[Lnc-business] Developing a regular process for funding Libertarian candidates and campaigns

Sat Sep 24 09:34:10 EDT 2016

Caryn, I agree with your support for creating and staffing a candidate support committee. I assume that the set agenda for the LNC conference call meeting tomorrow evening dictates that discussion of creating a candidate support committee will have to wait for our face-to-face LNC meeting in Alexandria on December 10-11.

Thoughts?

Libertarianism - Principle Before Party 

The War on Majority Rule Authoritarian Cronyism Begins Now!

~David Pratt Demarest

Secretary, Nebraska Libertarian State Central Committee

Region 6 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (IA, IL, MN, MO, ND, NE, WI)

Nebraska State Coordinator, LP Radical Caucus

Cell:      402-981-6469

Home: 402-493-0873

Office: 402-222-7207

From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of Caryn Ann Harlos
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2016 10:24 PM
To: lnc-business at hq.lp.org
Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] Developing a regular process for funding Libertarian candidates and campaigns

I am really in favour of a candidate support committee.  I have observed the affiliate support committee and been very impressed.

On Fri, Sep 23, 2016 at 9:15 PM, Starchild <sfdreamer at earthlink.net <mailto:sfdreamer at earthlink.net> > wrote:

I continue to feel inadequately informed to vote on these various requests for funding, and feel that we ought to try to develop a fair, equitable, and predictable process for the LNC to handle funding requests from state affiliates, LP candidates, and so on.

One aspect of this that occurs to me is that while things like lawsuits and outreach events can happen unpredictably throughout the year, most general elections happen in November. For that campaign cycle, at least, I think a promising method for making funding decisions might be to establish two or three pre-announced funding periods during which times any LP candidates interested in obtaining funding from the LNC would be invited to submit their requests. For instance, we might hypothetically designate the 2nd week in June (after primaries are generally over), the 1st week in August, and the last week in September as periods for applying.

For each of these periods, we could budget a total amount of funds to be distributed, based on our current resources, and announce the availability of these funds, along with the requirements and deadlines to apply for a portion of them. Appoint a committee to review all the applications received and make recommendations to the full LNC on how to divide up the pile of funds available for that distribution period among the various campaigns that applied. Lay out a clear timetable – say a week for the committee to make its recommendations, and another week for the LNC (to whom the applications would also be made available as they are submitted) to meet electronically or in person, debate and vote on any amendments to the committee's recommended disbursements, and get checks sent out – so that campaigns would know when to expect the requested funds, if any.

To apply for funding, campaigns could be asked to fill out a standard form (available on LP.org <http://LP.org>  and perhaps printed in LP News) providing information such as name, office sought (partisan or non-partisan), campaign website, and responses to a number of questions such as:

• How much money are you requesting?

• How would you plan to spend these funds (be specific)?

• How useful would it be to your campaign if you are only granted a portion of the funding you request?

• Where do you fall on the Nolan Chart (submit filled-out quiz with application)?

• What are your three top campaign issues?

• What campaign promises have you made?

• How much press has your candidacy received (include links/clippings)?

• Has there been any polling in your race, and if so, what were the poll results (sources/numbers/dates)?

• How much money have you raised so far, and on what has it been spent? 

• What are the legal restrictions on how much you can raise and spend?

• Who are your opponents and how much have they raised and spent?

• Besides trying to get you elected, what is your campaign doing to build the Libertarian Party and advance the cause of freedom?

• Please list at least one reference other than a family member who can vouch for you and your campaign and confirm as much of the information you've provided here as possible.

• Will you provide to the LNC within 30 days of the election a report on how your campaign went, and how the money granted to you by the party was spent (being specific)?

Some of the above questions clearly relate to candidates and would not be relevant to ballot measure campaigns seeking to defeat or enact a particular proposal. For those types of campaigns, there might be other questions not applicable to candidates, such as:

• Please provide the text of the measure in question (can be a web link)

• Please provide a list of the groups and prominent individuals supporting the measure in question, and a list of the groups and prominent individuals opposing it

• What is your assessment of the impact that passing this measure would have?

