[Lnc-business] Elected Libertarians

[Scott L.]

"We didn't hear from a single elected official from the floor.  Not a single
elected official was a meal speaker. 

 

    Joshua A. Katz"

 

 

 

 

>From Scott Lieberman - I complained about this very topic on the LNC e-mail
list as soon as the first flight of speakers was announced.  Here is the
reply I received:

 

 

 

 

Sent March 25, 2014 to lnc-discuss:

 

Mr. Lieberman,

 

Since you shared your letter with us, I hope you will do the same, and share
my response with those same friends.

 

I am under the impression that the intention of the CMC is to run a
successful convention, which will be judged first by whether or not it loses
money, and second by how many people show up.  As such, who is chosen to
speak is a simple matter of ROI. Do you have any evidence to show the LNC
that focusing on minor elected officials will improve our attendance?  Will
having a water policy panel of elected water board officials like the one
scheduled for the California convention incent libertarians from across the
country to come  to Columbus?  I would dearly like some supporting facts
that I can use to measure whether or not the CMC should schedule only
elected libertarians. Do you have them?

 

Okay, what about personal experience?  How many state or national
conventions have you been actively involved in?  What is the basis of your
perspective?  Well?

 

Can you please provide me with the name of one elected Libertarian whose
name recognition and reputation for inspirational speaking will increase the
attendance? I am sure there will be a number of both candidates and elected
officials speaking at the convention, but we have not yet promoted them.  I
have no evidence that promoting minor elected officials affects attendance,
but I do know that people are positive about the speakers on the schedule so
far. Perhaps if those elected officials were Senators, or Governors, or
Representatives it would.  Sell me.

 

I do not say this to denigrate the fine individuals who have gotten elected
and are now serving, but you raised the fact that the majority of speakers
at the Democratic and Republican national conventions are elected officials.
Yes they are, and they represent a microscopic percentage of their
respective party's elected officials.  They are not chosen to speak because
they are elected - they are chosen because they are dynamic and
inspirational speakers.  If we have such people, then by all means we should
schedule them.  Please enlighten us with a list of dynamic and inspirational
elected libertarians that are either NOT going to be delegates, or will pay
all of their own expenses. Oh - be sure to tell them that they will be
forbidden from running for any LNC position.

 

If we do it your way, will you personally cover any shortfall due to low
attendance?

 

Since you're such an expert, why haven't you volunteered to be on the CMC or
the COC (or any other LNC committee for that matter)?

 

In closing, I might be more receptive to your opinion if it was not for the
perception I have that all you do is whine and moan about what other people
are doing, while doing nothing of value to the LNC, or the Libertarian
Party, or to the liberty movement in general. Heck - you wait until this
late to voice your opinion that we should be focusing on elected officials
as speakers?  Did it take this long for you to come to this opinion, or have
you just been waiting to criticize the work of others, while doing no work
that anyone can criticize?  Never mind - I know the answer to that question.

 

Geoffrey Neale

Chair

Libertarian National Committee

 

PS: Attendance at the National Convention is not mandatory.

 

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