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Document:Editorial 1973 A History of the Libertarian Party: Difference between revisions
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Document:Editorial 1973 A History of the Libertarian Party (view source)
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The Convention was attended by about 100 members who nominated Dr. [[John Hospers]], Director of the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, as their Presidential candidate and Ms. [[Tonie Nathan]], a broadcast journalist from Eugene, Oregon as their Vice Presidential candidate. Ms. Nathan was destined to become the first and only woman in American history to receive an Electoral Vote. Oklahoma was one of ten official state delegations at the Convention. Oklahoma libertarian [[D. Frank Robinson]] was Chairman of the Constitution/By-Laws Committee and was elected one of four at-large members of the party's national executive committee. | The Convention was attended by about 100 members who nominated Dr. [[John Hospers]], Director of the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, as their Presidential candidate and Ms. [[Tonie Nathan]], a broadcast journalist from Eugene, Oregon as their Vice Presidential candidate. Ms. Nathan was destined to become the first and only woman in American history to receive an Electoral Vote. Oklahoma was one of ten official state delegations at the Convention. Oklahoma libertarian [[D. Frank Robinson]] was Chairman of the Constitution/By-Laws Committee and was elected one of four at-large members of the party's national executive committee. | ||
By virtue of its late start, the LP was able to get on the ballot in only two states (Washington and Colorado) in 1972. Nevertheless, Hospers and Nathan criss-crossed the country in their four month campaign. Dr. Hospers visited Oklahoma City and Tulsa in September of 1972 | By virtue of its late start, the LP was able to get on the ballot in only two states (Washington and Colorado) in 1972. Nevertheless, [[Hospers and Nathan Presidential Campaign 1972|Hospers and Nathan]] criss-crossed the country in their four month campaign. [[John Hospers|Dr. Hospers]] visited Oklahoma City and Tulsa in September of 1972. | ||
The climax of the '72 campaign came six weeks after Election Day on December 18 when Roger Lea MacBride, a Nixon | By Election Day, the Libertarian Party had grown to nearly 2,000 members; in the two states where [[Hospers and Nathan Presidential Campaign 1972|Hospers and Nathan]] were on the ballot, they received more votes than the Communist and Socialist Workers parties combined. | ||
The climax of the '72 campaign came six weeks after Election Day on December 18 when [[Roger Lea MacBride]], a Nixon Elector from Charlottesville, Virginia, announced that he was putting "principle before party" and casting his Electoral College vote for [[Hospers and Nathan Presidential Campaign 1972|Hospers and Nathan]]. [[Roger MacBride|MacBride]], a life-long Republican, believed the GOP had "lost its way". In a syndicated interview with Washington Post columnist Nicholas von Hoffman, [[Roger MacBride|MacBride]] said he was indicating his dismay with the fact Nixon was "moving the government towards ever greater control over the lives of us all." | |||
Since the '72 elections the LP has grown to over 3,000 dues-paying members around the country. There are party organization formed or forming in 32 states. Membership is expected to reach 6,000 by years end double again to at least 12,000 by January 1976. | Since the '72 elections the LP has grown to over 3,000 dues-paying members around the country. There are party organization formed or forming in 32 states. Membership is expected to reach 6,000 by years end double again to at least 12,000 by January 1976. | ||
The Libertarian Party of Oklahoma began in April of 1972 when former state chairman D. Frank Robinson and two other Oklahoma libertarians traveled to Denver to confer with national party leaders. Robinson, a former Oklahoma County Republican Party official, was soon joined by several dozen other people across the state. A state convention was held in August of 1972 in Oklahoma City. The LPO was successful in bringing Presidential candidate Hospers to Oklahoma that fall even though it was legally impossible to place Hospers' name on the Ballot in Oklahoma in 1972. The LPO has vowed to gain a place on the ballot for 1976, if not in 1974. | The Libertarian Party of Oklahoma began in April of 1972 when former state chairman [[D. Frank Robinson]] and two other Oklahoma libertarians traveled to Denver to confer with national party leaders. [[D Frank Robinson|Robinson]], a former Oklahoma County Republican Party official, was soon joined by several dozen other people across the state. A [[Oklahoma Convention 1972|state convention was held in August of 1972 in Oklahoma City]]. The LPO was successful in bringing Presidential candidate [[John Hospers|Hospers]] to Oklahoma that fall even though it was legally impossible to place [[John Hospers|Hospers]]' name on the Ballot in Oklahoma in 1972. The LPO has vowed to gain a place on the ballot for 1976, if not in 1974. | ||
There are currently six minority parties in the United States who seem to merit some national attention, and whose vote-getting potential can be considered significant. These are the American, Peoples, Libertarian, Socialist Workers, Social Labor and Communist parties. | There are currently six minority parties in the United States who seem to merit some national attention, and whose vote-getting potential can be considered significant. These are the American, Peoples, Libertarian, Socialist Workers, Social Labor and Communist parties. | ||
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The LP expects to run a strong third party race by the 1980 Presidential election and win some Congressional seats by then as well as some state offices. To gather the support enabling them to do this the LP believes it will be necessary to strike down discriminatory ballot laws which make it virtually impossible for the American voter to elect any candidate other than what the two major parties offer them. Recent studies have shown an increase in independent voters and some political scientists not libertarian have claimed that the two major parties are splitting up. Many observers agree that a major political realignment is taking place or could take place within the next 6 years. | The LP expects to run a strong third party race by the 1980 Presidential election and win some Congressional seats by then as well as some state offices. To gather the support enabling them to do this the LP believes it will be necessary to strike down discriminatory ballot laws which make it virtually impossible for the American voter to elect any candidate other than what the two major parties offer them. Recent studies have shown an increase in independent voters and some political scientists not libertarian have claimed that the two major parties are splitting up. Many observers agree that a major political realignment is taking place or could take place within the next 6 years. | ||
The general public seems very concerned with economic issues like inflation at the present, but a strong concern with protecting civil liberties from infringment by Big Government also exists. The Libertarian political philosophy is very strong on these issues. While the Libertarian Party position on civil liberties issues are widely, if not generally accepted, the Party's stand | The general public seems very concerned with economic issues like inflation at the present, but a strong concern with protecting civil liberties from infringment by Big Government also exists. The Libertarian political philosophy is very strong on these issues. While the Libertarian Party position on civil liberties issues are widely, if not generally accepted, the Party's stand on economic policy is at odds with policies "espoused" by the two major parties. Libertarians often stress economic freedom as co-equal with, and indispensable to, the exercise of individual civil liberties. | ||
The LP presently draws most of its support form middle-class workers (skilled labors, technical, clerical, lower to middle management) and professonal class people in the 20 to | The LP presently draws most of its support form middle-class workers (skilled labors, technical, clerical, lower to middle management) and professonal class people in the 20 to | ||