Only 16 days to go until Election Day, and what an election season it has been! I’ve been a Libertarian Party activist since 1979 and have never seen the kind of attention and support that our presidential candidate, Gov. Gary Johnson, has gotten. Sadly, Gary was denied a place in the presidential debates, but given how the debates are run by Democratic and Republican Party insiders, did anyone really expect him to be let in?
Donald Trump is not the “anti-establishment” candidate—that title belongs to Libertarian Party candidates. Trump may have tried to shake up the establishment with bizarre and dangerous rants, but the sensible Libertarian program of economic freedom, personal freedom, and a non-interventionist foreign policy is what would really shake the establishment to its core.
Millennials age 18 to 34 get it. They’re Gary’s strongest support group. Active-duty military personnel get it. More of them are giving Gary their votes and contributions than they are Trump or Clinton. And of course Libertarians know that voting for the lesser of two evils has led to the moribund mega-government we’re now saddled with – and to the nomination of two of the worst major presidential candidates in history.
I’m proud to support Gary Johnson without guilt or reservations. Without my reason being that “the other guy is way worse.” And, for Californians who worry that an unbalanced narcissist could be hovering over the nuclear button, remember that Hillary Clinton will likely carry California by 20 points or more and win our 55 electoral votes. So, a vote for Gary Johnson is just that–not a “spoiler” vote. Voting Libertarian will show the pundits that a lot of Californians back the sane, decent, honest candidate.
We had an enthusiastic response for volunteers to be presidential electors for the Johnson/Weld ticket. We have 55 electors and 7 alternates ready to go to at a moment’s notice to Sacramento and vote for Johnson and Weld if lightning strikes and Gary wins California’s popular vote on November 8.
Of course it takes money to garner Libertarian votes. Please go to the Johnson/Weld web site and make your most generous contribution:
http://www.johnsonweld.com
In other news, The Libertarian Party of California has taken positions on the 17 ballot propositions on the November ballot:
I think you could have predicted most of our positions, given how the party is against bonds, taxes, and regulations of all types. But there has been some controversy about the party’s opposition to Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. As you know, the Libertarian Party has been the foremost advocate for ending the War on Drugs for 45 years, and the general public has finally started agreeing with us over the last decade.
So why oppose Prop. 64, as a unanimous state executive committee voted to do? There are passionate advocates on both sides of the issue, and a lot of “for” people have told us that we either misunderstand the proposal or are too “pure” and are letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. I won’t fault anyone for saying Yes on 64. There are some very good parts, like personal use will be legalized and those convicted of pot offenses can petition to have their records cleared. But overall, this measure was written by and financed by people who really don’t favor legal pot all that much, but knew the time has come, and wanted to make sure to impose a really rigorous 62 page regulatory scheme on the marijuana industry. There are also a few new crimes created that result in jail time. Please read Prop. 64 carefully before making your decision.
Membership is growing in both the national and state LP, and I welcome any new members who are reading this. For those whose membership has lapsed, please renew at:
Finally, The State Executive Committee will hold its next meeting on Saturday, November 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mudrakers Café, 2801 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705. The public is invited. This is the first ExCom meeting in the Bay Area in recent memory. We’ll be planning for the post-election season.