Interesting perspective

I'm with Steve on this.

However, there are some clear lessons to be learned.
If we go behind the specifics and understand what the author
intends, we can greatly profit from the lessons there.

1. We need to be better fundraisers, much better.
     We ought not to lie or sell out our principles,
     but making it fun and rewarding for donors
     is paramount.

2. We need to focus on appearances.
     In a Libertarian society people can dress however
     they like. But at our events, we need to present a
     professional image. For us to move past 'preaching
     to the choir', we need more suits and ties and less
     tie died t-shirts.

3. We need to frame the 'drug legalization' issue better.
      This really is a deal killer for us. However, I'm not afraid
      of our position, just on how most Libertarian activists
      present it to outsiders. We must realize and accept
      that the way we've presented it in the past alienates
      the very people we need as voters and donors.
      We most certainly can make our case in a better
      more understandable way so we don't turn people off.
      And we should.

And going even one step further behind what was said,
we need to sell the benefits of voting Libertarian, not
the features. Educating people as to why they would
be better off with Libertarians representing them will
get us votes. Explaining to them how they will be
safer and more prosperous when Libertarian
ideas are implemented will make us allies.

Or, we can do it the way we've always done.

Bruce

I agree. Proper "framing" seems to me to be a problem with the LP platform in general. The typical justifications for the platform tend to be what you'd expect to hear from fundamentalists - that ours is the one true path to righteousness. That it's right because we define it to be so. Instead, I'd suggest justifying the platform on pragmatic grounds - that things like drug legalization and equal rights are justified in that we believe they offer the best chance of improving social and economic conditions and increasing human happiness.

-- Steve

Bruce,

  Au contraire — you'll find more suits & ties than tie-dyed t-shirts in our "choir." That's part of the problem. We hold more appeal for people on the right than people on the left, and we have more older members than younger ones. While not dismissing the progress we've made, the LP needs a fresh approach in order to redress these imbalances.

  I'll add that in most respects, we've tried as a party to be as pragmatic as possible without abandoning our principles. What's missing is a stronger effort to not just persuade people or "sell" them on something, but inspire them and capture their imaginations with our actions.

Yours in liberty,
              <<< Starchild >>>

I'm with Steve on this.

However, there are some clear lessons to be learned.
If we go behind the specifics and understand what the author
intends, we can greatly profit from the lessons there.

1. We need to be better fundraisers, much better.
We ought not to lie or sell out our principles,
but making it fun and rewarding for donors
is paramount.

2. We need to focus on appearances.
In a Libertarian society people can dress however
they like. But at our events, we need to present a
professional image. For us to move past 'preaching
to the choir', we need more suits and ties and less
tie died t-shirts.

3. We need to frame the 'drug legalization' issue better.
This really is a deal killer for us. However, I'm not afraid
of our position, just on how most Libertarian activists
present it to outsiders. We must realize and accept
that the way we've presented it in the past alienates
the very people we need as voters and donors.
We most certainly can make our case in a better
more understandable way so we don't turn people off.
And we should.

And going even one step further behind what was said,
we need to sell the benefits of voting Libertarian, not
the features. Educating people as to why they would
be better off with Libertarians representing them will
get us votes. Explaining to them how they will be
safer and more prosperous when Libertarian
ideas are implemented will make us allies.

Or, we can do it the way we've always done.

Bruce

From: "Steve Dekorte" <steve@...>
To: <lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2003 4:31 PM
Subject: Re: [lpsf-discuss] Interesting perspective

> I've heard this argument several times, but never put quite so well.
> Comments?

His major points seem to be:

1. Make false promises to get money to buy advertising to get into
office.

It seems to me that the false promises are to the people, not the
organizations giving money. I suspect the later tend to remember what
they paid for and not give more unless they got what they wanted. And
if you want to trade support for anti-libertarian legislation for cash,
then what's point of having an LP at all?

2. Drop the drug legalization position.

The medicinal marijuana legalization in a number of states seems to me
to indicate that the US is actually ready for drug legalization. And if
so, this may be one of the LP's best ways to gain support.

If I were in a position to market the party, the messages I would be
broadcasting are: legalize pot, equal rights for gays/lesbians, end
corporate subsidies, and free trade - in that order.

-- Steve

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