According to wickedlocal.com, Daniel Fishman, of Beverly, on February 5th announced his candidacy as a Libertarian in the Massachussetts special Senate election, being held on June 25th due to former Senator John Kerry’s appointment as Secretary of State on February 1st. Fishman made a name for himself running as a Libertarian in a tight race in Massachussett’s 6th congressional district in 2012. In that race, incumbent and embattled Democrat John Tierney won 48.3% of the vote, compared to openly gay Republican, former MA state senator Richard Tisei, who won 47.3%. Fishman won 16,000 votes, or 4.5%, and in doing so, earned the ire of many local Republicans. One local talk radio show host accused him of essentially stealing the election from Tisei and questioned why he would run, knowing his chances of winning were nil, and that Tisei had a farely libertarian record compared to the ultra-liberal Tierney. Fishman defended himself by saying that he provided the true alternative to the establishment and that essentially there wasn’t a dime’s worth of difference between the two major parties and the two major party candidates.
Fishman, in a discussion with supporters, said this about his Senate run:
“I am the most fiscally conservative and the most socially tolerant candidate in the race. There is an understanding in Massachusetts that Government has become a tool of corporations to protect them. So called “regulations” on corporations often serve to protect corporate interests from the power of the people. The Federal government bailed out the banks, limited BP’s liability and wasted half a billion dollars trying to force the people to accept the government’s choice for a Solar implementation. The government is not protecting the people from corporations — usually the opposite is true.
“We can do better. Abraham Lincoln exhorted us in the Gettysburg Address, ‘…we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.’ That sacred charge is in our hands now. We currently do not have a government of the people, nor sadly is it a government for the people. But it certainly is funded by the people. It is time for us to take up our civic duties. And part of those duties entails being willing to stand up when called upon. I do not want to be Senator, but I am willing to serve should the people deem me worthy. And perhaps that’s the best that we can hope for in a politician.”
To read the article about Fishman’s campaign, go to the following link:
Daniel Fishman’s campaign website is below:
http://fishmanforsenate.com/
26 responses so far ↓
1 George Phillies // Feb 6, 2013 at 5:59 am
The Libertarians thus became the second political group to have a Senate candidate. Republican Dan Winslow is exploring, no more, with under a month to collect the signatures he needs. Other Republicans have noted that Winslow is a big-time campaign contributor, but to liberal Democrats like Martha Coakley.
2 Andy // Feb 6, 2013 at 6:24 am
This could be really big if the Republicans do not come up with a candidate.
When is the deadline for Fishman to turn in his petition signatures to the city & town clerks?
3 Eric Sundwall // Feb 6, 2013 at 7:07 am
http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2012/10/30/election/election44.txt
Hard to send out a donation if he’s this kind of Libertarian . . .
4 Krzysztof Lesiak // Feb 6, 2013 at 7:59 am
I remember Fishman saying something about being quite pro-Israel. I’m not sure I can support a candidate who supports the legitimacy of this rogue state and sees no problem with Israel’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinians, which includes keeping 1.5 million of them locked in a “open air concentration camp” as Ron Paul said (Gaza).
5 Steven Wilson // Feb 6, 2013 at 10:05 am
Libertarians with an asterisk should be avoided, no matter the campaign rhetoric.
6 Krzysztof Lesiak // Feb 6, 2013 at 12:47 pm
And yeah, I agree with Eric, he doesn’t seem to be very ideologically pure if he supports a 23% sales tax. This is the type of BS Gov. Gary Johnson supported and that all third parties, especially the LP, should avoid.
7 Q2Q // Feb 6, 2013 at 1:11 pm
This guy isn’t libertarian. If Tisei enters the race, the LP should just endorse him.
8 Eric Sundwall // Feb 6, 2013 at 2:44 pm
I’m not a real stickler when it comes to purity tests and electoral politics, but there has to be a point where a LP candidate says, why am I doing this? Especially in a special election.
I could get on board with a three point campaign like:
1.) End Drone Strikes
2.) End the Drug War
3.) End the Fed
Certainly some gray area issues will invariably crop up . . . let radio interviews etc. vet him accordingly.
But give all Libertarians throughout the country common points of agreement and put up the best fight possible given the time constraints and financial adversities.
9 Steven Wilson // Feb 6, 2013 at 4:28 pm
If you are going to compromise with our candidates, then don’t complain about the voting records of the D and R.
Compromise can’t be anything else.
10 johnO // Feb 6, 2013 at 8:44 pm
If this guy isn’t pure enough Dave Blau or George Phillies should challenge him in the Libertarian primary.
11 Richard Winger // Feb 6, 2013 at 8:47 pm
There is no Libertarian primary. The Libertarian Party hasn’t been ballot-qualified since the period 2008-2010.
12 johnO // Feb 6, 2013 at 8:52 pm
Ok then the MA Libertarians then have a choice 1- go with this guy or 2-run Dave Blau or George Phillies on a “Liberty” line or something similar to it.
13 George Phillies // Feb 6, 2013 at 8:58 pm
“Libertarian” has been a valid party designation for three decades now. I do not know if Fishman is running as a “Libertarian” on the the “Liberty” line; it depends on his party registration as of a particular date.
