[Lnc-business] Fwd: Request for Support/Marketing Funding - Rhode Island Presidential Petition Drive

[Arvin Vohra]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Pat Ford" <potaxpayer at yahoo.com>
Date: Jul 17, 2016 6:38 AM
Subject: Request for Support/Marketing Funding - Rhode Island Presidential
Petition Drive
To: "Pat Ford" <potaxpayer at yahoo.com>
Cc: "Arvin Vohra" <vicechair at lp.org>, "Nicholas Sarwark" <chair at lp.org>,
"Bill Redpath" <william.redpath at lp.org>

Mr. Vohra

The Rhode Island Libertarian Party respectfully requests 1000$ from the
National Libertarian Party to support its efforts to place Gary
Johnson/Bill Weld on the Rhode Island Ballot.

Background

Rhode Island is a challenging opportunity/market for the Libertarian
Movement. After several years of inactivity, the RI LP "Turned The Lights
On" just this past November. Successfully holding its first convention in
May, our first year of engagement has been largely successful. We hold 2-3
events per month. The RI LP has engaged with "Be The Change", a community
kitchen that is funded privately. RI LP Members staff the kitchen monthly,
with cash contributions to support their efforts. The Party was the only
political presence to march in the Providence Pride Parade .. with over
10,000 members of the LGTQA community participating .. our commitment to
Liberty was on display. We recently received our first major endorsement of
the Johnson Campaign. We actively engage in "earned media" ... with Gary
Johnson scoring a front page, top o' the fold, interview in the Providence
Journal, and Bill Weld calling in our local Cumulus affiliate from the
Convention Floor. Party officials are routinely on local cable & radio.
We host the only AM/FM Libertarian Talk Radio show in New England ... where
Libertarian Candidates from Gary Johnson to Thom Simmons get a free,
significant forum in Southern New England. Finally, we are proud to note
that the Libertarian Party has 3 declared candidates for the Rhode Island
General Assembly, and two candidates for local town councils

Challenges

Rhode Island has a strong, recent history of presenting independent third
parties. Ironically, this presents a significant hurdle to our success.
Lincoln Chafee, an abysmal failure as a Governor, was elected as an
independent. In the most recent Gubernatorial Race, Bob Healy garnered 23%
of the vote .. with the local GOP claiming that he "threw" the election to
the Democrat. Frankly, both parties are not enthralled with the prospect of
another third party, with the added dimension of a strong national presence
backing it. Rhode Island has been overwhelmingly Democratic for over 70
years. Barack Obama received pluralities only larger in Vermont & The
District of Columbia. If there was ever a case of "Political Christians in
the Coliseum", we are it.

Petitioning

The Rhode Island Libertarian Party is committed to staffing its own
petition drive, which, under state law, began just last week. We have
already engaged in a joint petition day with Massachusetts, and are
planning to help in New Hampshire. Our own prospects are not without
challenges, however. We may "only" need 1000 signatures, but we are state
with less than 1 million people ... and we fully expect to be challenged at
every turn. Our limited resources are torn between support of our 5 LP
Candidates .. and the need to participate in a united 50 state turnout.

Your support of our efforts, in marketing our petition drives is crucial.
Rhode Island will be the epicenter of a rebirth of the New England
Libertarian Movement. We just need a little help ...

Warmest Regards


Pat Ford
Rhode Island Chair
617.835.1899
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