rssIn Its Heterodox Media Star, an Identity Crisis for Libertarian Party
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 6:00 am
- 146 Comments
Wayne Allyn Root (official headshot) and a demonstrator at the 9/12 Tea Party rally last year (Photo by Alexander Zaitchik)
Bob Barr’s 2008 nomination as the Libertarian Party candidate for the presidency triggered something of an existential crisis for the nation’s largest third party. The former Georgia congressman was a strange new face for a group that prides itself on philosophical consistency and allegiance to first principles. Before his dramatic Libertarian conversion in 2007, Barr was known for strong un-Libertarian positions on issues from gay marriage to the drug war.
[Congress1] “There has been a drift toward the conservative and reformist end of the spectrum for a couple of years now,” one unhappy Libertarian delegate told me at the party’s 2008 national convention in Denver. “The nomination of Bob Barr is the culmination of that.”
After failing to garner much attention in the 2008 election (or many votes — he received just over 500,000 nationwide), Barr has faded from the public view. Now, it is Barr’s 2008 vice presidential candidate and fellow recent convert, Wayne Allyn Root, who has emerged as the Libertarian Party’s highest-profile spokesman — and, say some of his fellow Libertarians, its biggest public relations headache.
Since the rise of the Tea Party groups last year, the anti-tax, anti-debt insurgency they represent has generally been understood to signify a “plague on both your houses” turn among disaffected Republicans. The Tea Partiers and their leaders, angry at both the Bush deficits and the Obama stimulus, have encouraged this reading by self-identifying not with the GOP, but with a vague and non-aligned “libertarianism.”
Yet on a number of issues — particularly relating to foreign policy — Tea Partiers have hewed more closely to traditional Republican views than to libertarianism. Now, with the election of Root, a former Vegas odds-maker who describes himself as a “Reagan Libertarian,” to its national board, the Libertarian Party appears to be embracing this confusion. For Root, the Tea Party scene is a consistent and logical extension of Libertarian politics as he understands them. There should be, he believes, little or no light between the two.
“The Tea Party is the perfect model for the future success of the Libertarian Party,” Root told TWI. “The Tea Party has stuck with complete focus and discipline on the issues where the LP wins. Instead of focusing on controversial, divisive or radical issues that turn off mainstream American voters, my goal is to attract the kind of mainstream, moderate, common-sense voters that win elections [and] that the Libertarian Party has been missing or turning off for 39 years: mothers, grandmothers, Christians, veterans, conservatives, disgruntled Republicans, blue-collar Blue Dog Democrats and small-business owners.”
The problem, say many of Root’s more veteran Libertarian colleagues, is that Root is so ready to start winning elections with ex-Republican voters that he has not had time to complete his own libertarian education and conversion, and thus is in no position to represent the party, let alone teach new converts.
“Wayne is still a Republican,” said R. Lee Wrights, vice chair of the Libertarian Party from 2004 to 2006. “Whatever you want to call it. He’ll use whatever name is most fashionable. In his latest book, he actually recommends expanding Congress and increasing their salaries. We’re a party that’s been screaming for smaller government for 40 years — and he wants to expand it? Libertarians are very good at giving people a chance to learn the ropes and seeing what they’re about, but in Root’s case, I’m not optimistic.”
Like Barr, Root joined the party in late 2007. At last month’s party convention in St. Louis, he was elected to the National Committee after failing in an audacious (and expensive) bid to become National Chair.
But most people just know him from television. Since joining the party, Root has become a one-man self-promotional machine, with regular appearances on an array of Fox News and talk radio programs, on which he can be routinely seen and heard discussing any number of political and personal issues — from the need to slash the welfare state to his entrepreneurial success to his daughter’s fencing scholarship.
Many veteran Libertarians have watched in dismay as Root works the media circuit, where, they argue, he often talks more about himself than the values and principles of the Libertarian Party. And a survey of Root’s media appearances and published work bears out claims that he is more interested in promoting Wayne Root than his adopted political party, whose views he does not appear to have embraced entirely.
“Long-term party members are concerned that Wayne came in from the conservative movement, and he’s still there to a large extent,” said Mary Ruwart, a veteran Party activist and former contender for the Libertarian vice-presidential nomination. “If you read his book, ‘The Conscience of a Libertarian,’ you quickly realize it should have been called ‘The Conscience of Another Conservative.’”
