[Lnc-business] [Statechairs] LNC Affiliate Support Committee - 2015 Poll

[Joshua Katz]

I am replying to all responses in one email, so this is not directed at Mr.
Riemers in particular.

The LNC absolutely should not be, as was claimed, vetting candidates for
our Presidential nomination.  In some states, the state board does vet and
select candidates, but that is not how the Presidential nomination
functions.  Our candidates are chosen, as you all know, by the delegates in
convention, and the LNC is specifically forbidden from endorsing candidates
pre-nomination.  You might notice that Wednesday's debate was coordinated
by CNN, not the RNC, and certainly was not held at an RNC meeting.  People
grow very angry if the RNC or DNC seems to be interfering in the primary
process, let alone if they were to officially ask candidates to stand
before them and debate.  One of the things that separates us from those
parties is we are careful to avoid this impression, while they flirt with
it.  If we decide to coordinate a debate with a media outlet, well and
good.  I would oppose doing so at our business meeting, and I would wish
for the LNC to have no role besides setting up the framework, so that we
are clearly not favoring one or another candidate.  (Note that, in fact,
the RNC didn't like the Fox criteria, but had no power to change it.  That,
I believe, is for the good, regardless of what the criteria were.)

States are hosting candidate forums in coordination with their conventions
because, at those conventions, they often choose delegates to the National
Convention, and, even if not, those who are selected frequently have
attended their convention.  Therefore, the candidates appear there to make
their case to the people who will vote for the nominees.

As to whether or not it is obvious that no endorsements will be made, it
may be true, but I don't think it is obvious.  I think it gives a very
strong impression that the LNC will endorse someone - see the email above
saying that we should be vetting candidates.

As I said - we have a job to do, and, looking at our financial statements,
we have some distance to go in doing that job.  The budget meeting is
perhaps the most important part of doing that job.

There is a world of difference between, as was said above, issuing a letter
of support to a war-mongering opponent of immigration, and making a
decision to focus on our efforts on races we can actually win.  A shift of
emphasis has nothing in common with supporting the candidate of a different
party.  Every four years, the nation becomes enchanted by the Presidency.
We can follow them and be similarly enchanted, or we can take honest stock
of our position and focus on what others have deemphasized.  The choice is
ours, not mine, but I am sharing my opinion.  Clearly others have different
opinions, including the chairs of states in my region.  Certainly, I will
take those opinions into account in any vote that comes to the LNC, as well
as my own, but ultimately I am charged with making my decision as a steward
for the party's resources while considering the opinions of those I
represent.

Joshua Katz

Joshua A. Katz
Westbrook CT Planning Commission (L in R seat)

On Fri, Sep 18, 2015 at 10:56 AM, riemers at juno.com <riemers at juno.com> wrote:

> Well, as far as I know our Saturday evening in Orlando is free,  and we
> need to start exposing our Presidential candidates to the media and to our
> members.  So why not some political entertainment from 7 to 9?
>
> Obviously,  this is just an educational debate, and no endorsements would
> be made,  but it would let us meet the candidates and the candidates could
> get some feed back to see if the effort is worthwhile.  I suspect we just
> "might" get some media coverage on this as well (stranger things do happen).
>
> Now, if we really will not have any worthwhile Presidential candidates for
> 2016, instead of wasting our efforts, maybe we should instead just issue a
> letter of support to either Trump or Hillary and not confuse the public any
> more then we have to, and just concentrate our efforts on state races?
>
> Roland Riemers ND
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