[Lnc-business] What the experts say about political parties vs. interest groups

[Norm Olsen]

Dr Lieberman . . .

 

You will get no complaints from me about "sounding like a broken record" on
this issue.

 

However, may I add: A prerequisite of any electoral victory (partisan or
non-partisan at any level) requires a strong and effective organization.
Committee to elect Fred, for example.  If Fred has to build this
organization from scratch, the success probability is appallingly low.  If,
however, there is a strong local organization already in place that chooses
to get fully behind Fred (thus eliminating the need for Fred to build an
organization), the probability of success increases by an order of
magnitude.

 

If the local organization is truly strong and effective, that organization
will probably have several well qualified candidates seeking the support of
that organization.  If the organization is the local Libertarian Party, the
distinct possibility of a "win-win" situation results.  That is, a
libertarian minded candidate with talent, resume, some name recognition, and
perhaps even a few bucks of her own,  would seek the support of the
Libertarian Party.  Thus, a "win-win" situation is entirely possible which
could very likely produce a "win-win-win" scenario; the third win being the
actual election.

 

The crux of all this is a strong local organization which can attract
libertarian minded candidates to seek the support of the Libertarian Party.
While we routinely run 800 candidates in every election cycle, few of these
candidates are actually electable.  (I know, I am one!)  Electable
candidates have political skills, a track record, a resume, political
connections, community name recognition and, above all, a burning desire to
win and serve in public office.  (Some personal money is truly very
helpful.)  Candidates with these qualifications are not Libertarians because
Libertarians do not win and, primarily, THE LIBERTAIN PARTY HAS NOTHING TO
OFFER THESE FOLKS IN RETURN.  This is especially true at the
local/municipal/non-partisan level as the one thing, the only thing, that
most all of our affiliates can offer, ballot access, is not a real need at
that level.  (In my home state, 25 signatures will get on just about any
municipal/local district ballot in the state.)

 

Given that our by-laws currently prohibit the LP from endorsing candidates
of another political party (which is _not_ a bad idea), your statements
regarding the success of a political party being based solely on the number
of elections it wins are 100% correct.  However, simply suggesting this as a
strategy to a local affiliate which is operating on a $200 a month budget
and has six attendees to an annual meeting which elects its officers is not
going to get us anywhere.

 

Your strategy will indeed start us on the road to success, but only at such
time as there exists a whole slew of strong local affiliate.  So strong that
libertarian minded electable candidates to seek out the support of the
Libertarian Party.

 

How do we get there?  I don't know.  I suspect that we, as a body, don't
know either.  I suggest that this is our biggest challenge; a challenge
which we (as a body) have been ignoring for decades.  We need to learn how
to cultivate strong effective affiliates at the state and local level, and
then seriously fund such efforts, before any kind of electoral success will
become a record of success which we can build on.

 

Norm

--

Norman T Olsen

Regional Representative, Region 1

Libertarian National Committee

7931 South Broadway, PMB 102

Littleton, CO  80122-2710

303-263-4995

 

From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of
Scott L.
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 8:56 AM
To: 'lnc-business'
Subject: [Lnc-business] What the experts say about political parties vs.
interest groups

 

 

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/polisci/campaignsandelections/ch/06/outline.
aspx

 

 

>From   CAMPAIGNS & ELECTIONS: Rules, Reality, Strategy, Choice   (this is a
book)

 

 

.  Political Parties 

The goal of electing public officials is what unites political parties and
what distinguishes them from other groups.

 

.  Interest Groups 

An interest group, or a collection of people with the shared goal of
influencing public policy, are different from political parties in that they
do not run their own candidates for office, and they typically seek more
specific policy goals than parties.

 

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

 

I apologize for sounding like a broken record, but the above is why I keep
writing over and over that this Board needs to focus on helping our
affiliates elect Libertarians to public office, and helping them get
Libertarians appointed to public office.  And for the time being, getting
Libertarians elected, or even appointed, to Federal or State level offices
is going to be a very, very, very rare event.   It is not a good idea to
craft strategy and tactics based on events with a 0.1% chance of occurring.

 

If we call ourselves a political party, but in reality we act like an
interest group, then the public will view us

as a failed political party.  If the public views you as a failed
organization, you are not going to get anything constructive done in the
real world.

 

The Chair's recent proposal for the National LP to set up initiative/cause
websites is not a bad idea per se. 

 

However, focusing on increasing membership or even just collecting e-mail
addresses is not going to help us achieve liberty in our time when these
recruits find out that yes, we do run candidates in elections, but that we
celebrate losing elections as much or more than we celebrate winning
elections.

 

 

   Scott Lieberman

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