“He has considerable media access, which is new for us,” conceded Ruwart. “But there’s no indication that this access is bringing us members. He usually presents his views as his own views, as opposed to Libertarian views. When I campaign, I educate people by explaining our principles. This is not something that Wayne does.”
“In some ways Wayne Root is eerily similar to Glenn Beck,” said David Nolan, a founding member of the Libertarian Party and its Senate candidate in Arizona. “They are both good at selling themselves.”
“Wayne is a bright, energetic guy,” Nolan added, “but I found it interesting that when he chose to address a Tea Party rally in Searchlight, Nev., it was a Tea Party Express event, sponsored by Republicans. Wayne lent his presence to that event and never uttered a peep about the Libertarian Party. He stood there hand-in-glove with Sarah Palin and Dick Armey.”
Not long ago, Root supported the drug war and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — heterodox positions for a libertarian. As recently as 2007, he advocated for a McCain-Lieberman presidential ticket. His Root for America “Libertarian Website” continues to bang the decidedly un-Libertarian drum of strong right-or-wrong support for Israel, even though the Libertarian platform opposes “entangling alliances” with other governments.
“Wayne only likes positions when polls show a majority are already in favor of it,” said a longtime Libertarian activist and candidate. “It took a long time to convince him that as a Libertarian he couldn’t support the wars full-throttle. He just doesn’t get it.”
Wrights, the former Party vice chair, said that he first realized the party “had a problem on its hands” when he heard Root refer to himself a “Reagan Libertarian.” In response, Wrights penned an essay entitled “What Is a Reagan Libertarian?” The question was meant to be rhetorical.
“There’s no such thing as a ‘Reagan Libertarian,’” agreed Nolan. “Wayne just made that up after he saw a poll a few months ago where reaction to ‘Reagan’ got the strongest positive response. But Reagan was not at all a Libertarian. This is very basic stuff.”
Root’s admiration for the budget-ballooning Ronald Reagan is not stopping him from pursuing grandiose dreams under the Libertarian banner. Wherever he goes, Root bursts with the ambition to become president. In August 2009, he laid out his ten-year game plan to Reason editor Matt Welch. “I want to be the Ross Perot of 2012,” Root said. “Then I want to have a credible chance in 2016 or 2020.”
In the meantime, he views his success garnering media attention as validation of his “big tent” Libertarian politics.
“If I’m not on the right track,” said Root when asked about his Libertarian critics, “how can you explain Fox News, a conservative TV network, giving TV shows to Glenn Beck, Jon Stossel and Judge Andrew Napolitano — all strong libertarian thinkers? How can you explain the success of Ron Paul, Rand Paul and Sharron Angle? How can you explain [my coming] out of nowhere to become the 2008 Libertarian Party Vice Presidential nominee, and now becoming an overnight media sensation on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC — doing 20 to 30 radio interviews a week across the country?”
Root’s defenders within the party argue that aggressive marketing is just what the Party needs. Mark Hinkle, who beat Root out for the position of National Chair, thinks Libertarians could benefit from Root’s salesman instincts and experience.
“Early on, the party was made up largely of computer geeks and engineers, and there is still some of that,” said Hinkle. “I know some members think Wayne is over the top, but there needs to be a voice that is market- and sales-oriented. For people who believe very strongly in free market, we Libertarians are not always market savvy. I would like to see Wayne teach some of our more articulate and presentable candidates better sales techniques. It’s great to be a radical libertarian, but you need to be able to sell it or you’re just talking in the wind.”
Great salesman or not, there remains widespread suspicion of Roots’ politics and motivations.
“Because Root kind of keeps his foot in both camps, there is a lot of criticism in the Party, and the broader libertarian movement,” said Nolan. “People are asking, ‘Who is this guy?’ Wayne’s loosy-goosy, undefined libertarianism sits very well with the Fox News and Sarah Palin crowd, but there is a great deal of concern among longtime activists and strategists about Wayne’s grasp on the philosophy.”
“If you run around shooting your mouth off as Wayne Root, Private Citizen, that’s fine,” said Nolan. “But if you are introducing yourself as the former vice presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party, then what comes out of your mouth better be pretty close to the party position. Otherwise, what you are committing is fraud.”
