[Lnc-business] Request for assistance from Mark Wicks

Tue May 9 21:26:28 EDT 2017

I will co-sponsor for $5,000.

Thoughts?

~David

Dec 28-Jan 1 Omaha Roads to Liberty Un-Convention

~David Pratt Demarest

LNC Region 6 Representative (IA, IL, MN, MO, ND, NE, WI)

Secretary, LPNE State Central Committee

Cell:      402-981-6469

Home: 402-493-0873

From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of Caryn Ann Harlos
Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2017 5:49 PM
To: Libertarian National Committee list <lnc-business at hq.lp.org>
Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] Request for assistance from Mark Wicks

Full debate:

 <https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.krtv.com%2Fstory%2F35286238%2Fvideo-gianforte-quist-and-wicks-debate-in-us-house-race&h=ATP4-bbPK5VxEI6eBBhYKLVbC7I2T3AmnyFjukRVwIQR5L91FVEuT6f15XWK68Zn_TNSczu0e6qtwAJEghNbFiMLsxzDnXAJCL1fCUZC2e3z8jD018VWtGruf_HtLWv2F6nsDwO9TtAXejp55oUcvwi6s5e3uUY> http://www.krtv.com/story/35286238/video-gianforte-quist-and-wicks-debate-in-us-house-race

Post-debate analysis:

 <https://www.facebook.com/mtpolitics/videos/1479649542086908/> https://www.facebook.com/mtpolitics/videos/1479649542086908/

-Caryn Ann

On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 4:37 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com <mailto:carynannharlos at gmail.com> > wrote:

PS: Joshua thank you for your lengthy response.  Mark is an enthusiastic candidate that connects well with Montanans. And I didn't vote for that "deficit on paper" budget either.

-Caryn Ann

On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 4:32 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com <mailto:carynannharlos at gmail.com> > wrote:

I will get the appropriate links and commentary about the debate from Mr. Wicks. 

-Caryn Ann

So we have myself and Joshua willing to co-sponsor a motion for $5,000.  We would need two more.

On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 4:27 PM, Joshua Katz <planning4liberty at gmail.com <mailto:planning4liberty at gmail.com> > wrote:

I take that to mean that there is no ballot access retention based on this race.  It might be true that better voter numbers than we have ever seen before makes a difference for us, perhaps even a national-scale difference (which is what it takes, short of ballot access, in my eyes, to invest national money).  What I'm less sure of, though, is that investing money into this campaign will achieve that.  Is the debate video available somewhere, or commentary saying he won the debate?  That makes a difference, and I can certainly see the value of $5,000 to amplify that if it is credible and exists.  

I also note that, while it's a 3-way race, the Democrat doesn't strike me as particularly serious, which could be an opportunity.  I don't think either of those candidates has been able to demonstrate that they care, and if Wicks can do that, if he had debate moments like Bill Clinton's answer on the national debt in that town hall debate, and we can make an ad with a 5 second clip like that, I'm sold.  

I'm less excited about the fact that this is an at-large Congressional seat.  Yes, online ads have the greatest reach, but don't across to most as being as credible, and there's no other real way for him, with his budget, to reach across the state.  

He is right that $5,000 is a small amount to invest.  I don't like investing small amounts.  As I argued at the last meeting about the consultants, people tell you what they are worth.  Someone pricing themselves well below market is telling you something.  Wicks is not pricing himself low, but I'm not convinced that $5,000 can do anything for him.  It can get him an online ad, but I'm not sure it can get enough impressions to get people talking.  So let me ask against - what is the maximum we can give?  Also, if we gave more than $5,000, does he have the campaign infrastructure to use it effectively?  I'm more interested in spending money where it can do good than in minimizing the money spent in a given place.  

I like that the ask is for less than he's raised.  I'm less thrilled that, with the full ask, he'd have $11,600 for a statewide Congressional race.  I'm not concerned about that because it's not enough to win - I'm concerned about that because I don't know that it's enough to be heard outside of a small echo chamber.  

He has a very nice website.  It looks good, it draws you in, it's fairly interactive, and it focuses on applying our ideas in ways that matter to Montanans.  On the other hand, with $6k raised, he didn't use a professional photographer, I think, for his photos.  He looks much better in his tv shots than in his own pictures.  

