RR> 95% of the public doesn't even know about the libertarian party, let 
 RR> alone Harry Brown. When was the last time he was on 
 RR> the network news? CNN? When you say "other" to the 
 RR> general public they think Perot and no one gives him a 
 RR> chance to do anything except dump on the Republicans.
That's Harry Browne.  ;-/  At least CSPAN gave the LP and Harry over 30 hours 
of coverage so far this season.  
 RR> Remember, both candidates have essentially told the 
 RR> 3,000,000 members of NRA and GOA to go moisten a rope. 
Even Clinton admitted the NRA likely influenced 20-30 million voters.  
Over in Paul Revere Net, I suggested that we try to push the NRA to endorse 
Browne rather than Dole.  It seems the consensus that the NRA is also too 
mainstream compromise driven to take such a stand.  
Neil Schulman suggested what sounds like a good tactic.  Let the NRA endorse 
who they wish, but push them to use their muscle to keep the networks' stooge 
debate commission honest, unlike 4 years ago.  They've changed their 
announced rules to now only qualify for debates candidates who receive, 
rather than qualify for, matching funds.  That appears to be an obvious 
deception to shaft Harry, as opposed to simply violating the announced rules 
with Marrou.  Getting Harry before the debate audience would place him in a 
position to likely draw the votes to requalify the LP next elections with a 
lot less wasted legwork, leaving $$$ and staff time to focus in more useful 
ways.  
(For anyone who doesn't know, the networks don't host debates because they're 
subject to "equal time" mandates.  They used to cover debates hosted by the 
League of Woman Voters as "news", exempt from equal time provisions.  The 
League wouldn't modify its format as "suggested" to supposedly increase 
commercial revenue potential of debates, and so the networks fronted their 
own dummy commission to run "newsworthy events" so that they could create the 
commercial entertainment format they wanted, and not obey the laws otherwise 
applicable.)  
Think we can pressure the NRA to exert itself to help get Harry treated 
fairly?  
 RR> In 1992, a year when everyone was fed up with the way things are, the 
 RR> Libertarian candidate didn't even manage to get a half 
 RR> million votes nation-wide. 300,000, if I recall. Even 
That was the first LP candidate who qualified nationally, was it not?  Marrou 
seemed like a bright guy, but as a Chemical Engineer from Alaska, his public 
speaking skills and persona weren't refined as a public figure.  Browne looks 
good on camera, as has a quick wit while speaking.  
 RR> The time to have done something positive was during 
 RR> the primaries. Now the best we can hope for is to get 
 RR> or keep pro-2nd people in congress and work to fill it 
 RR> with more libertarian-oriented people in the future.
Are you suggesting libertarians become Republicans as opposed to 
Libertarians?  
 RR> You might have a shot a getting a Libertarian candidate into a house 
 RR> seat but you are never going to jump from "the what 
 RR> party?" to the white house.
Most of the real power is in Congress, which many people don't consider.  
It's too complicated for simple minds to consider the dynamics of hundreds of 
people there.  The President is a high profile position, and so using that 
office to make the LP more visible, plus work to qualify candidates for other 
offices without the burdens of petitioning, is of substantial secondary 
value.  
 RR> When the dust clears this fall there will be either a 
 RR> socialist disarmer or a wishy-washy poll-watcher 
 RR> heading for Pennsylvania Avenue. The best we can hope 
 RR> for is to give them a congress that will dare to say, "No!"
Better to say "No" to bad Bills than fund a bogus perpetual "war" on 
arbitrarily selected drugs designed to create political prisoners and empoyer 
politicians with a costly never ending challenge.  
The Tax Code is still the central issue to most Rights debates.  Cut out the 
IRS, and enough other things, like BATF, political prisoners, assaults on 
non-mainstream religions, etc. would be cut way back for lack of funds if 
nothing else.  
Terry
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