Jun 12, 2010

AR: Libertarian Party Chair Sets Out Organizing Goals

From Rodger Paxton of the Arkansas Libertarian Party:
The most important thing for me at this moment is achieving ballot access in 2012. I think that taking care of the petitioning in 2011 will give us plenty of time to secure candidates and get our message spread far and wide . . . Without membership, we are not a party. Without membership, we can’t go anywhere. Without membership, we are dead. Our membership MUST grow. . . . As with membership, without money, we can’t do anything. We can’t achieve ballot access. We can’t support candidates. We can’t make a difference. We are not here to be a debate club. We are here to bring True Liberty to the People of Arkansas, and as chair, it is my duty to do that.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Without membership, we can’t go anywhere. Without membership, we are dead. Our membership MUST grow."
I don't know Roger Paxton, but that statement right there shows he fully understands what it takes to achieve the ARLP’s goals. If you look at the data on Arkansas Republican Party and what they have failed to do, one can see Arkansas is ripe for one or more third parties to reach major party status. The Green Party did it four years ago and is attempting to do it again. The state GOP has failed to reach out to tea-party members and embrace them. Sure there are members of the tea-party that are pushing the GOP agenda. But they were always members of the GOP.

In a time when the country and state is swinging to a more conservative small government, the ARGOP has failed to once again reach out to the disenfranchised and galvanize them. Some of these self-appointed leaders of the tea parties do nothing but foam at the mouth and turn people away. These pseudo tea-party people are the ones which give the tea-party movement a bad name. One day it is TARP is bad, get rid of the RINO’s then the day after the primaries after none of their chosen candidates won, it becomes, TARP was a good thing, and we must unite and push the republican agenda. Meanwhile the mainstream GOP is happy with a party chairman who is best a joke, a caricature from the 1950’s and at worst someone who has questionable integrity and morals. Look up Doyle Webb on Google and look for bankruptcy and sanctions, will, lawyer; and you make your own opinion.

The Republican party of Arkansas is a dead political party walking. They barely exist in Arkansas and almost lost their major party status when they couldn’t find anyone to run for governor until a few weeks before the registration deadline. The didn’t run anyone against Mark Pryor last election, no one for Attorney General this year and there have been seats throughout the state that democrats have run unopposed for more than a generation. Even today, with a conservative independent candidate who is running for US Senate and holds true to Reagan’s principles will not join them. Trevor Drown recently said, “ Because of the lack of leadership and integrity, the Republican Party of Arkansas has not earned my respect and has no right to expect me to run under their party or platform.” Keep in mind this is a former Green Beret and Afghan Combat Vet who the republican’s of Arkansas tried to recruit and he walked away from them. Now he has them worried because only 3% of the registered voters consider themselves Republicans and they have failed the conservative voice. So the attack squads on the right have started.


I think the ARLP has a great opportunity over the next 24 months in Arkansas to set a standard, gather their forces and become a party t be reckoned with. The question remains what will be their focus? Will the legalization of pot be their primary focus, or will the push for the more popular and less fringe concept of small government and fiscal responsibility? It is out there all someone has to do is make that message their own and the people will come.