I would propose that campaigns not be deemed automatically ineligible for funding as a result of failing to provide any particular requested information, but obviously the LNC and the members of its appointed subcommittee would be likely to take the completeness of information provided into consideration when making their decisions.

What do other LNC members think of this as a general approach for general election campaign/candidate funding? Any suggested modifications or additions?

Love & Liberty,

                                    ((( starchild )))

At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee

                                 (415) 625-FREE

On Sep 23, 2016, at 12:20 PM, Daniel Hayes wrote:

The initial request was for $12,000 for a television campaign and now has been lowered to $5000.  I don't understand how either amount of money on television can have any demonstrable effect on an election.  While this opponent may have poor name recognition the Democrat Party has an extreme hold on the vote process in Massachusetts.  How much money has Mr. Simmon's raised for his campaign so far? This is always one of the considerations I use when considering a donation to a candidate.  
Also, as Whitney has stated, Mr. Simmons says he needs the entire $12,000 from National.  That isn't legal.  There are ways around things but that all takes extra time.  Even if members cosponsored this it would still be at least a day before it even started being voted on and then would take up to 10 days after that.  This motion doesn't meet the amount he says he MUST have from the LNC and doesn't meet his time frame.  I wish luck to Mr. Simmons in his campaign but I don't think we can help him.

Daniel Hayes
LNC At Large Member

On Sep 23, 2016, at 11:01 AM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com <mailto:carynannharlos at gmail.com> > wrote:

Just bringing up the immediate practical concerns.  It takes day to get co-sponsors, if they can be gotten and ten days for an email vote which already puts this past any week deadline.

We need a Candidate Support Committee badly.

On Fri, Sep 23, 2016 at 11:54 AM, Patrick McKnight <patrick.joseph.mcknight at gmail.com <mailto:patrick.joseph.mcknight at gmail.com> > wrote:

I am seeking cosponsors of my amended motion to allocate $5,000 in support a TV ad for Thom Simmons. Thom is running for Congress in western Massachusetts. http://simmons4congress.com/

I am forwarding the attached storyboard for Thom Simmons' proposed ad.

>From Thom regarding the storyboard:

"They are looking at three different ads that would cover western massachusetts (Berkshire region), which, incidentally, would also spill over into NY and VT - which could only help with Alex Merced's Senate race and the J/W campaign in Vermont as I do not shy away from the Libertarian label. :-)

The first and third require some explanation, as they are unique: they are REVERSE attack ads, meaning: at first, they start out dark as if they are an attack ad against me, with the voice over saying something such as, "he wants to end common core.."  The idea is to get people to say to themselves, "yeah, me too!"  and then end by showing people they agree with me and the LP after they have already said this on their own heads.

The second ad plays on the print media, which has called my opponent "disappearing," "missing" etc, by showing him and then fading out.  It is the single biggest factor in this campaign, as the Berkshires - dems, reps, Inds...are LIVID at his inattention to that portion of the district.

This could be a gamechanger.  

I realize that everyone wants money - and I will be blunt: if we are to do this, I need $12,000 for the full campaign from National. And I need to know within a week to get into production.  

I would appreciate it if you could bring this to the attention of the powers that be in the LP, and see we can get them to invest in my campaign.  The Mass State Cmte is fully aware of, and supports this request."

"We're talking five weeks of three ads.  There is no realistic way to know what percentage of the electorate will see them, except that the only TV in western Mass is Cable and they are working through the Cable system, so ANYONE watching TV will see them.  Of course you can see the ad, I can not produce the ad without knowing I have the funds to do so!  The Storyboards give a general idea...we cant expect scripts or more polished ads if we cant guarantee to pay the studio.  

Most important, there will NOT be a "sea" of political ads:  NO ONE is spending TV time in Massachusetts, as there are NO OTHER CONTESTED RACES in western Mass!  The Presidential campaigns are not even spending money in Mass."

