[Lnc-business] Fwd: LNC 2020 Convention Solution Input

[Caryn Ann Harlos]

I can never set aside bylaws.  Ever.  The government does that.  Not
Libertarians.  Libertarians honor contracts.

Plus I have just been informed of certain sworn statements I will be
required to submit to states about our nomination.

I dare anyone to humbly suggest I need to commit perjury for expediency.  I
have some choice words for anyone who does.  You are asking me to risk my
career.  And before the snark comes in, I was elected to the position and I
won’t resign so someone else can commit perjury.

I ask staff to provide me copies of the forms that had to be signed last
cycle.  I want to see what I have to swear to.

Humility has nothing to do with member rights.

On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 11:24 PM Phillip Anderson <phillip.anderson at lp.org>
wrote:

> Madame Secretary, I’m well aware of who has been discussing what. The
> humility I’d like to see is members of this committee setting aside
> commitments to positions already taken in order to move forward with
> business entrusted to it.
>
> On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 10:16 PM Caryn Ann Harlos <caryn.ann.harlos at lp.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Mr. Anderson this is exactly what a majority of LNC members have already
>> been discussing, and it has nothing to do with humility but with honouring
>> our bylaws.
>>
>> On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 9:02 PM Phillip Anderson via Lnc-business <
>> lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
>>
>>> This is excellent, well thought out. Now let’s see who is humble enough
>>> to
>>> lead.
>>>
>>> On Fri, May 8, 2020 at 9:14 PM john.phillips--- via Lnc-business <
>>> lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> > Forward of an email with detailed convention thoughts from Avens
>>> Obrien.
>>> >
>>> > Lots of interesting thoughts for consideration.
>>> >
>>> > John Phillips
>>> > Libertarian National Committee Region 6 Representative
>>> > Cell 217-412-5973
>>> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>> > From: Avens O'Brien <avens.obrien at gmail.com>
>>> > Date: May 8, 2020 8:59 PM
>>> > Subject: LNC 2020 Convention Solution Input
>>> > To: john.phillips at lp.org
>>> > Cc:
>>> >
>>> > Hi John -
>>> >
>>> > Per your suggestion on Facebook, I am submitting this in an email for
>>> you
>>> > to forward on to the rest of the LNC.
>>> >
>>> > I posted this on Facebook earlier today and it has received
>>> > positive feedback. The original link can be found here:
>>> > https://www.facebook.com/avobrien/posts/10100329054914256
>>> >
>>> > I apologize for the length, I am reviewing the problems around the
>>> > convention, the downsides of proposed solutions, and finally a
>>> breakdown of
>>> > the actual processes involved in my proposed solution.
>>> >
>>> > I am aware that others have suggested things like what I am suggesting.
>>> > I have dived a bit deeper into the details, I believe.
>>> >
>>> > As a long-time member, delegate of several years and volunteer, I
>>> would be
>>> > happy to assist the convention committee or anyone in implementing
>>> these
>>> > ideas or related but alternative solutions.
>>> >
>>> > The content of my original post is below.
>>> >
>>> > Best,
>>> > Avens O'Brien
>>> > Former Vice Chair, LPNH 2006-2008
>>> > CA Delegate to National, 2020
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > PROBLEM:
>>> >
>>> > The Libertarian Party was supposed to have an in-person convention over
>>> > Memorial Day Weekend (starting May 21st) in Austin TX. We are unable
>>> to do
>>> > that, due to restrictions by the city of Austin or state of TX in the
>>> face
>>> > of Covid-19.
>>> >
>>> > This convention is where we select our Presidential and Vice
>>> Presidential
>>> > candidates, where we select new LNC officers/reps, and deliberate/vote
>>> on
>>> > changes to our bylaws, platform, and more. It is also a substantial
>>> > fundraiser.
>>> >
>>> > We also have a really great time partying and seeing each other in
>>> person
>>> > since we spend so much time bickering online and it’s really nice to
>>> get
>>> > the real life experience of each other. I have come away from each
>>> national
>>> > convention liking my fellow Libertarians so much more than I often do
>>> > arguing online.
>>> >
>>> > So, unfortunately, we will have no in-person convention during Memorial
>>> > Day weekend.
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > ALTERNATIVE #1
>>> >
>>> > One alternative solution is to move the date of the in-person
>>> convention.
>>> > We do not yet know how long travel or gathering restrictions are going
>>> to
>>> > last, and even when they have been lifted, we don’t yet know how many
>>> > delegates would not be able to attend due to health concerns
>>> (themselves or
>>> > those they live with) and also adjusting for new travel location and
>>> time.
>>> >
>>> > Besides the possibility that attendance will be lowered, this creates
>>> an
>>> > issue of perhaps a poor representation of the delegates if, say, all
>>> older
>>> > delegates do not attend due to health concerns.
>>> >
>>> > This also creates issues with ballot access for some states (which is
>>> also
>>> > being worked on) and even more: campaign time. Waiting until July or
>>> August
>>> > to nominate minimizes the amount of time our nominee has to