146 Comments
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Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 12:48 pm
This article was very one-sided. Every single Libertarian Party member quoted in the piece comes from the leftwing of the libertarian movement. (With the possible exception of LP Chair Mark Hinkle). David Nolan, Lee Wrights are rabid liberal libertarians who are stridently non-interventionist/pacifist on foreign policy. Ruwart is off the charts far-left.
There is a substantial right-wing within the libertarian movement, even within the Libertarian Party that is Pro-Reagan, Strong on Defense, and supports Sarah Palin. Root, you failed to note, got 200 votes on the first ballot for Chair at the recent convention in St. Louis. His nearest competitor on that 1st ballot – Hinkle – got only 138. That indicates very strong backing for his “Reagan Libertarian” approach.
The reason the LP is moving to the Right, is not so much the Tea Party, but rather fierce competition from the Republican Liberty Caucus. For years, the LP had a monopoly on Libertarian activism. Now there's a very active and successful libertarian wing in the GOP. And the LP is forced to compete for those supporters.
That's a healthy development for both the LP and the RLC.
Eric Dondero, Publisher
LibertarianRepublican.net
25+ Year Libertarian Party member
Pingback posted June 22, 2010 @ 2:59 pm
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Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 3:23 pm
The last paragraph highlights why the Libertarian Party after 40 years still gets only 1-3% of the electoral vote. As a libertarian, I find it inconsistent to say some one must follow the party line. How is that a libertarian ideal? The LP better wake up and get into the 21st century or they will continue to be irrelevant.
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 4:34 pm
Dondero has hit the nail on the head. Too often, left leaning anti-war Libertarians end up being spokesmen. The Libertarian Party is *not* an anti-war party and does *not* have an anti-war plank. It has a non-interventionist plank. However, the anti-war faction within the party try to make the non-intervention plank the defacto standard for anti-war, which it is not.
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 4:51 pm
Thanks. The anti-War faction also happens to be the loudest and most obnoxious of Libertarian Party members. Thus, they get all the attention.
The liberal media is loathe to even admit that there's such a thing as a Pro-Defense Libertarian. Doesn't fit their template. So, like the author of this article above, they simply focus on the Anti-War faction of Libertarians.
Pingback posted June 22, 2010 @ 6:26 pm
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Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 6:00 pm
So Eric Dumbdildo thinks I'm a “left wing” Libertarian, just because I'm opposed to endless overseas wars? Well, gee, as noted in the article, I was one of the founders of the party, and I came in from a “right-wing” background (YAF, Youth for Goldwater, etc.) But in Dumbdildo's minusule mind, the only thing that matters is your stance on foreign interventionism. If you're not a raging hawk, you're not a libertarian in his twisted mind.
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Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 7:41 pm
The article was very balanced. Every single Libertarian Party member quoted in the piece comes from the mainstream of the libertarian movement. David Nolan, Lee Wrights are solid libertarians who are stridently non-interventionist but not pacifist on foreign policy. Ruwart is pure libertarian.
There is a tiny right-wing within the libertarian movement, even within the Libertarian Party that is Pro-Reagan, Strong on Offense, and supports radical conservative Sarah Palin. While Root got 200 votes on the first ballot for Chair at the recent convention in St. Louis, and his nearest competitor on that 1st ballot – Hinkle – got only 138, that fails to indicates any backing for his mythical “Reagan Libertarian” approach.
The rLP is not moving to the Right, since the Republican Liberty Caucus lacks tooth or claw when it comes to trying to stand for libertarianism in the GOP. The LP had a monopoly on Libertarian activism. Now there's a tiny and pitiful libertarian wing in the GOP. And the LP has no competition for those supporters.
Ron Paul fired Dondero. Since then Dondero has tried to use the libertarian name to represent statism.
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 7:47 pm
Yup. That about sums it up.
You might have had a point Pre-9/11. But 9/11 changed everything. Islamo-Fascists killed 3,000 of your fellow countrymen. If you were a true Lover of Liberty you'd feel rage over that every waking moment of your life. But as it is, you just ignore the threat of Islamo-Fascism, cause it doesn't fit your non-interventionist/pacifist template.
Oh, and the endless War deal? They've been trying to destroy the West for centuries. We're only now just waking up. We either fight back or we die.
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 7:50 pm
Hmmn? I'm trying to “use the libertarian name”? Really?