14 George Phillies // Feb 6, 2013 at 8:58 pm
Yes, I am specifically discussing Massachusetts. Your mileage varies.
15 Krzysztof Lesiak // Feb 6, 2013 at 10:41 pm
Hmm, I’m thinking I like the only announced Republican challenger so far, Doug Bennett, better. He’s a Ron Paul guy.
http://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2013/02/02/16921-doug-bennett-run-us-senate
His campaign website:
http://www.macallfromhome.com/DougBennett/
16 George Phillies // Feb 6, 2013 at 11:20 pm
@15 Not sure if you actually meant elsewise, but the lead Republican candidate at this point appears to be State Representative Dan Winslow. He announced an exploratory committee.
Readers interested in pursuing this matter further should consider reading RedMassGroup and BlueMassGroup.
17 Q2Q // Feb 6, 2013 at 11:43 pm
George Phillies should run. Fishman is a joke, he couldn’t even adequently justify his own run for Congress against a fairly libertarian Republican. Plus his tax plan is about as libertarian as a secret government death squad killing US citizens. Run, George, Run!!!
18 George Phillies // Feb 6, 2013 at 11:55 pm
Fishman appears to have drawn more votes last time from Democrats than from Republicans.
I have no particular interest in running again at this time.
19 Thane Eichenauer // Feb 6, 2013 at 11:57 pm
@3
“Hard to send out a donation if he’s this kind of Libertarian”
What is a “this kind” of Libertarian?
@others on various sales tax programs
I don’t find replacing an income tax with a sales tax to be an appealing plan but if a given candidate, Gary Johnson or Daniel Fishman to point at two choose to spend plus of minus 11% of their time advocating for it I think it is a decision for the candidate to make.
I failed to shake my political pom-poms when Gary Johnson and his VP Jim Gray promoted it (at each and every function in Arizona) but given that there isn’t any grassroots swell for either the FairTax or the National Retail Sales Tax (or whatever specific program Daniel Fishman actually supports) and that there is no group of media journalists that cares at all about discussing the topic so what?
Lastly I really, really don’t like the FairTax or any iteration of a National Sales Tax but every time I hear a mention of 23% national sales tax it certainly does catch my attention and make me think “Man, the feds are really taking in and spending a LOT of money”. Fates (and Libertarians) forgive me if I can say with a straight face that there just might be some small benefit to advocating for a national sales tax replacement program.
https://www.google.com/search?q=fair+tax+fraud
20 Eric Sundwall // Feb 7, 2013 at 7:15 am
@19
The kind that finds any tax a “solution” when in fact it is only more theft . . . He ain’t gettn any of my pennies for such a campaign.
If he wants donations from “radical” folk like me, he’s not trying very hard. Granted this is a special election with certain dynamic shifts and turns, but he’s already on record with the sales tax nonsense.
His “issues” page seems to orient towards a “fed audit” and a reduction in the drug war on some level. Israel will be a big snag no matter where he stands . . . he seems to highlight that as an American Jew.
If he concentrated on the insidious drone war, he might attract more of the protest vote.
21 Steve // Feb 7, 2013 at 11:29 am
I read elsewhere that Winslow worked on Americans Elect, so there’s another interesting angle. Perhaps its just that Massachusetts Republicans search for any label except “Republican” to associate with.
22 Steve // Feb 7, 2013 at 11:31 am
Lest I be casting aspersions on people, google is our friend: http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/tag/dan-winslow/
23 Richard Winger // Feb 7, 2013 at 12:10 pm
Dan Winslow was the lead ballot access attorney for Americans Elect. Ironically, Massachusetts ballot access is so bad, Massachusetts is one state in which Americans Elect never even tried to qualify (and it completed the work of qualifying in 38 states, although in 8 states it didn’t submit the petitions so it was only actually ballot-qualified in 30 states). Because Winslow understands how bad Massachusetts ballot access is, he has introduced two bills to improve the laws, which are currently pending.
24 johnO // Feb 7, 2013 at 9:12 pm
Jack E Robinson running as Indy. Three R’s running now Jon Fetherston, Doug Bennett and Winslow. Still NO Green Party candidate. Jack E Robinson is Ex-Republican.
25 Andy // Feb 7, 2013 at 10:10 pm
“Richard Winger // Feb 7, 2013 at 12:10 pm
Dan Winslow was the lead ballot access attorney for Americans Elect. Ironically, Massachusetts ballot access is so bad, Massachusetts is one state in which Americans Elect never even tried to qualify (and it completed the work of qualifying in 38 states, although in 8 states it didn’t submit the petitions so it was only actually ballot-qualified in 30 states).”
The main reason that Americans Elect did not qualify for the ballot in Massachusetts is because Americans Elect never came up with a candidate and they decided to drop out of the race. Massachusetts requires the name of the candidate to be printed on the petition. You can’t print the name of the candidate on the petition when you don’t have a candidate.
26 George Phillies // Feb 7, 2013 at 11:44 pm
@23 Completely wrong. To qualify as a Political Designation, Americans Elect needed 50 signatures on the qualifying form. To petition for President, they needed a candidate, which given their nominating structure was probably impossible.
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