A combination compromises, composing all that's interested at the convention establishing doctoran.
Being a poli. veteran I don't see much value running, if not to get elected. Just as long as money doesn't accomplish it.
DuPree for Mayor '08
Eric,
I don't understand your first sentence below. But regarding the second, we must remember that it's much easier to avoid selling out when you don't have power. So if someone can't even *run* for office without compromising right and left, chances are if that person won't be able to hold office without succumbing to the temptations of money and power, were he/she to get elected. And if someone is going to get elected as a Libertarian (or even a libertarian) and sell out liberty, better that she/he never ran in the first place.
We want candidates who are going to consistently put freedom first, OVER EVERY OTHER GOAL AND CONSIDERATION.
It's true that consistently putting freedom first is not the best way to get elected. But neither is being a Libertarian. The best way to get elected, unfortunately, is to lie, pander, and cut sleazy deals with other people who have little integrity. That's why we should be skeptical any time someone emphasizes getting elected over promoting freedom.
Running a principled, pro-freedom campaign for office brings many positive results even if you don't get elected. Among them:
-It gives the voters a chance to vote for a principled candidate who stands for freedom instead of the lesser evil, and gets them used to making this choice
-It gets more attention for libertarian ideas and the Libertarian Party in the press
-It helps the candidate to build name recognition for future races
-It gives the candidate practice running for office and a better understanding of the political process
-It gives the candidate practice talking to the public and the media
-It gives campaign staff practice working on a campaign
-It shows political observers that there is a constituency for plain-talking candidates who promote radical pro-freedom change
-It may lead other candidates, including the person who gets elected, to co-opt some pro-freedom ideas
-It gives Libertarians a specific project to get behind and organize other pro-freedom efforts around
And most importantly,
-It educates the public about libertarian ideas and shows them that the people who hold these ideas value integrity over money and power
Love & liberty,
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