I was a member of the Libertarian National Committee when you were still in diapers, 1985/86. I was Ron Paul's Travel Aide in his 1988 Libertarian Presidential campaign. I've been a dues-paying member of the Libertarian Party since I got out of the Navy in 1985.
I've got more Libertarian cred in my pinky than you'll ever dream of having.
Oh, and in 2008, I collected more signatures for the Libertarian Party than any other petitioner – 15,000+ in 7 different States from Illinois to Maine, from Ohio to Rhode Island. Match that!
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 9:06 pm
I see the Eric Dondero thinks very highly of Eric Dondero. It goes beyond the nuances or semantics behind non-interventionist/pacifist/pro-defense and other meaninglessly overly used words that politicians throw around when they can't just talk to people normally. Quite simply, you cannot advocate for a smaller government and a military presence in 140 countries at the same time. Our founding fathers were very clear about entangling ourselves with issues overseas and the ramifications thereof. Republicans and other war hawks like to scare us into thinking that having a strong national defense is synonymous with pre-emptive military strikes when the truth is (and I say this as a veteran Eric Dondero) no country in the world can stand toe to toe with an American soldier, especially when you factor in training, technology and equipment. We invade countries that don't even have navies or an adequate air force because we think that somehow they will come over here and fight us on the streets? Please, we would knock them down in a second. Terrorism is an ideal that is born in the minds of religious zealots that you cannot “stamp out” by military force. If you don't understand why then you need far more education than I am willing to give you. Also, terrorists train ALL OVER THE WORLD….why aren't we using our military to strike each and every terrorist training camp? The ones in the Phillipines, the ones all over Africa (all those areas that just aren't “strategic” cough cough profitable cough cough enough for us to care about. I as a Libertarian would fully support a small number of highly trained troops with the most state of the art weaponry taking those training camps out. But no, we sit on our butts in the desert while the Taliban extorts billions from U.S. Contractors and new terrorist recruits arrive at new camps world-wide daily…and somehow think that makes us safer back home. Get real.
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 9:15 pm
Final comment before I leave, no self respecting Libertarian, conservative Republican or Blue Dog Democrat is going to balance the budget until we address military spending. In 2008 military spending accounted for 4.3% of GDP, or a cool $663,255,000,000. I'm sure it hasn't decreased since 2008. China, a communist country with a military regime spend the second most amount of money and it still dwarfs our own: $98,800,000,000. Call me whatever names you want Eric Dondero, I don't expect any of this to sink in because I'm sure many people smarter than myself have tried.
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 10:04 pm
And if we pull out we show weakness in the face of the Islamo-Fascists. That is exactly what they are counting on. Our retreat.
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 10:18 pm
Alexander, you should probably post one correction. Barr was serving on the LP's board of directors by 2006. In 2004, he had endorsed the party's presidential nominee Michael Badnarik.
As for the rest of the article, not much balance there. You pulled qoutes from the LP's top anarchist, Mary “Ruwarchy” Ruwart who believes in legalizing everything from child porn to parents starving their own kids. You then went to her best buddy, R. Lee “I Love Ponytails” Wrights who is as politically effective as moss on a log — he's there but doesn't do much.
To top it all off, you quoted David Nolan who believes that the party should not engage in elections but instead be a networking group — but he'll run for office if you give him a buck or two to campaign.
Do you happen to be living with Ruwart and Wrights or something? Or was it you just couldn't find any reasonable libertarians (non-anarchist nutbags) to interview?
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 10:23 pm
Ruwart is “pure anarchist” not libertarian. Anarchist hijacked the LP brand with Rothbard leaving CATO's founder throwing his arms in the air as he said, “Screw you guys, I'm going home.”
It's amazing that the LP hasn't grown much since the Anarchist pulled their brand-jack but CATO has taken off.
The real funny thing is that anarchists don't even believe their should be a government so why in the heck are they involved in politics?
Comment posted June 22, 2010 @ 10:29 pm
Nolan, it's amazing you're the only guy who goes around claiming to be the party founder when there is a good group of people who took part in that event — and the ones I've talked to think you're a tool.
I'll agree with Dondero to the extent you're a left wing libertarian. You are today, but next year you may switch if it keeps you the big fish in the small pond.