Bernie Sanders is campaigning for the Democrat (like I said, not serious) while Trump and Pence are both campaigning for the Republican.  The Republicans, between party and PACs, are spending $1,600,000.  Democrats are spending somewhere in the 6 digits.  I don't think $11,600 is enough to have a voice, but $20,000 might be, if used correctly.  This is a unique opportunity and a strong race.  We've already put national firepower into getting him into the debate.  I would like to see us give more, and accompany it with a national staffer acting as campaign adviser to improve a few of the nuts and bolts and making sure the amplification works out well.  In the meantime, I will cosponsor a motion to give $5,000.  I will not cosponsor a motion to give $2,500.

On the bigger picture: I agree that we need a better structure than having this board make such decisions on the basis of limited information, without much time to research.  I had wanted to come up with such a structure, but life has gotten in the way, both for me and for the LNC.  I also acknowledge that our budget is in a deficit - but our budget does include a line for candidates and campaigns, and only half of that line has been allocated, so we've already put aside money for this (in a sense).  Furthermore, our cash position is entirely the result of our own decisions.  I don't think we can make ourselves cash-poor, write a budget that shows a deficit (which I didn't vote for, for that reason among others), and then use that as a reason that we cannot help our candidates who can, in fact, make a difference and help grow this party - growth that will, hopefully, close that gap next year.  Last year, we took in quite a bit more than we budgeted for - in large part based on the attention our national ticket was getting, and in large part because, I think, people wanted us to support key races.  Is this a key race?  I think it is, given the timing, the lack of a serious Democrat, the spending imbalance between the Rs and Ds, and so on, but that's for each of us to decide.  Our candidate has also not just gotten into a debate, but shown that he knows what he's doing once there, and in the process gotten himself useful soundbites for an ad campaign (I'm assuming affirmative answers to my questions above).  

Joshua A. Katz

On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 4:13 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com <mailto:carynannharlos at gmail.com> > wrote:

Mark Wicks provided these responses and apologized that he is not as eloquent as possible as he was calling from the campaign trail:

"I think this is being looked at the wrong way. Both parties are looking for a win to prove their agenda is supported by the American people. We need to show that both parties are being rejected. A win cements that but we also win with better voter numbers than we have ever seen before. It gives legitimacy, and that helps all of us. It sets me up for 2018 and other candidates as well. We can't raise money without some measure of success.  <https://www.facebook.com/groups/1705462263069738/?multi_permalinks=1898512803764682%2C1898487450433884%2C1898483643767598&notif_t=group_activity&notif_id=1494240976827562> $5000 is a small investment into a campaign that will pay dividends for all candidates. We won a battle getting into the debate, I won the debate, now we are positioning pieces for the next war and trying to inflict as much damage as possible in this one."

-Caryn Ann

On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 6:08 AM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com <mailto:carynannharlos at gmail.com> > wrote:

Alicia, yes, and running strong campaigns.

-Caryn Ann

On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 1:36 AM, Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com <mailto:agmattson at gmail.com> > wrote:

Also, is this looking to be a 3-way race with both the Democrats and Republicans running candidates?

-Alicia

On Mon, May 8, 2017 at 4:19 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com <mailto:carynannharlos at gmail.com> > wrote:

On behalf of Montana candidate Mark Wicks running for the vacated seat by the appointment of Zinke, he is requesting the LNC assist his campaign financially.

I had let him know specific information we would need, and would like to share that information:

I know you asked for a budget for how I will spend the money and with time constraints and getting the word out online media seems to be the way to go. We have ads that are being readied and ready to go anytime. Flathead county is having a Liberty Bash combined with a send the work truck event. We can get a live remote and good online adds for  <https://www.facebook.com/pinkflameofliberty/messages/?threadid=1068158245&timestamp=1494282486430> $2500. That will cover the valley really well. The east side of the state is taken care of and all the big towns are covered except Great Falls. I can use as much as the LP can send, but I think  <https://www.facebook.com/pinkflameofliberty/messages/?threadid=1068158245&timestamp=1494282486430> $5000 would make a good impact. We have received  <https://www.facebook.com/pinkflameofliberty/messages/?threadid=1068158245&timestamp=1494282486430> $3600, plus I have put in about  <https://www.facebook.com/pinkflameofliberty/messages/?threadid=1068158245&timestamp=1494282486430> $3000 total. I can't give any measure of impact. People are really searching for a third choice so even minimal presentation will go a long ways.

If any LNC member is interested in co-sponsoring a motion to assist in any amount please let me know so we can craft.

-- 

In Liberty,

Caryn Ann Harlos