From: dyfl@kbs.citri.edu.au (Daniel Lam)
Subject: LP or GOP?
Organization: Collaborative Information Technology Research Institute
Date: 27 Jan 93 04:04:59 GMT

In view of the discussion regarding LP vs. RLC, the following article
from the RLC's newsletter is interesting:

-

   	         It's Time for Direct LP-GOP Cooperation

			  by Eric Rittberg


Overall, the Libertarian Party experienced a disappointing election
year.  The LP's presidential vote total dropped from 435,000 votes in
1988, to 282,000.  Only a handful of LP members won election to
public office.  Of these, the most significant gains came in New
Hampshire where four Libertarians won election to the State
Legislature.

However, the four Libertarian legislators won election with cross
endorsements from the LP and a major party (three as
Republican-Libertarians, the other as a Democratic-Libertarian).  New
Hampshire, similar to New York, allows candidates to seek dual party
and even tri-party endorsements.

After each of the four won the LP nomination and secured their ballot
position under "Libertarian," they had their names submitted as
write-ins for the major party nominations.  Having won the
nominations unopposed, their names then appeared on the ballot in two
columns.  Each of the four received far more votes as major party
nominees than as Libertarians.

In Pennsylvania, prominent Libertarian and former LP congressional
candidate Don Ernsberger formally endorsed Republican Jim Greenwood
in his bid to unseat incumbent Congressman Peter Kostmayer.  In a
flyer handed out by Ernsberger and other LPers throughout the
district, Ernsberger wrote of Greenwood, "he knows how important the
votes of thousands of Bucks County voters who have voted Libertarian
in the past four years can be to him.  Jim Greenwood in the U.S.
House will result in far more votes in favor of free market, limited
government and individual liberty than we could ever expect from
Peter Kostmayer."  Greenwood won with 53 percent.

In the Georgia U.S. Senate race, Libertarian Party candidate Jim
Hudson received an enormous amount of publicity both in Georgia and
nationwide, after he endorsed Republican Paul Coverdell in the runoff
election.  Many political pundits regarded Hudson's endorsement of
the Republican as providing the crucial margin of victory over
incumbent Wyche Fowler.  Not only did Georgia Libertarians gain
publicity, but they gained an increased amount of credibility,
particularly among Georgia Republicans.

Despite the triumphs for LP-GOP cooperation in '92 there were some
damaging examples of LP-GOP non-cooperation.  In California, LP
candidate Fritz Ward remained on the ballot, although Ward had
expressed his support for Dick Rutan.  He received 5.3 percent.
Incumbent Congressman George Brown beat Rutan 51 percent to 44
percent.  Rutan might have been able to pull it off with Libertarian
support.  Also in California, LPer Jack Dean ran against
libertarian-leaning Ed Royce for Congress.  Although Royce prevailed
with 57 percent, Dean polled 4.5 percent -- most of which could be
viewed as coming from the Royce column.

But the biggest absurdity came in new Jersey where the Libertarian
Party actually fielded a candidate against Dick Zimmer, Congress'
most libertarian member.  Why would a Zimmer or a Royce feel any
obligations to libertarians in Congress, when the Libertarians in
their districts actively opposed their candidacies?!

The message from the '92 elections for Libertarians is crystal
clear.  The party had its greatest electoral success and is most
influential when it works with a major party -- in most cases the
Republicans.  The experiments with LP-GOP cooperation worked, while
the examples of non-cooperation were counterproductive.

The party might want to take a cue from the Conservative and Liberal
parties of New York State.  The LP could make endorsements in future
elections and support candidates in GOP primaries.  If a
libertarian-Republican were to triumph in the primaries, then the LP
might want to avoid running an opposition candidate in the general
election and instead make an official endorsement of the Republican.

This strategy could even work in the '96 presidential race.

Libertarians in and out of the Libertarian Party have the same
ultimate goals and should be working together to achieve them.  To do
this, the LP should continue along the path it took in the '92
elections -- cooperating and assisting the Republican Party.

--
	Daniel Lam			Phone 	+61 3 2822426
	Melbourne, Australia		Fax   	+61 3 2822490

In my opinion, the opinions expressed here are my personal opinions.
Newsgroups: alt.politics.libertarian