Why and What-Redux
This is a post from January when I announced that I was running for District 54 seat. I just moved it and a couple of other previous posts to my campaign page....
I announced today that I am seeking the Libertarian Party's nomination for the House of Representatives District 54 seat. A good friend of mine, who is not sympathetic of the libertarian philosophy, asked " why in the world would you want to do that, and what in the world do you think you can accomplish?" I know it was a rhetorical question, and he really didn't want an answer, but being a libertarian, I never pass up an opportunity to ramble on, so here's why, and what.
I'm running to give people who want a limited government a chance to vote for it. Not just the Libertarians that want limited government, but the Republicans and Independents and yes, even the Democrats out there that want limited government. I know there are a lot of those people out there. I've seen them and I've talked to them. They just haven't had a way to vote for it. I'm hope to change that.
I don't have a lot to offer to people that want an unlimited government. But that's okay. They don't really need me anyway. They already have a lot of options. They can vote for the Republican candidate. Or they can vote for the Democrat candidate. Or they can not vote at all. Any of these actions or inactions will move us closer to unlimited government, unlimited taxation, and unlimited regulation. That is how it has worked in the past, that is how it is working now, and nothing has convinced me it will be any different in the future.
So that is why I'm running.
As to what I hope to accomplish, well, I've narrowed that down to three things. Number one, of course, is that I hope to win. That is not as far fetched as it once would have been. The county Libertarians have been putting up some impressive numbers the last couple of elections. Races where we have garnered 25%, 30%, 38% and even 61% of the vote. Needless to say, we won that last one. As more and more people get fed up with the tax and spend policies of the two major parties, our chances keep getting better. And in the three way race that I hope to be in, 34% could send me to Indy.
Of course, there does exist the possibility that I could win the nomination and still lose the election. Not something I like to think about, but a possibility, none the less. But, if in the course of that loss, I am able to collect enough votes to affect the outcome of the race, perhaps the other parties would consider it in their best interests to adopt some libertarian ideas into their platform. Just as the Republicans and Democrats carried the socialist agenda when it was politically expedient for them, they can certainly help carry the libertarian banner now that the pendulum is swinging back in our direction. And I can live with that for a while.
Of course, as Arlo Guthie found out from Officer Obie, there is a third possibility I would rather not consider at all. There is the possibility that I win the nomination, lose the election, and have absolutely no effect on anything or anybody. I truly hope that doesn't happen, but if it does, I will at least be able to look my soon to arrive grandchildren in the eye and swear that I did my best to preserve for them a little bit of freedom.
That's what I hope to accomplish.
I announced today that I am seeking the Libertarian Party's nomination for the House of Representatives District 54 seat. A good friend of mine, who is not sympathetic of the libertarian philosophy, asked " why in the world would you want to do that, and what in the world do you think you can accomplish?" I know it was a rhetorical question, and he really didn't want an answer, but being a libertarian, I never pass up an opportunity to ramble on, so here's why, and what.
I'm running to give people who want a limited government a chance to vote for it. Not just the Libertarians that want limited government, but the Republicans and Independents and yes, even the Democrats out there that want limited government. I know there are a lot of those people out there. I've seen them and I've talked to them. They just haven't had a way to vote for it. I'm hope to change that.
I don't have a lot to offer to people that want an unlimited government. But that's okay. They don't really need me anyway. They already have a lot of options. They can vote for the Republican candidate. Or they can vote for the Democrat candidate. Or they can not vote at all. Any of these actions or inactions will move us closer to unlimited government, unlimited taxation, and unlimited regulation. That is how it has worked in the past, that is how it is working now, and nothing has convinced me it will be any different in the future.
So that is why I'm running.
As to what I hope to accomplish, well, I've narrowed that down to three things. Number one, of course, is that I hope to win. That is not as far fetched as it once would have been. The county Libertarians have been putting up some impressive numbers the last couple of elections. Races where we have garnered 25%, 30%, 38% and even 61% of the vote. Needless to say, we won that last one. As more and more people get fed up with the tax and spend policies of the two major parties, our chances keep getting better. And in the three way race that I hope to be in, 34% could send me to Indy.
Of course, there does exist the possibility that I could win the nomination and still lose the election. Not something I like to think about, but a possibility, none the less. But, if in the course of that loss, I am able to collect enough votes to affect the outcome of the race, perhaps the other parties would consider it in their best interests to adopt some libertarian ideas into their platform. Just as the Republicans and Democrats carried the socialist agenda when it was politically expedient for them, they can certainly help carry the libertarian banner now that the pendulum is swinging back in our direction. And I can live with that for a while.
Of course, as Arlo Guthie found out from Officer Obie, there is a third possibility I would rather not consider at all. There is the possibility that I win the nomination, lose the election, and have absolutely no effect on anything or anybody. I truly hope that doesn't happen, but if it does, I will at least be able to look my soon to arrive grandchildren in the eye and swear that I did my best to preserve for them a little bit of freedom.
That's what I hope to accomplish.
posted by Rex Bell at 2:01 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home