When You've Hit Rock Bottom
When there's nowhere to go but up, put in the effort to raise the bar on the way.
“I’m here vouching for Mrs. Clinton…”
When the Libertarian Party’s candidate for Vice-President uttered those words during a nationally televised interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC, it may very well have been the break in the damn that saw decades of frustrations with the Libertarian Party come flowing forth from actual libertarians. A few weeks later, when Former Republican Governor Bill Weld of Massachusetts held a press conference to plead with voters to vote, if not for the Libertarian ticket, then simply against the candidacy of Donald Trump.
The battle lines were clear, the Libertarian Party nominated an establishment politician who cared more about stopping the brash offensive outsider than he did about campaigning on libertarian principles and spreading the message of liberty and freedom. Yet even though Donald Trump was elected president, The Johnson-Weld campaign was the most successful in the history of the Libertarian party, raising the most money, and bringing the most members into the party. But at what cost?
When the candidates themselves couldn’t stand on principle, what hope was there for those they brought into the movement? The Libertarian Party became a laughingstock to the politically involved, for years following the 2016 election, Libertarian Candidates and activists found themselves answering for fat strippers at conventions, Gun grabbing vice presidents, and the infamous crack of “what is Aleppo?” The Average American knew no more about libertarianism than they did before, and we were no closer to achieving a world set free in our lifetimes.
Many of those recruited to the Libertarian Party in the wake of Donald Trump’s election became infected and obsessed with what came to be known as Trump Derangement Syndrome, allowing their opposition to the president and his allies to supersede their principles for the sake of appealing to those who wouldn’t vote for them anyway.
The principled libertarianism of property rights, self-ownership, and free markets, gave way to a Libertarianism that cared about pronouns, and inclusivity, pandering to those whose demographics party leadership valued more than the individuals. The energy and spirit of the Ron Paul Revolution had ignited the flame of Liberty not a few years earlier in the American Political climate, but those activists were no longer welcome in the Libertarian Party.
Well, a small group attempted to reclaim their place in 2018, and faced a resounding defeat at the convention in New Orleans, leaving not with their tails between their legs, but with the echo of Party Chairman Nicholas Sarwark’s words in their ears. “The Libertarian Party belongs to those who show up.” Those Ron Paul Libertarians had been made to feel so unwelcome in a party whose platform enshrined their beliefs, that they stopped showing up, and lost control of their namesake party to a contingent more focused on woke politics and establishment electoral success, than meaningful activism to improve the world.
So they recruited, grew, and spread the word that the Libertarian Party would be home to true libertarians once again. The entire time, over the course of 6 years, faced growing vocal resentment and hostility from those whose “power” they threatened. “Everyone I don’t Like is a Racist Nazi” became not just the battle cry of the American Political left, but of the Libertarian establishment as well. And in 2022, Nicholas Sarwark was forced to eat his words, as the Libertarian Party Mises Caucus decided to show up, and their members voted in an overwhelming majority of contested internal elections, to seize control of the Libertarian Party, and elect leaders that represented Libertarian values, instead of the new woke brand of collectivism that had taken root in the party.
Is this a good thing? I’m not 100% sure. I’m optimistic about the energy that LPMC activists bring to the table, and the motivation to fight for change, instead of simply debating it. But I’m fearful about the loss of institutional knowledge because of those we’ve lost in the turnover. Many people on both sides of the dispute were ill-informed, yet acted with the purest of intentions. And I feel that the worst was that the struggle allowed Libertarians to lose sight of what really mattered, fighting the growing encroachment of the state as opposed to eating our own.
As I write this, Angela McArdle and the new LNC work diligently to assess the state of the party and put out what fires they can while encouraging everyone to move forward, and Nicholas Sarwark and agents of his old guard work tirelessly to fundraise and campaign in opposition to Libertarian candidates being run by the Mises Caucus, intentionally sabotaging the party’s chances at achieving ballot access purely out of spite.
But as the dust settles, I have a final plea to all Libertarians, on either side of this internal party battle. Take a step back, put down your anger, and pick up a clipboard, there are petitions to gather, and campaigns to run. No matter who is in charge of the National Libertarian Party, the best representative for Liberty in your home community, will always be you.
Subversive #72: “Reno Recap” feat. AJ Olding
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The Reno Reset is complete, the Libertarian Party Mises Caucus took over the Libertarian Party! Finally! Or Did they? Is it a good thing, Or is it largely meaningless? Will Bold Messaging change the shape of the party, or will it relegate it to meme pages and Twitter Feuds of stand-up comedians? AJ Olding, not a member of the Mises Caucus, joins the show to recap his experience at the convention, and outlook on the future of the Libertarian Party.
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