Pingback posted June 23, 2010 @ 12:27 am
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Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 12:15 am
Can you read, MMayhew? I said ONE OF the founders. My “hot button issues” have always been cutting the size and cost of government and repealing the federal personal income tax. On social issues, I'm equally passionate about defending our right to self-defense (2nd amendment) and ending the “war on drugs.” Ask 100 Libertarians whether I”m “left” or “right” and 80 will say “neither.” Only crazed war-lovers like Dumbdildo and his pal Bruce Cohen try to tag me as a “leftist.”
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 1:13 am
Dumbero, how can you have more libertarian cred when Ron Paul FIRED your sorry ass? Yes, you did some good things a long time ago, but as the saying goes, “what have you done for me lately?”
And the answer to that is: nothing what so ever. Instead you go around trying to convince people that your own particular brand of “war all the time” statism is libertarianism.
By the way, you guessed my age wrong.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 1:14 am
No, if we pull out we stop playing the “lure them into the quicksand” game. They are counting on us bleeding ourselves to death over wars that are none of our concern.
They are counting on you.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 2:27 am
I suppose it's possible the Libertarian Party could break out of it's 1-3% polling by abandoning principles and championing whatever policy positions the latest polls indicate are most popular, the way W.A.R. does. And instead of the two major corrupt, statist, Tweedledee/Tweedledum parties being the Republican and Democrat Parties, they'll be the Libertarian and Democrat Parties. And actual libertarians will still be on the outside.
Pingback posted June 23, 2010 @ 3:32 am
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Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 3:38 am
If you were a true Lover of Liberty, you'd stop supporting the U.S. gov't using our money to be the P.R. machine for “Islamo-Fascism.” We've created more terrorists with our wars than we've killed.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 3:43 am
I love those Anarchist nutbags in the LP. I am one of them. Its the “we need reform and better advertisement” crowd that ruining the LP. We used to pull from the Democrats. Now we pull from the Republicans. Ex- GOPers suck. They bore the Party. Old Democrats at least understand Civil Liberty and apply it to the Party. GOPs are stuffed shirts.
If you disagree with me and say I am wrong, how many of you gave Starchild a hug at the convention? I prove my point.
Close-minded, ex-GOP, stuffy-shirt wearing bores! Loosen up! Its the LP now.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 5:47 am
Isn't “Reagan Libertarian” an oxymoron?
And Dondero: get over your Islamo-Facism obsession. Much is it is exaggerated by the MSM to justify our wars. Really. Do some reading about it, and you'll find out what many of us already know..
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 5:55 am
Some if us radical minarchists agree that better advertising is needed, too, but we question Root's grasps of the concepts. Therein lies the problem.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 5:56 am
Or maybe you're just jealous because they're party veterans and established and respected leaders, and you're not?
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 6:18 am
You need to reread the platform. Peace was put back in it in St. Louis.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 6:20 am
Pre-emptive war is aggression and initiation of force, you retard.
The “He-Hit-Me-Back-First” position is unlibertarian and what Dumdero advocates.
Practice self-defense-based neutrality. It works rather well, even in this nation at one time.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 12:26 pm
Typical example of an anarcho-supremist. Liberty burns while you complain about “stuffed shirts.”
In twenty years, LP anarchists will walk into their convention with most of their money taken by the government, their sons drafted into a foreign conflict and spying eyes of enforcement cameras looking down upon them. And they will cheer . . . because they stayed “pure.”
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 12:37 pm
Hmmm. . . let's think about that. People who respect Ruwarchy are just like Ruwart now aren't they? No, I'll pass on that respect and admiration thank you very much.
Oddly, enough. Mary Ruwart is not even close to being a libertarian. Have you read her books? She advocates the invasion of sovereign nations over environmental issues. Tack on her passion to permit the initiation of force against children and you have a very sick and creepy woman.
As for Wrights, he's always complaining about some conspiracy against his kind. It's the victim complex. But what has he done for Liberty during all this time? Well, he staved off getting a driver's license for a bit – that really made an impact. What else? Oh, he managed Ruwart's most recent failed bid for the presidential nomination. I almost forgot, his job is managing a web site where he reposts articles that no one reads. Or is his job badmouthing fellow libertarians at every opportunity kind of like Nolan and his republican-mole friend George Phillies?
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 12:46 pm
What concepts? Anarchism or libertarianism? The two are distinct.
