[Lnc-business] Suggestions regarding LP outreach literature

Mon Dec 14 13:22:40 EST 2015

I don't yet have my final recommendations, but I want to make an
observation.  It seems to me that there are at least 3 approaches to this,
and likely more:

1.  Choose current "hot button" issues - that is, what people are already
interested in and talking about.
2.  Choose "wedge" issues - things people are interested in, perhaps not
their highest priority, but topics on which the LP has something unique to
say that will likely be more popular than what comes from others.
3.  Look to our own past messaging and consider which topics have been most
successful.  In its simplest form, this would mean looking at a bunch of FB
posts and measuring likes.

I would suggest that, while 1 is the most obvious answer, 2 might be
position us in a stronger way.  I don't know if it helps us all that much
to message on a really popular hot-button issue if our position is likely
to not be the most popular, or to be so unpopular as to chase people away.
Of course, maybe a 1-issue can become a 2-issue with clever enough
packaging.

The counter-argument, of course, is that if we have a 1-issue where our
position is unpopular, and which is critically important for freedom is
this land, we should message it hard in order to change the dialogue.  I
don't find that a particularly viable answer, though, for at least 3
reasons.  First, I don't think we're loud enough to succeed in that.
Second, we can do the most to move policy by being persuasive, not shocking
for its own sake - our job is to build support for our candidates, not to
actively push people away from their campaigns.  Third, we'd be trying to
change the dialogue against high leverage.  In a 2-issue situation, on the
other hand, we still have the opportunity to reshape the dialogue on an
issue, but to do so with the benefit of high leverage.  Messaging hard on
2-issues is like, in my mind, having a runaway truck heading downhill at
high speed, and trying to change the angle at which it goes down the hill,
while 1-issues is like trying to turn it all the way around and have it
fall uphill.

Disclaimer:  That isn't to say we have to treat 1-issues where our position
is unpopular as poison, just a suggestion as to where they sit in the
hierarchy of priorities.

PS:  Of course, I also prefer to message on issues that translate well to
races where our candidates are strongest.  Some national issues can be
easily made to "drip down" to any race, some cannot, and if we focus on the
ones that can, we gain the advantages of a symbiotic relationship, so to
speak.

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

On Mon, Dec 14, 2015 at 1:06 PM, Norm Olsen <region1rep at donedad.com> wrote:

> Hello All . . .
>
>
>
> A review of the political climate as established by the presidential
> debates indicates what the hot issues are.  Selecting those hot issues
> which will survive the 2016 Presidential election I get:
>
>
>
> 1>     Government irresponsibility is destroying the economic fabric of
> our nation.
>
> 2>     Immigration Reform:  Individual Freedom vs Economic & Personal
> Security
>
> 3>     War on Terror: How do we provide security without sacrificing our
> liberties and economic future.
>
> 4>     Government involvement in education (Common Core and Every Student
> Succeeds?).
>
>
>
> If others on this list would convey to me (either directly or on this
> list) what your four (an arbitrary number I have just picked) topics are
> your choices for new outreach literature, I will try to compile a list from
> which we can choose five via some variation of approval voting using
> e-mail.  This process is about making some choices.  Please deliberate
> carefully and limit your suggestions to a reasonable number.
>
>
>
> One of our goals, indeed the easiest to achieve of our six goals, is
> “Updated issue-based outreach literature”.  If we fail to meet this
> relatively easy goal, the only excuse is neglect.  Let’s get busy on this.
> Staff has suggested that they can do the heavy lifting; all we need to do
> is provide some direction.
>
>
>
> Norm
>
>
>
> PS> I apologize for my delay in making my choices.  My family’s holiday
> get-together was over the Thanksgiving weekend, and this item fell in the
> crack during my travels.
>
> --
>
> 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 *Brett Bittner
> *Sent:* Sunday, November 22, 2015 4:44 PM
> *To:* lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Lnc-business] Suggestions regarding LP outreach literature
>
>
>
> My suggestions:
>
> 1. A broad economic liberty piece.
> 2. A broad civil liberties piece.
> 3. A broad piece regarding freedom "across the board."
> 4. 2nd Amendment piece (for gun show outreach)
> 5. Campus freedom piece (for on-campus outreach)
> 6. An "open for business" piece tailored toward the issues faced by small
> business owners.
> 7. A Spanish language piece (possibly just a translation of #3 above)
> 8. A Spanish language piece specific to issues important in the Hispanic
> community (immigration/freedom of movement, economic opportunity, "flex
> your rights")
> 9. A "No Cronies" piece in opposition to cronyism
>
> I'm sure I could come up with more, but I think these would be a good
> start, covering many topics and offering some literature specific to some
> of our most popular outreach activities.
>
> Brett C. Bittner
>
> Region 3 Alternate
> Libertarian National Committee
>
> **This message sent from my phone. Please excuse any typos.
>
> On Nov 22, 2015 5:55 PM, "James Lark" <jwl3s at virginia.edu> wrote:
>
> Dear colleagues:
>
>     I hope all is well with you.  As usual it was nice to see you in
> Orlando last weekend.  I have enclosed below some suggestions regarding
> topics for LP outreach literature.  I hope you find these suggestions
> worthy of your consideration.  I apologize that I was unable to send my
> suggestions sooner; during the past week I have been swamped with faculty
> duties, along with my duties to other libertarian organizations.
>
>     As always, thanks for your work for liberty.  Best wishes to you and
> your loved ones for a wonderful Thanksgiving.
>
>     Take care,
>     Jim
>
>     James W. Lark, III
>     Dept. of Systems and Information Engineering
>     Applied Mathematics Program, Dept. of Engineering and Society
>     University of Virginia
>
>     Advisor, The Liberty Coalition
>     University of Virginia
>
>     Region 5 Representative, Libertarian National Committee
> -----
>
> Suggestions regarding topics for LP outreach literature:
>
>     I believe we should develop material (including flyers/pamphlets)
> concerning the following topics (listed in no particular order of
> importance):
>
> 1)  American foreign policy (ending activities which are hideously
> immoral, horribly counterproductive, extraordinarily expensive, and/or
> blatantly unconstitutional)
>
> 2)  Health care and insurance (moving to a truly free market in both
> health care and insurance)
>
> 3)  "Crony capitalism" (ending the ability of governments to play
> favorites in various ways)
>
> 4)  The increasingly predatory nature of the law enforcement/judicial
> system (e.g., police brutality, generating revenue for the state via heavy
> fines for minor offenses, civil asset forfeiture, pre-trial seizure of
> defendant assets)
>
>
>     There are many other topics about which we should develop outreach
> material.  My gut feeling (based upon a fair amount of seat-of-the-pants
> empiricism) is that outreach material concerning the topics listed above
> would give us the best return on investment over the near term.  One topic
> about which I may be able to offer specific suggestions for outreach
> material concerns what I view as the increasing pettiness of government
> involvement in our lives.
>
>
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>
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