lied. Look it up, though (I won't link it). He apparently wants to nuke Iran to punish its president. He thinks war is 'unfortunate' (really?), but 'needs to be managed ... perhaps better'. Thinks we should remove troops from Iraq in the past (!!!) and yet 'rebuild' Iraq. Eh? How's that?
He boldfaces Al Gore's name (many times) as if he thinks that will help him. Whatever. Oh, and he's suggesting that his company's technology is the answer to many of America's problems. Yes. I see.
Socialist. Crazy. Deluded. Warmongerer. I just can't say enough about him. Oh, if you do check him out, don't miss the Christmas Tree page!!! Seriously. Gets an A for the funniest website, edging out The Imp.
Robert Milnes
Obviously using his presidential run to pick up chicks. Which puts him about two steps above The Imp, and miles above Finan.
I, personally, identify more with the Greens. Therefore I seek a woman Libertarian candidate for Vice-President to form a "hybrid" ticket. This ticket should combine the Green and Libertarian votes into one "Progressive Alliance" vote.
Good luck getting a date, Bob. You sure as hell aren't getting the LP nomination.
Bob Jackson
I want to like him because he's got this adorable male-pattern-baldness thing going. But... Eagle Scout??? Here's a guy who has actually embraced the stupid motto the national LP is pushing on its website: " Lower Taxes, Less Government, More Freedom". Blech. Ptooey. that hurts even with cut-and-paste. Issues: another warmongerer: We have a committed enemy that wants to destroy the United States by "a death of a thousand cuts". The United States can prevail against this aggression through better leadership. Don't-think-so.
So. Somewhat to my surprise, I find myself solidly behind Christine Smith at this point. I guess this exercise has been worth it. Thanks, Shane Cory! Hahahaha. No, seriously.
¶ 6:38 PM
But. It would be a much more useful tool for Libertarian activists and likely convention delegates (you know, the folks who actually select the LP nominee) with two simple additions, which I mentioned yesterday:
1) some indication of how many individual donors each candidate has (and, ideally, how many of them are Party members).
2) some indication (other than a link to their websites) of positions.
For number 2, here's my highly-biased-yet-nonetheless-totally-accurate take on their positions and where they stand as Libertarians. Taking them in the (current) order they stand on:
Wayne Allen Root
Surprisingly Libertarian-sounding on many issues. Surprising because I don't remember thinking that the last time I checked his site. Obviously been getting coaching and (amazingly enough) paying attention. However, still addicted to the so-called war on terror. Confused on Iraq - wants the Iraqis to decide whether American troops stay (not just GO, but STAY, mind you). He presents this mind-bender with an amazingly straight face: Republicans say "stay." Wrong answer. Democrats say "Go." Wrong answer. It is a much more complicated issue than that. Umm, no, Mr. WAR, it's not.
A for effort. B for issues other than war. D for warmongering. Bzzt. Next contestant, please!!
Michael Jingozian
I've been meaning to get around to looking into Jingozian. The first thing that strikes me is that his website is written entirely with the 'royal we'. The second is that his candidacy is some sort of flagship for a (mythical? fantasy? dream?) coalition of third parties who will 'reset America'. Goody, another 'revolution'. sigh. I'm so sure the Greens and the Constitutionalists will want to jump on the Libertarian boat and head down the river with us. There's also the rather hysterical (and not in the funny sort of way) message embedded in the assertion that We must RESET our Government right now. Valid solutions will not be possible after 2010. Whoa. Bummer. And... five-year-plan? Hoookay... step away from the Visio software, bud. Enough with the flow diagrams!
Still, he actually seems like a libertarian, to the extent he talks about issues at all (which ain't much, from my quick read). There's points for that! Definitely a possibility. At any rate, not bootable just yet.
Daniel Imperato
Need I say more? Must I?
Sigh. I suppose I must.
Socialist nutjob. Seriously, I've met this guy; take my word for it. "Saving Social Security" is a top issue - and he doesn't mean saving it for the first-against-the-wall party after the revolution, he really means we should save it. Runs his own press service to get his clips on the web. And let's not even get into the weird Catholic Knights thing. He sure gets an A for effort, though, with all his flying around to darken the doorsteps of state LP conventions. "The Imp" (as I like to call him) surely just wants the LP's ballot line for his "Independent" candidacy. He'll be sad when he gets hosed in Denver. I won't.
