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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>I applaud Mr. Olsen
for having the guts to send the e-mail below to the Chairs of the RNC and the
DNC via the LP’s web site.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>Those LP leaders and
members who care about ballot access have done an excellent job over the past
44 years of maximizing our ballot access in October of even-numbered years with
the meager resources that we have had available.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><br>
However, there has never been a concerted effort to maximize ballot access in
December of even-numbered years. A possible explanation for that is that it would
likely entail running fewer candidates for unwinnable offices, and probably
having some statewide candidates campaign on issues that are tangential to the
LP Platform. That doesn’t mean campaigning as an<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>anti-Libertarian, but
it might mean campaigning on ethics issues that are not explicitly libertarian.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>Mr. Olsen’s comments
about actually getting candidates elected to public office are right on target.
But our members won’t care about electing Libertarians to public office until
the LNC cares about it.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>Total number of
elected Libertarians = 151<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>Total number of
elected offices in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>
= circa 500,000<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><br>
Scott Lieberman<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Lnc-business
[mailto:lnc-business-bounces@hq.lp.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On
Behalf Of </span></b>Norm Olsen<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, June 22, 2015 2:50
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">lnc-business@hq.lp.org</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [Lnc-business] Email
Ballot 2015-07: <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:place></st1:State>
petition drive -v2</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Nay!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I have true sympathy for states which are
afflicted with nasty ballot access laws. This vote is not a vote against <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:place></st1:State> or any other
state so afflicted.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I vote against the unofficially adopted
policy of this committee that 50+ state ballot access for our presidential
candidate is the primary and sole objective of this committee. I write
this as expenditures other than ballot access are carefully scrutinized and
maximum frugality is demanded; and even then are often rejected. But
when it comes to 50+ state ballot access, nothing is too expensive; frugality
and cost/benefit analysis goes out the window. Major fundraising efforts
are implemented, major donations made, and many volunteers are recruited to
work the malls. Also, ballot access funding requests routinely get
approved by huge majorities, usually 16-1. I am unaware of any that
have failed.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Used to be that Libertarian principles
were considered to be extreme; but now they are being adopted as law
everywhere. Libertarian registration is increasing in many of the states
in my region; 10% annually for three years now in my home state of <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colorado</st1:place></st1:State>. Yet at
the same time, membership and revenue of our organization is shrinking,
and this effect has been quite dramatic in recent months. The focus
on ballot access does not appear to be providing the success upon which
volunteer organizations like ours need to grow.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>It is time to reconsider strategies.
While ballot access is a valid endeavor for a political party, the BIG BIG
question remains:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <b><i><span
style='font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Is this the very best use of our
very limited (and currently dramatically shrinking) resources?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>While ballot access is a valid objective
for any political party, the unilateral focus on ballot access is causing us to
ignore organizational strength. And it is lack of organization strength
that underlies the ballot access issue. (Catch 22 if you will.)
Curing the ballot access problem is best achieved by building the organization
strength of the individual affiliates. It cannot be denied that ballot
access is an important ingredient to building a state affiliate or local
affiliate. However, ballot access cannot guarantee that an
organizationally strong affiliate will emerge.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Our emphasis needs to change; the scope of
our activities broadened, and our resources put to the very best use
possible. Building organizational strength needs to gain our primary
focus; ballot access should be only a judiciously applied part of this larger
objective.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Norm<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>PS> One might say politics is about
running candidates. However, this applies only if, at least occasionally,
some of those candidates actually get elected. Running candidates when
none ever get elected is not politics. To actually elect a candidate
takes three things: organization, organization, and more organization.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> Norman T Olsen<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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