Thank you for your consideration of this matter,

Patrick McKnight

Region 8 Rep

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Thomas Simmons <simmons4congress at gmail.com <mailto:simmons4congress at gmail.com> >
Date: Tue, Sep 13, 2016 at 11:59 AM
Subject: Fwd: Simmons rough storyboard concepts
To: patrick.mcknight at lp.org <mailto:patrick.mcknight at lp.org> , Larry.Sharpe at lp.org <mailto:Larry.Sharpe at lp.org> 

Patrick and Larry,

I am forwarding the very rough storyboard mockups from WeThinkAdvertising in Schenectady, NY, with whom I met last week for a possible TV Ad campaign.

They are looking at three different ads that would cover western massachusetts (Berkshire region), which, incidentally, would also spill over into NY and VT - which could only help with Alex Merced's Senate race and the J/W campaign in Vermont as I do not shy away from the Libertarian label. :-)

The first and third require some explanation, as they are unique: they are REVERSE attack ads, meaning: at first, they start out dark as if they are an attack ad against me, with the voice over saying something such as, "he wants to end common core.."  The idea is to get people to say to themselves, "yeah, me too!"  and then end by showing people they agree with me and the LP after they have already said this on their own heads.

The second ad plays on the print media, which has called my opponent "disappearing," "missing" etc, by showing him and then fading out.  It is the single biggest factor in this campaign, as the Berkshires - dems, reps, Inds...are LIVID at his inattention to that portion of the district.

This could be a gamechanger.  

I realize that everyone wants money - and I will be blunt: if we are to do this, I need $12,000 for the full campaign from National. And I need to know within a week to get into production.  

I would appreciate it if you could bring this to the attention of the powers that be in the LP, and see we can get them to invest in my campaign.  The Mass State Cmte is fully aware of, and supports this request.

Thanks for anything you can do for me.

Thom Simmons

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Theresa Smolen <tsmediaconsulting at gmail.com <mailto:tsmediaconsulting at gmail.com> >
Date: Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 1:24 PM
Subject: Fwd: Simmons rough storyboard concepts
To: simmons4congress at gmail.com <mailto:simmons4congress at gmail.com> 

Hi Thom, (We have another Simmons we have dealt with in the past - I apologize for my last email with Scott in the greeting!)

Here are three commercial concepts.

They are very rough at this point. We will need more/better photos of you if you have more, so we can put together nicer storyboards for you to present.

Let us know what you think!

Thank you,

Theresa

Theresa Smolen
Project Manager
We Think Advertising
426 State Street, 3rd Floor
Schenectady, NY 12305
518.810.8760 cell

This E-mail and any of its attachments may contain We Think Advertising proprietary information, which is privileged, confidential, or subject to copyright belonging to We Think Advertising. This E-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this E-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying, or action taken in relation to the contents of and attachments to this E-mail is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this E-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copy of this E-mail and any printout.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Christopher O'Reilly <coreilly at wethinkauto.com <mailto:coreilly at wethinkauto.com> >

Subject: simmons

Date: September 9, 2016 at 1:12:28 PM EDT

To: Theresa Smolen <tsmediaconsulting at gmail.com <mailto:tsmediaconsulting at gmail.com> >

Christopher J O'Reilly
President
We Think Auto

(518) 281-5540
coreilly at wethinkauto.com <mailto:coreilly at wethinkauto.com> 

www.wethinkauto.com <http://www.wethinkauto.com/> 

-- 

Website: Simmons4Congress.com <http://Simmons4Congress.com/> 

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-- 

In Liberty,

Caryn Ann Harlos

Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org <mailto:Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org> 

Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado <http://www.lpcolorado.org/> 

Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org/> 

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-- 

In Liberty,

Caryn Ann Harlos

Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org <mailto:Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org> 

Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado <http://www.lpcolorado.org> 

Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org> 

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