NOTA
As always, a popular favorite among Libertarians. Understandable at this point. Entirely. Depressingly.
Future/Unannounced Candidate
Ron Paul votes. No surprise he's doing well among Libs. I've heard lots of 'insider talk' that he will run as a Libertarian. I discredit most of it, but won't be surprised either way.
Christine Smith
Another chance to check her out. A welcome improvement in her website. I'm feeling pretty warmly about her right now: right on the front of the site: My first act as President would be to order the immediate withdrawal of every single U.S. troop and all U.S. government personnel from Iraq. SWEET. Other positions as well seem to follow a radical libertarian plumbline at first glance.
Top of my list right now. I'm surprised. And somewhat relieved.
George Phillies
Generally pretty plumbline libertarian. But: I'm not happy with his immigration position (closed borders) and I am appalled at this statement Eminent Domain takings should be limited to traditional public purposes. Whoops. Deal-breaker. Sorry, George.
Dave Hollist
Ah, Hollist. Here's the picture of a perennial candidate. Got some weird 'contract' idea of government. Interesting. Well, not really.
Steve Kubby
Pretty much plumbline libertarian, and my best hope until I just reconnected with Christine Smith (thank the gods!). Unfortunately, he blew it for me by endorsing another candidate (??!!?) and blew it again by releasing possibly the worst campaign video I've ever seen. And I'm a Libertarian, remember. The video wasn't just bad, it was also a commercial for another candidate (!!??!!) Bzzt! Next!!!
Alden Link
Western Civilization and its traditions are under attack by radical Islamic fundamentalists who seek to spread their message through violence.
and
Just as private property owners have the right to decide whom they wish to invite onto their property, the government of each nation state, as a representative of the citizens living therein, has the absolute right to decide who shall be permitted to enter their country.
So. Moving on.
Barry Hess
Still has a "Hess for Governor" website up. I'm not taking him seriously until he takes him seriously.
John Finan
G-D Flash site makes it hard to capture his amazing prose, but I'll do it if I have to type it. OK, I lied. Look it up, though (I won't link it). He apparently wants to nuke Iran to punish its president. He thinks war is 'unfortunate' (really?), but 'needs to be managed ... perhaps better'. Thinks we should remove troops from Iraq in the past (!!!) and yet 'rebuild' Iraq. Eh? How's that?
He boldfaces Al Gore's name (many times) as if he thinks that will help him. Whatever. Oh, and he's suggesting that his company's technology is the answer to many of America's problems. Yes. I see.
Socialist. Crazy. Deluded. Warmongerer. I just can't say enough about him. Oh, if you do check him out, don't miss the Christmas Tree page!!! Seriously. Gets an A for the funniest website, edging out The Imp.
Robert Milnes
Obviously using his presidential run to pick up chicks. Which puts him about two steps above The Imp, and miles above Finan.
I, personally, identify more with the Greens. Therefore I seek a woman Libertarian candidate for Vice-President to form a "hybrid" ticket. This ticket should combine the Green and Libertarian votes into one "Progressive Alliance" vote.
Good luck getting a date, Bob. You sure as hell aren't getting the LP nomination.
Bob Jackson
I want to like him because he's got this adorable male-pattern-baldness thing going. But... Eagle Scout??? Here's a guy who has actually embraced the stupid motto the national LP is pushing on its website: " Lower Taxes, Less Government, More Freedom". Blech. Ptooey. that hurts even with cut-and-paste. Issues: another warmongerer: We have a committed enemy that wants to destroy the United States by "a death of a thousand cuts". The United States can prevail against this aggression through better leadership. Don't-think-so.
So. Somewhat to my surprise, I find myself solidly behind Christine Smith at this point. I guess this exercise has been worth it. Thanks, Shane Cory! Hahahaha. No, seriously.
¶ 6:38 PM
Comments:
Links to this post:
<< Home
Great round up, Susan! I remember deciding that Smith was the least awful of the candidates when I looked over their sites a few months back. Her issues list seems more detailed now, and I feel even better about her. I still can't believe how many outright statist scumbags are running for the LP nomination.
