[Lnc-business] Primaries

[Joe Bishop-Henchman]

Here is what Mr. Fishman sent to the state chairs:
>>> 
    I received the following message from Richard Winger:

    I think we can have (a Presidential Primary) if we want in:  Arizona,
    California, Delaware, DC, Idaho, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana,
    Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South
    Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia.

    Of course a primary is not binding, we still nominate at the
    convention, and delegates are never bound.

    On the other hand, a primary gets Libertarian Candidates and the
    Libertarian Party significant coverage in the media in your state, 
and
    almost certainly for your down ticket candidates too.

    I leave it up to you to decide what is best for your state. Please 
let
    me know what you think.

    Also, can you please verify if you can or cannot have a primary in 
your
    state and let me know.

    Dan
    ---
    Daniel Fishman
    Executive Director
    The Libertarian Party
<<<

It seems straight forward to me, and Winger has been asking around on 
it. The objections raised seem to be that (1) we shouldn't imply that 
this is how we choose our presidential candidate, which Mr. Fishman 
points out; (2) people will be disappointed if the primary winner 
doesn't win the delegates, which state chairs are aware of, and honestly 
maybe delegates should consider the preferences of Libertarian voters in 
making their decisions at convention; and (3) state LP primaries violate 
Platform Plank 3.6 ("political parties should be free to establish their 
own rules for nomination procedures, primaries and conventions" and "an 
end to any tax-financed subsidies to candidates or parties"), which I 
don't see unless stttrrretttttchhhhhes "tax-financed subsidies" to 
encompass primary elections.

It's been a debate we've had in DC. We wanted to do a non-binding 
primary - a beauty contest is the term used for it - as basically a poll 
to inform our delegates where our 1700 registered voters stand. 
Unfortunately, DC's primary date has been set for after our convention, 
after a bill to move it up failed. So we're gonna do our own mail or 
electronic primary instead to serve the same purpose.

JBH

------------
Joe Bishop-Henchman
LNC Member (At-Large)
joe.bishop-henchman at lp.org
www.facebook.com/groups/189510455174837

On 2019-09-27 01:57, Erin Adams via Lnc-business wrote:
> I agree with Caryn Ann Harlos on this. I also see huge potential for
> an act like this to blow up in our faces. Per our bylaws our delegates
> cannot be bound however if we push a Statewide Primary in any state
> hundreds of thousands of registered libertarian voters who are not
> party members may be significantly disappointed when their chosen
> candidate does not win their state at convention
> 
> On Sep 26, 2019 8:10 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos via Lnc-business
> <lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
> 
>> I brought this up to Mr. Fishman privately and now to the LNC since
>> it is a
>> course we are going down.  I have severe objections to us
>> encouraging
>> affiliates to choose a primary, and do not think this was a course
>> that
>> should have been done without explicit LNC approval.
>> 
>> *  In Liberty,*
>> * Personal Note:  I have what is commonly known as Asperger's
>> Syndrome
>> (part of the autism spectrum).  This can affect inter-personal
>> communication skills in both personal and electronic arenas.  If
>> anyone
>> found anything offensive or overly off-putting (or some other social
>> faux
>> pas) in an actual email, please contact me privately and let me
>> know.  *