>>> campaign/take
>>> > donations/try to get media attention towards themselves and the Party.
>>> >
>>> > I will attend any in-person convention that occurs, because I have low
>>> > person risk of major Covid-19 complications, the ability to quarantine
>>> > myself, and an annoying sense of duty to ensure my voice as a delegate
>>> is
>>> > represented no matter what.
>>> >
>>> > I realize others cannot make that same choice.
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > ALTERNATIVE #2
>>> >
>>> > A second alternative solution is to have an all-online convention using
>>> > video meeting software like Zoom. This would allow delegates (and
>>> > alternates) to log in from their computers at home and participate in
>>> floor
>>> > discuss, debates, votes etc. This would allow people to participate
>>> > wherever they are without travel restrictions or health concerns.
>>> >
>>> > This also has issues: 1000 people logging in to participate, proposed
>>> > resolutions, debate, discussion, votes? In the in-person convention
>>> hall it
>>> > has its own faults, but there’s also controls: limited microphones, a
>>> stage
>>> > from which the meeting is run, and the self-restraint that is
>>> (somewhat)
>>> > created by the fact that individuals attending actually had to pay to
>>> get
>>> > there, and aren’t going to do things that would get them thrown out.
>>> We DO
>>> > behave ourselves better in person than we do online.
>>> >
>>> > There may or may not also be issues if there’s an online-convention
>>> with
>>> > states (or state parties) recognizing the delegate vote on the
>>> presidential
>>> > and vice presidential nominees.
>>> >
>>> > Also, let’s be honest: the national convention IN PERSON is a HUGE
>>> > fundraising opportunity for the party. There are NUMEROUS avenues, from
>>> > gala dinners to pie-throwing afterparties, where we make money, and an
>>> > online convention DOES make that harder.
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > PROBLEMS VS SOLUTIONS
>>> >
>>> > Along the way, observing this, I have been disappointed in the amount
>>> of
>>> > “problem seeking” behavior rather than “solution seeking” behavior of
>>> some
>>> > people inside the party and on the LNC.
>>> >
>>> > Many of the people who are adamantly opposed to online convention will
>>> > disrupt one. Many of the people who are adamantly opposed to an
>>> in-person
>>> > convention will emphasize the risks, the ballot-concerns. These ARE
>>> valid:
>>> > online conventions can be disrupted in ways IRL (in real life) ones
>>> can’t.
>>> > There may be ballot issues, health risks, and representation problems.
>>> >
>>> > Ultimately, it appears that many people may refuse to acknowledge the
>>> > result of a vote cast in either situation, claiming it’s not
>>> > representative, or within order, or whatever.
>>> >
>>> > No matter what way we decide: we will have huge numbers of this
>>> convention
>>> > feeling disenfranchised, poorly represented, or potentially ignored,
>>> and
>>> > this may affect support for our candidates.
>>> >
>>> > What can be done about that?
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > A BETTER SOLUTION
>>> >
>>> > I can’t honestly see that either an exclusively online or exclusively
>>> > in-person option will work.
>>> >
>>> > As someone who has attended years and years of National and State
>>> > conventions, here is my preferred solution – one that utilizes online
>>> > voting and possibly in-person confirmations.
>>> >
>>> > We have an online vote among delegates for our President/Vice President
>>> > candidates, and then potentially move the in-person convention to
>>> later in
>>> > the year.
>>> >
>>> > BUT BASIC POLLING ISN’T ENOUGH. There are things we need to be able to
>>> do
>>> > that basic polling does not allow.
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > ONLINE VOTE PROCESS:
>>> >
>>> > First – state delegate chairs or state party chairs need to ensure they
>>> > have the best contact information for their delegates – both email and
>>> > phone. We need to confirm methods of communication, and we ALSO need
>>> to be
>>> > VERY communicative about timelines.
>>> >
>>> > We should make our decisions about when these things will be happening
>>> and
>>> > then giving, say, a week notice so that people can make sure they’re
>>> > looking out.
>>> >
>>> > SO, I’m going to suggest timelines here, which are not binding, they
>>> are
>>> > examples:
>>> >
>>> > We tell delegates this weekend, that P/VP nomination process will be
>>> > occurring beginning on May 21st, and a calendar for the next dates is
>>> then
>>> > created based on this start date. This calendar of the timeline should
>>> be
>>> > PUBLIC, posted on the LNC website and emailed to delegates, alternates
>>> AND
>>> > even party members (who have an interest in observing).
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > TOKENS
>>> >
>>> > So, normally at a National Convention, the delegates receive tokens,
>>> which
>>> > they can use NOT for their vote for President and VP, but to determine
>>> who
>>> > they want in the official LNC debate. This narrows the field for the
>>> debate.
>>> >
>>> > We need to emulate this process. Delegates (only) should have the
>>> ability
>>> > to give their tokens via a vote distributed via email. Perhaps the
>>> link to
>>> > the vote is sent to the email on file, but the password to login is