Also, why do you allow yourself to be defined by a word created by an anarchist to insult you and make you feel less than? Minarchist was coined to downplay true libertarians, classic liberals, who didn't call for the unrealistic abolishment of government.
It's amazing how many libertarians fall into these little traps that are straight out of Rules for Radicals. Wake up people.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 12:50 pm
Jill, I would say that “Reagan Libertarian” carries the same weight of contradiction as those anarchists who call themselves libertarians.
Why is it okay for anarchists to carry the libertarian banner but someone coming from the opposite direction – but walking toward liberty – is pushed back with force?
This anarcho-supremist behavior needs to stop.
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 1:25 pm
“Like Barr, Root joined the party in late 2007.”
Root formally joined the Libertarian Party in late 2006 or early 2007, and was on record publicly describing himself as a libertarian at least as long ago as the late 1990s (on Bill Maher's “Politically Incorrect”).
Barr joined the party in 2004 or 2005, and was serving on its national committee by late 2006.
Pingback posted June 23, 2010 @ 4:02 pm
[...] “Right Now” blog (covering conservatives more than libertarians) writes about press coverage of Wayne Allyn Root, former vice presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party in 2008. Root has [...]
Comment posted June 23, 2010 @ 9:29 pm
I'm amazed and disappointed that two LNC members, Mary J. Ruwart & David F. Nolan , would publicly attack and disparage another elected LNC member ( Wayne Allyn Root ) in the national media. Didn't we leave this infighting in St. Louis? Did anyone listen to Michael Badnarik's speech about working together? Can we please start moving forward instead of against each other? I'm especially disappointed with R. Lee Wrights , who as a Judicial Committee member should be above the fray.
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Pingback posted June 24, 2010 @ 9:05 pm
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Comment posted June 26, 2010 @ 6:09 pm
Mayhew, your understanding of the movement and the terminology appears to be biased and limited.
anarchy =/= libertarianism, and anarchy =/= minarchy
libertarianism means minarchy, and people get pissy over the details. Hence the perpetual bickering in the Party.
I frankly don't give a damn where the term came from, who coined it, or why. Minarchism = minimal necessary government, and the human race is unable to evolve past needing that minimum.
The issue with Root is a lack of understanding of the basic principles within the movement of limited government and non-interventionism. He tends to get the personal responsibility part.
Comment posted June 26, 2010 @ 6:15 pm
I've read Dr. Ruwart's books pPutographed copies, no less. I've dined with Lee Wrights, and both of them are close friends of mine. There is far more to these fine people that you realize, because you only see part of the picture. I've worked with them on Party issues, and will not hesitate to do so in the future.
Methinks Mr. Mayhew is just crouching sour grapes from a different camp that can't stand people speaking their mind in ways he disagrees with. That's what tends to come from people who aren't in the leadership echeleon of the LP, or who haven't worked their way into it like I have.
Comment posted June 26, 2010 @ 6:18 pm
WHAT changed on 9/11, besides you becoming a nutcase, Dunderhead? Terrorism in this nation existed and happened before then and will do so afterwards. Witness the ADL, ALF, ELF, Operation Rescue, Rudolph, Harris and Klebold, Pancho Villa, etc.
The Constitution didn't end on 9/11, neither did our government and the corruption and waste and over-largess that comes with it.
Try again, Dunderhead. And remove your bigotry along the way.
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Pingback posted July 7, 2010 @ 4:33 pm
[...] few pieces in The Washington Independent on Tea Party politics, which you can read here, here, and here. The last of these, about the fake libertarianism of Wayne Allyn Root, caused a bit of a dust-up [...]
Pingback posted July 13, 2010 @ 2:46 pm
[...] month, TWI examined the schism within the Libertarian Party over the rise of Wayne Allyn Root, a showy Fox News staple and recent [...]
Comment posted July 15, 2010 @ 3:23 pm
The only schism is the infiltration of extreme GOP nutcases in the Libertarian Party claiming the provide pragmatism and realism, and re-writing the LP history like Root. They aim to confuse Libertarianism with small government conservatism and make the LP a GOP sockpuppet, as they already have in Georgia, Florida, Rhode Island, OH, IL, NY, and over half the state parties. Nolan is seen as leading a last ditch effort to save it. Good luck.
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