Steve Kubby's endorsement of Ron Paul -- for the GOP primary, mind you, not the general election, in which Steve is still running last I heard -- is a point in his favor as far as I'm concerned. Some of these would-be Libertarian presidential candidates seem to have egos the size of Mount Rushmore (e.g. Root, Jingozian, Imperato), and frankly that is just the kind of candidate who should be looked at with a great deal of skepticism. Steve's willingness to back Ron Paul now, at a time when Rep. Paul is giving so many in the freedom movement real hope, shows that he is willing to put what's best for the libertarian movement ahead of what's best for his ego. He deserves props for that, not criticism. Besides Kubby, I agree with you that Christine Smith seems like the best of the bunch so far.
I spoke with Alden Link in an elevator at the 2006 LP national convention. Link said that if a bank has deposits from terrorists, then the US should bomb the branch offices of that bank.
I asked Link if that meant that, if our government decided that X International Bank held terrorist funds in an account, that we should bomb that bank's branches in Zurich or Paris, or anywhere else. Link said that yes, we should.
Link makes Root look like a peacenik.
That said, I'm for Ron Paul at this point. If he doesn't enter, I'm hoping that longtime Virginia LP members Karen Kwiatkowski enters the race.
All of our announced candidates are either cretinous war-mongers, or lightweight pygmies.
I regard Kubby, Smith, and Phillies as among the pygmies (i.e., the LP's current "upper tier"). Among them, I lean toward Phillies, because he's not afraid to get "in your face" and "offensive" in denouncing the war. Nor is he a Johnny-come-lately on the issue.
But I still wish that either Paul, or Karen Kwiatkowski, would enter.
Paul/Kwiatkowski is my 2008 LP dream ticket.
I asked Link if that meant that, if our government decided that X International Bank held terrorist funds in an account, that we should bomb that bank's branches in Zurich or Paris, or anywhere else. Link said that yes, we should.
Link makes Root look like a peacenik.
That said, I'm for Ron Paul at this point. If he doesn't enter, I'm hoping that longtime Virginia LP members Karen Kwiatkowski enters the race.
All of our announced candidates are either cretinous war-mongers, or lightweight pygmies.
I regard Kubby, Smith, and Phillies as among the pygmies (i.e., the LP's current "upper tier"). Among them, I lean toward Phillies, because he's not afraid to get "in your face" and "offensive" in denouncing the war. Nor is he a Johnny-come-lately on the issue.
But I still wish that either Paul, or Karen Kwiatkowski, would enter.
Paul/Kwiatkowski is my 2008 LP dream ticket.
Several candidates have responded to Project Vote Smart's "Political Courage Test," and their responses are available online.
Naturally, I want to flog Steve Kubby's responses ... but for some reason the PCT results show "greatly reduce" (insert program/tax here) in many spots where it should say "eliminate." I say "should" because I worked with Kubby on completing the PCT and don't recall "eliminate" being one of the available responses. I'll be looking into whether or not the PCT can be amended for accuracy's sake.
Some of the other candidates responded to the PCT, some didn't. I'm only going to link to one other, because a) some blogs tend to 86 comments with more than two links as likely spam, and b) this one is a candidate whose web site you didn't find very informative: Michal Jingozian.
If I just didn't think you'd like what you were going to see there, I wouldn't bother warning you, but since I don't know if you suffer from high blood pressure, I will ... get ready for ugly, because it's at the other end of that link.
Naturally, I want to flog Steve Kubby's responses ... but for some reason the PCT results show "greatly reduce" (insert program/tax here) in many spots where it should say "eliminate." I say "should" because I worked with Kubby on completing the PCT and don't recall "eliminate" being one of the available responses. I'll be looking into whether or not the PCT can be amended for accuracy's sake.
Some of the other candidates responded to the PCT, some didn't. I'm only going to link to one other, because a) some blogs tend to 86 comments with more than two links as likely spam, and b) this one is a candidate whose web site you didn't find very informative: Michal Jingozian.
If I just didn't think you'd like what you were going to see there, I wouldn't bother warning you, but since I don't know if you suffer from high blood pressure, I will ... get ready for ugly, because it's at the other end of that link.
When will you finally release your female energy and find love in the arms of a real man, Daniel Imperato.
A real man, a real American, a real piece.
Post a Comment
A real man, a real American, a real piece.
# posted by 
: 11:23 PM
: 11:23 PMLinks to this post:
<< Home
