From: bam@bnlux1.bnl.gov (Bruce A. Martin)
Subject: Re: Libertarian Elector History
Keywords: McBride ...
Organization: (none)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 22:24:24 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.150256.17407@inel.gov> whg@INEL.GOV (William H. Gray) writes:
>In article <1992Sep10.174152.28736@esd.dl.nec.com>, mlee@esd.dl.nec.com (Michael Lee) writes:
>|> ...
>|> The maverick elector was Roger McBride, ...
>
>More arcana-- Mr McBride is a direct descendant of Laura Ingalls Wilder (author of
>the "Little House" series).

Sorry to quibble, but-
Roger MacBride was not a "direct descendent" but an "intellectually adopted" 
one.  (My term, but I'm trying to be brief here.)  I think it was her daughter 
(granddaughter?) who took Roger "under her wing", but there was no blood or 
legal relation.

Later, he produced the television series based on her books.

>On the subject of Tonie Nathan,  who as Mr Lee correctly points out was the first
>woman to receive an electoral vote:  arguably the Libertarians had their ticket
>backwards then and have it backwards now.  As I recall Tonie Nathan was the more
>qualified of the two.  

Here, I must disagree strongly.
Tonie Nathan was and is a wonderful person (despite the fact that she is a
journalist. ;-)  She is intellegent, sincere, and effective and probably would
have made a good President.  (Certainly a better one than Nixon or McGovern.)
However, Professor John Hospers is at least as knowledgeable about the workings
of government, and he is unquestionably one of the most knowledgeable advocates
of libertarianism -- since he is, to some extent, one of the principal developers 
of that philosophy!  

Let's not argue.  They were both well suited, and all libertarians owe both
an enormous debt of gratitude.  I won't even point bother to point out that
either one is far better qualified than Bushlips, SlickWillie, Alfred E. Neuman,
or the ecoterrorist; so is Mickey Mouse.

>Presently,  Dr (JD, MD,  take your pick) Lord may be the
>most qualified candidate running for anything (if you don't count incumbency as
>a qualification).

I'm not going to fall into the trap of knocking Andre (who has become a very 
effective campaigner, and who was an MIT graduate and a sucessful engineering
manager in earlier years).  Yes, I agree Nancy Lord is terrific!  She campaigned 
here on Long Island and was VERY IMPRESSIVE.  (I posted a short article about her
visit on "alt.politics.marrou"; I'd be glad to email or repost it on request.)

Without taking anything away from the pioneers like Hospers, Nathan, MacBride,
etc. nor from those who "pushed the envelope", like Ed Clark, it is good to
see that we are coming into the age of the professional.  No, not the 
professional politician, but the candidates who have the skills to wage
a serious campaign and run a professional operation, like Ron Paul,
Andre Marrou, and certainly Nancy Lord.  This kind of determination,
experience, and professional competence is needed to take the LP 
into the next phase of becoming a serious major party.  It is one
of the few encouraging things about the American political landscape.

bam@bnl.gov (Bruce A. Martin)         BAM    [My opinions belong to me only,
Master of the Tripods of Hephaestus.  ~~~    and they represent no one else.]
# include discaimers.h+copyright.h    ~o~  Repeal the Sixteenth Amendment now!
# delete BUSHLIPS&&SlickWillie        /|\  Marrou/Lord in '92.  (800) 682-1776
Newsgroups: alt.politics.marrou