He wants to be a player, a giant killer, the smart bomb of 1994. The goal is to change the direction of the Republican Party, which currently feels that it has to run quasi-Democrats for office. Unlike past Libertarian candidates, he won't be talking much about the party platform or be drawn into prolonged debates over his belief that drugs and prostitution should be legalized. I believe in the ideology, I think it's right - but it will not be the emphasis of my campaign. My emphasis and my literature and my outreach and my press releases are all going to be predicated around taxes, spending, litigation, business climate and unemployment - the fiscal matters Pete Wilson will try to avoid.
Rider intends to show that Libertarian candidates can influence the outcome of statewide races.
In the three elections since the party gained ballot status in California in 1979, its gubernatorial nominees have averaged less than 1 percent of the vote. The Libertarian high-water mark was 1.9 percent in 1990, the year Wilson was elected. The candidate was another San Diegan, the late Dennis Thompson. But, I am very skeptical of the ability of third-party candidates to make significant inroads. On the other hand, we have an angry electorate.