Ron,
Our bylaws don't establish accepting taxpayer financing of a campaign or any other specific issue as a litmus test for whether or not the LPSF can recommend a candidate. Certainly I think most or all of us oppose involuntary taxpayer financing of campaigns and would prefer candidates not accept such money even if done in order to make a candidacy seeking to limit government more viable. Therefore I would agree this is a point against them that should be taken into consideration along with the candidates positions on other issues, but I assume when you say "scratch two candidates names from the list" you're just stating your personal opinion or your assumption that this will be enough to preclude their receiving LPSF support.
I personally feel that we should look candidates a bit more holistically. Not every candidate has the grounding in libertarian thinking that we do; in some cases our objections to campaign financing might never even have occurred to them. I suspect that Chicken John's exposure to libertarianism has been primarily via Brian Doherty; he told me that he registered with the LP only upon being told that he had to register to vote in order to run for office. Mike Powers told me the other day that I am the first libertarian he's talked with.
Love & Liberty,
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