I think I just read one of the smartest approaches to the Reformer/Radical divide yet. Yeah, Paulie’s a contributor here but that’s not why I’m giving him props. Just read this shit for yourself, cowboy:
The best solution to Republitarians and warmongers in the LP is to out-recruit them. Rather than dropping out of the party, what we should do is engage in tons of activism, outreach and party growth and sign up new members, activists and supporters.
Here are two things that will help
1) Nominate a LP presidential candidate who is not a Republitarian and who appeals to the left-libertarian border. We’ve never done this, yet we can in 2008 – Steve Kubby is running for President. The campaign is in its very early stages, yet he has already spoken to a crowd of 50,000 at a time (how many libertarian candidates have ever done that) and been featured alongside non-libertarian candidates in a “viral video” which has been viewed by tens of thousands, mostly outside the party and movement.
I’m the assistant national volunteer coordinator and we are seeking volunteers in every state.
Even moderate “reform” libertarians, like Chuck Moulton, who I talked to yesterday acknowledge that Kubby is the leading candidate for the LP nomination of those who have so far announced their intent to seek it. Kubby will be on Angela’s show on the 25th – Angela, if you area reading, how can we listen live?
2) We need to hand out massive amounts of info at antiwar rallies about how taxes fund the war machine. This should also be a part of our tax day protests at the post office. Non-LP libertarians can adopt these ideas to whatever organizations they want to promote, or to leaderless resistance.
We need to have an intra-party dialogue about the relationship between radicalism and reform, but ultimately, both sides want the Party to succeed in its goals. And so if the Radical Caucus brings in a ton of people and kicks our asses… well, wonderful! They just brought in a ton of people and helped the party. And if it’s the other way around, well, same thing. I think, though, that it will be competition like this that ultimately does the best for the party, not either side’s ideas in a vacuum.