[OutrightLibertarians] Re: Steve Kubby hasn't dropped out

Activists List
1

Starchild:

I'm not changing terms at all.

Suspension is a form of withdrawal. If I suspend my candidacy, I have withdrawn from the race. It may be temporary, it may not be -- it depends.

The reality is that if someone in the LP primary votes for Wayne Root, or George Phillies, or Daniel Imperato, he gets Root, Phillies, or Imperato as "his" candidate -- regardless of what the Republicans or Democrats do.

If he supports Kubby, he *may* get Kubby. Or, he may get no candidate for our party at all. Or, perhaps he'll get something else. It's all rather unclear. It's certainly a withdrawal from active campaigning for Kubby -- and only Kubby -- for president.

You copied the text of this discussion from the LPSF's list to the Outright list as well, so I assume that you're interested in examining this from an LGBTQ-centered perspective as well.

If an individual chooses to vote for one of the Libertarian Party candidates on the scorecard who hasn't withdrawn (including Root, who will be added now that he's FEC-registered), he gets a pretty good score relative to the Democrats and Republicans. In Phillies' case, he gets a candidate with 100% of the vote. In Kubby's case, he may get Ron Paul, who gets a very very poor score indeed.

Now I know that you've made it clear that you support Ron Paul, despite his homophobic policy positions, because (in your words) gay issues are a small "slice" of civil rights, but I daresay the general Outright membership (and its board and elected officials) don't share that perspective. When it comes to choosing a candidate, we believe LGBT rights are prominent indeed.

And I don't think it's inaccurate or unfair for Rob to point out that Kubby has withdrawn from the race due to his endorsement of Paul. It's a realpolitik assessment, it's an assessment based on Kubby's lack of active campaigning (and campaign activity), and it's certainly going to be true if you get your way and the Republicans nominate Ron Paul.

To that end, these are considerations that deserve honest assessment and discussion amongst the membership, as opposed to word games targeting Rob simply to benefit your new party.

Cheers,

Brian

2

Brian,

  An honest assessment of Steve Kubby's candidacy is exactly what I was seeking -- Rob's message made it sound like Kubby was no longer pursuing the Libertarian nomination, and I wanted to point out that this isn't what Steve himself actually said in the interview Rob had linked. No evidence was given why we should not take Kubby's stated intention to withdraw from the race only *IF* Ron Paul receives the GOP's nomination at face value, and it did not seem to me in the interests of LP members making an honest assessment to have other words put in his mouth.

  But having witnessed you and Brian Holtz go back and forth interminably in a long and bitter argument on the LPSF-discuss list wherein you refused to acknowledge being incorrect about anything, even when it seemed obvious to me as a relatively disinterested observer that he had his facts straight and you did not on at least some points, I see no point in pursuing this discussion further. Word games, indeed.

  You may have the last word. I will simply state for the record, since you hint by referring to "your new party" that I have become a Republican, that this is false. I am still a Libertarian and have no plans to re-register as anything else. I will continue to promote Ron Paul, even as I continue to promote the Libertarian Party, because I believe in liberty, and for me that comes before party labels.

Love & Liberty,
        ((( starchild )))

3

Rob's message made it sound like Kubby was no longer
pursuing the Libertarian nomination, and I wanted to point out that
this isn't what Steve himself actually said in the interview Rob had
linked.

Okay, I just went to http://kubby2008.com and checked -- no updates in
four months. He's out of the race. He may pull a Ross Perot 1996 and
jump back in after months of being out (hopefully he won't claim the
CIA was threatening his daughter's wedding or whatever), but it will
be too late by then. Unless Kubby is willing to start campaigning
again before Paul drops out, then he's out for 2008 altogether.

No evidence was given why we should not take Kubby's stated
intention to withdraw from the race only *IF* Ron Paul receives the
GOP's nomination at face value, and it did not seem to me in the
interests of LP members making an honest assessment to have other
words put in his mouth.

No, Starchild, what you've described above is someone who keeps
campaigning while saying he supports someone else (like Cobb the Green
supported Kerry in 2004). But that's not what's happening here. The
reality is that Kubby ceased his campaign four months ago, not that he
will stop only if Paul gets the GOP nomination. What he said he'd do
and what he ended up doing were two very different things. He's out
of the race whether he admits it or not.

I am still a Libertarian and have no
plans to re-register as anything else.

Good for you.

Thanks,

Rob