Steve Kubby was a candidate for the Libertarian Presidential nomination in 2008, and the runner up for the party’s VP nomination in 2008 and 2000. He was also the party’s candidate for Governor of California in 1998. He is currently working on a new business venture in the medical field. Disclosure: I worked on his presidential campaign.
Last Tuesday voters delivered historic landslides in support of medical marijuana and decriminalization, despite heavy opposition by local and federal officials. Michigan voters made their state the 13th to allow the medical use of marijuana by a whopping 63 percent to 37 percent, the largest margin ever for a medical marijuana initiative.
In Massachusetts, voters delivered a landslide of 65 percent to 35 percent, decriminalized the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, replacing arrests with a $100 fine, much like a traffic ticket.
These historic landslide votes come during the most extreme anti-marijuana campaign by federal officials in American history. Marijuana arrests have been setting all-time records year after year and one American is arrested on marijuana charges every 36 seconds. More Americans are arrested each year for simple marijuana possession than for all violent crimes combined. Given such breathtaking and historic results, one might ask, “Where was the Libertarian Party?” The answer is that we were nowhere to be found.
Unless you can name any other issue in American politics that delivers 65% of the vote, this is THE biggest issue on the political landscape. While some may argue that the economy is a far bigger issue, there is little consensus, nor is there any constituency that can consistently deliver 65% of the vote. How is it then, that the LP has largely turned its back on such a popular issue? The answer may surprise you — The Libertarian Party has bought into “Reefer Madness.”
Of course the LP leadership will tell you otherwise and spin your wheels with empty ideological rhetoric. Bottom line, nearly every decision maker in our party believes that marijuana is a “fringe issue,” and that our party “won’t be taken seriously if we put too much emphasis on medical marijuana or decrim.”
Unless you want the LP to follow you and the rest of the aging LP population to the grave, it’s time to get with the program. The Greens and Ron Paul folks have tables and booths at hempfests and legalization events around the country. Sadly, I rarely see a LP table or speaker, confirming my suspicion that many Libertarians have bought into the fringe issue nonsense. Perhaps it was this kind of thinking that was behind the Barr campaign’s decision to politely deny my offer to introduce Bob Barr to over 50,000 libertarian-leaning young people at the Seattle Hempfest.
The war on cannabis is an obsolete holdover of the Spanish Inquisition and the Witch Hunts. As it has no basis in evidence, science or public health it is therefore a religious belief imposed upon the people – an act that is forbidden in most Western democracies. Indeed, Puritanism has become the new state religion.
These issues are all essentially Libertarian issues, because they define our rights as individuals and our humanity as a society. The world desperately needs the guidance and leadership of Libertarians who are willing to stand up for liberty and actually do something to protect and defend their fellow citizens.
The world is waiting, while the LP continues to slumber.
Wake up and smell the ganja. It’s the smell of freedom and it is calling for all Libertarians to report for duty.
18 responses so far ↓
1 Steven R Linnabary // Nov 9, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Well, I hate to disagree with Mr. Kubby.
But the Franklin County LP ALWAYS has a booth at the local HempFest. Sometimes the Socialist Party shows up, and sometimes the Green Party shows up. Loretta Nall came one year for the USMJ.
The LP table always has throngs of people around it, whereas the Greens and Socialists have few. Of course, the LP has much better supplies, leaflets and freebies.
The annual HempFest is an exciting time to be a Libertarian!
OTOH, I just came off a grueling Congressional campaign. Of the two dozen candidates nite forums I attended, not once did a voter ask about marijuana decrim, medical or otherwise.
In contrast, America’s overseas wars and the bailouts of failed institutions came up at every forum. Both my opponents favored the wars and the bailouts.
Fact is, most voters don’t vote based on issues. They vote based on who they think will win. Your “issues” will win when you do.
PEACE
Steve
2 Ross Levin // Nov 9, 2008 at 3:03 pm
In all fairness, Steve, I think Kubby was talking about the national LP.
I think we’ve contacted Kubby a few times about endorsing the Ni4D (click my name if you don’t know what it is) because of his work with ballot initiatives, but I don’t remember if we’ve ever gotten a response.
3 JimDavidson // Nov 9, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I would encourage members of the Boston Tea Party to go to events where they can present libertarian ideas to the public. Hemp festivals would be a great opportunity.
4 LaineRBT // Nov 9, 2008 at 7:36 pm
This is a great issue to use in an attempt to gather new comers to a party or cause. One of the major reasons I got involved with supporting third parties and independents is because of the ganja issue.
5 paulie cannoli // Nov 9, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Same here, and I don’t even smoke.
6 Melty Rox // Nov 9, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Sex n Drugs’re the LP’s best issues.
7 paulie cannoli // Nov 9, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Some of them.
