Talk Is Cheap...Let's Go Play![]
Delivered to the California Libertarian Party Convention by Chuck Muth, President, Citizen Outreach, February 19, 2005.
Let me begin my remarks by predicting that in the next two years, Republicans are going to blow it.
When Ronald Reagan was in the White House, we were told government couldn't be restrained because Democrats controlled Congress.
When Republicans gained control of both Houses of Congress in 1994, we were told nothing could be done because the Democrats controlled the White House
When in 2000 Republicans gained control of the White House AND the Congress, we were told that President Bush's victory over Al Gore, as well as the GOP majorities in the House and Senate, were too slim.
And then Republicans lost control of the Senate when "Jumping" Jim Jeffords switched parties.
But after last November's elections, Republicans not only control the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, they now control Congress with SIGNIFICANT majorities. So the question conservatives are rightly asking today is, "If not now, when?"
Well, now IS the time. There are no more excuses for Republicans. There is no more tomorrow. It's time to put up or shut up.
If the GOP doesn't deliver...and I seriously doubt, based on past experience, that they will...many limited-government Republicans will be seriously looking for an alternative to the GOP in 2006. And this will present a tremendous and historical window of political opportunity for the Libertarian Party. That's what I want to talk to you about today.
But first, let me address directly some objections which were raised about my being here today. Some folks have accused me of being nothing more than a partisan Republican shill who is going to try to persuade you to leave the Libertarian Party and join the GOP.
Well, those people obviously aren't subscribers to my daily online newsletter.
The fact is, I regularly skewer Republicans, often with reckless abandon, for their inconsistency or outright failure to uphold constitutional, limited- government principles. I guarantee you I am NOT on the White House Christmas party list.
That being said, it's also true that I've been EXTREMELY critical of the Libertarian Party over the years. Not so much the libertarian philosophy, but some of your party's political actions.
I am a "small l" libertarian. I want limited-government candidates to get elected to office. I couldn't care less if they're Republican or Libertarian. In fact, I've conducted candidate training programs all across the country for almost ten years now and they have ALWAYS been open to Libertarian Party candidates. I've trained hundreds of Libertarian Party candidates and it wouldn't surprise me if a few are here with us today.
I'll also point out that when I was a GOP consultant in Nevada back in 1998, I negotiated an arrangement for the GOP not to field a candidate in a particular state assembly race in order to give the Libertarian Party candidate a clear shot at the Democrat incumbent.
James Dan and his campaign manager, Chris Azarro, both attended my Campaign War College that year, despite objections by many Republicans. They ran an extremely credible, grassroots campaign and came within a whisker of winning. No one was more disappointed that James came up short. And had he won, no one would have been happier.
In fact, I think every state legislature should be REQUIRED to have at least one Libertarian Party member to serve as a reminder to the Republicans how they're SUPPOSED to vote.