>>> called
>>> > or texted, reducing chances of hacking or others using their code.
>>> There
>>> > are multiple ways to validate votes.
>>> >
>>> > Let’s say this is emailed out on May 21st. Delegates will have 24
>>> hours to
>>> > respond – I highly recommend someone from each state is determined by
>>> each
>>> > state party to call/email/remind delegates to do this. I would agree
>>> to do
>>> > this for CA if needed.
>>> >
>>> > The LNC collects the results of the token vote. This determines (based
>>> on
>>> > number of tokens received) who is in the main debate. There is a
>>> minimum
>>> > number required from the conventions that I can’t remember right now
>>> (30?).
>>> > This would be the same.
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > DEBATE
>>> >
>>> > The LNC hosts a live Zoom debate (say on the 23rd) using a moderator
>>> who
>>> > was going to be chosen for the in-person debate anyway. The only
>>> > participants will be the debate moderator and the candidates who
>>> qualified.
>>> > This will be recorded, for distribution to the delegates.
>>> >
>>> > SPEECHES
>>> >
>>> > At each convention, we allow the candidates (I believe anyone who was
>>> > nominated and then seconded?) to address the convention in a limited
>>> speech
>>> > (5 mins?) in which they can speak themselves, or have others speak on
>>> their
>>> > behalf.
>>> >
>>> > Candidates would be given the right to prepare a video of the same
>>> length
>>> > as the usual speech, which could potentially feature other people who
>>> speak
>>> > on their behalf, or might be a well-produced campaign video. Whatever
>>> they
>>> > want, within the time limitations. These videos will be hosted on
>>> various
>>> > video platforms, and collected by the LNC.
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > VOTE #1
>>> >
>>> > The LNC, on May 24th, would then send out an email to all members,
>>> with a
>>> > link to the debate, as well as a link to each candidate video. Also,
>>> to the
>>> > delegates: a link to the first Presidential vote. (Again, perhaps
>>> requiring
>>> > a password that was sent separately, again to better validate the
>>> votes).
>>> >
>>> > The delegates would have 48 hours (or perhaps 24 hours) to vote (this
>>> > allows for what usually happens during an in person convention –
>>> internal
>>> > caucus and campaign lobbying can occur via phone calls and emails).
>>> This
>>> > puts us at the 26th if we’re doing 48 hour votes.
>>> >
>>> > The results of this vote would be emailed to the delegates/members (and
>>> > shared on social media) and then if another round is required, we do
>>> the
>>> > same thing we would do at the in-person convention, with a slightly
>>> > different timeline: candidates have say, 12 hours to send new
>>> time-limited
>>> > videos dropping out/endorsing anyone, before another round of voting.
>>> >
>>> > This continues in the same fashion until we have determined our
>>> nominee by
>>> > over 50% of the delegate vote. The same process occurs for the VP spot.
>>> >
>>> > This should land us into the very beginning of June with our results.
>>> >
>>> > ________________________________
>>> >
>>> > POTENTIAL IN-PERSON CONVENTION
>>> >
>>> > Once the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates are chosen, we
>>> can
>>> > begin petition collecting or ballot efforts or campaigning and
>>> volunteers
>>> > and whatever the heck we need to begin doing to support them.
>>> >
>>> > We plan for an in-person convention in, say, August or even September.
>>> > This allows us to do platform, bylaws, officer elections. We can also
>>> > certify the vote made in late May/early June regarding our P/VP
>>> nominees.
>>> >
>>> > This in-person convention can also have the Presidential and Vice
>>> > Presidential nominees as the keynotes, and operate much like other
>>> > conventions: celebrating an already determined nominee, and generating
>>> > press and interest for that. As well as fundraising.
>>> >
>>> > THE BIG IF:
>>> >
>>> > IF as we get into June, we find that an in-person convention is less
>>> > likely even as far out as July or August or September, we still have a
>>> much
>>> > longer timeline for determining what changes we need to make when:
>>> perhaps
>>> > officer elections also become an online process like P/VP.
>>> >
>>> > Perhaps a motion is made to reserve bylaw and platform changes to the
>>> 2022
>>> > convention in order to acknowledge this unprecedented event globally,
>>> and
>>> > then we do some sort of online state chair convention to ratify the
>>> P/VP
>>> > election. I’m not sure, but the fact is we can spend months figuring
>>> out
>>> > the right solution for THAT. We just can’t spend months waiting on our
>>> > Presidential/VP ticket.
>>> >
>>> > Please feel free to contact me for further clarification, questions, or
>>> > help.
>>> >
>>> > I look forward to learning what the LNC decides.
>>> >
>>> > Best,
>>> > Avens O'Brien
>>> > CA Delegate 2020
>>> > Former LPNH Vice Chair, 2006-2008
>>> > 818.308.5098 | avens.obrien at gmail.com
>>> >
>>> > ...
>>> >
>>> > Avens O'Brien
>>> > http://www.avens.me
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>> --
>>
>> *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), please contact me privately and let me know. *
>>
>> --

*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), please contact me privately and let me know. *