Here are some others as well:
http://pauliecannoli.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/state-of-the-empire-2/
8 Mike Theodore // Nov 9, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I agree with Kubby. If there were any hempfests around these parts, I’d set up a shady little LP booth. I think I can do that without the consent of the party. Maybe I’d order gobs of Wes’s bumper stickers.
9 paulie cannoli // Nov 9, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Pride, peace rallies, and migrant marches should be good as well. 9/11 truth events draw crowds that might be persuadable. Earth day is an opportunity for creative outreach. If you do tax day protests, think of something along these lines:
http://pauliecannoli.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/taxes-of-evil-2-2/
10 paulie cannoli // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Some relevant discussion in the comments here
http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/11/less-antman-on-restoring-the-libertarian-brand-name/
11 Coming Back to the LP // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:22 pm
The LP should be everywhere the people are.
Get out to the Hemp rallies, gun shows, anti-tax, pro gold standard, anti-Federal Reserve, anti-war and anti-WAR rallies!
12 paulie cannoli // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Gun shows are good. There’s a healthy libertarian contingent.
I found too many Palin kool-aiders at this year’s, though.
And of course, they always have their share of Republican Party come hell or high water types, theocrats, and your run of the mill “fuck all politics – stock up on ammo” guys.
13 Coming Back to the LP // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:33 pm
“they always have their share of Republican Party come hell or high water types, theocrats, and your run of the mill “fuck all politics – stock up on ammo†guys.”
Agreed.
But, we have to get out in the world and find the already Libertarian 15% of the country and get them to join us in building a real Party. They will become our activists, supporters, donors, candidates, voters and leaders if we just get out in the world and recruit them.
It’s easier to find and recruit those who already agree with us than to convert hardcore Ds and Rs.
The majority of the public is not very committed to any ideology and we can get elected if we have enough money to advertise on TV where it counts.
14 paulie cannoli // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:41 pm
I think the biggest opportunities are on issues where liberals and libertarians tend to agree.
What outreach has been done has largely been aimed at conservatives, and the low hanging fruit has been picked.
Also, conservatives are less temperamentally and demographically likely to change parties.
The vast majority of young people who voted, voted for Obama – 2-1 among under 30s and first time voters. McCain won among those over 65. Most people who change their party do so before age 30.
Obama dominated the Latino vote. Among citizens over 30, immigrants are the least likely to have a long-standing tie to a US political party.
The very word conservative means someone disinclined to change. That extends to their political party, even among those that are nearly pure libertarians.
Luckily for us, some of these issues where liberals and libertarians agree – war, (im)migration, gay rights, marijuana – are the very ones that bring tens and hundreds of thousands and even millions of people out to the streets.
The opportunity is huge. All we have to do is sell the libertarian message in liberal-friendly terms, and get out there. It would help if the party did not undercut that with the tone of the message it presents.
15 VinceWylde // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I still think the issue of this over-shadowing everything we try to do that make us votable also makes us seem a bit, I don’t know, 23-ear-old Coffee Shop employee-ish.
Pot simply is not our biggest issue, but people love to bring it up whenever they find out I’m Libertarian.
16 Coming Back to the LP // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I don’t think we should try to make the LP “liberal friendly” or “conservative friendly” per se.
We should be LIBERTARIAN! We should stick to our libertarian principles and sell them to everyone.
We should go to all the one issue outreach opportunities possible to present that issue as a lead issue, but we should not try to downplay the whole libertarian package. We must stand tall and support the entire Libertarian message.
However, we should be rational, reasonable, respectful, sensible, adult, calm, cool, and have a sense of humor.
17 paulie cannoli // Nov 10, 2008 at 1:59 pm
On the contrary, we should emphasize it more. Seattle Hempfest alone is over 50,000 people every year, and there are similar events in every city. High Times is a top 40 national magazine. MPP’s budget is several times the national LP’s.
This issue involves everything from fuel/energy independence, to medicine, to prison/police state, and more. These are all huge issues.
18 paulie cannoli // Nov 10, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I don’t think we should try to make the LP “liberal friendly†or “conservative friendly†per se.
We should be LIBERTARIAN! We should stick to our libertarian principles and sell them to everyone.
I agree. But there are different ways to sell it and different people to whom it can be sold. To the extent it has been sold at all, it has been in a conservative-leaning light to conservative-leaning audiences.
We need some balance. Also, the greatest opportunities were always on the left.
We should go to all the one issue outreach opportunities possible to present that issue as a lead issue, but we should not try to downplay the whole libertarian package. We must stand tall and support the entire Libertarian message.
I agree.
However, we should be rational, reasonable, respectful, sensible, adult, calm, cool, and have a sense of humor.
I try.
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