Carla Howell spent most of her time trying to get Question 1 passed. She knew she didn't have a good shot at winning the election so she worked on ending income tax in Taxachussets which is an even greater accomplishment in my book. And she very nearly did it despite having limited funds for radio ads, newspaper ads, etc. and the Globe and other newspapers coming out against her.

At the very least she ensured that there will be no tax increase in Taxachussets by the new governor or other people in office this term.

Slang: You're correct, gun registration and rectriction laws are both unconstitutional and cost a lot in terms of lives.

OK, thanks Radar. Counting you , I think the total number of people here that DONT think I'm delusional is at.....what, 4?

We are not growing in membership. Put down the glass.

Slang, you're mostly sane at least on health care and guns, also any paranoia about Homeland Security is completely justified .

Oh please god no, no gun control debate.

The Libertarian party is not only growing but growing faster than any other party. I should know, my efforts are responsible for 1% - 2% of the newly registered Libertarians in the state with the most Libertarians. I've done youth outreach stuff at raves, political rallies, etc. with a team of other guys.

I'm the membership chair in my region which happens to be one of the most active regions in America.

The LP is dead, dead, dead. The ideals it stands for have a small and dwindling contituency in the US, and the LP itself hit its high point in 1972. The two-party system in the United States is far too stable and entrenched to be budged using methods available within the system. And it is set up so most outside influences strengthen it as well.

The LP is alive and well. In fact we've got the most members and registered voters we've ever had and more elected members than all other third parties combined.

There's NOTHING stable about the two major parties. In fact they are bringing instability and even destruction to America and perhaps the world.

More and more members are leaving the two major parties as they become disenchanted and realize there's virtually no difference between the two parties.

http://cellar.org/2002/membership-hist.gif

There's your "most members and registered voters we've ever had" LP historical membership statistics, dude.

I can be such a dick when I know I'm right.

Oh, and if the Cloud/Howell campaign spun their sub-20,000 vote total as "oh, we were busy on the TAX question" --

-- then why didn't the "Howell for Senate" full-page ads in the LP News direct people to fund a committee for the question, instead of her campaign?

Firstly, getting 45% on a yes/no question where the "no" means "less taxes" is not something I would seek to take credit for. Unless of course I was seeking it amongst a group that was terribly ignorant about politics...

Secondly, if she did so much for the benefit of the question, would not some of the millions of votes cast as NO lead to coat-tails for her? No, her vote total was tiny.

Sorry to bust yer balls. Someday you'll thank me for it.

Wow, an unlabeled chart from an unknown source. Gosh I'm convinced! Convinced you're talking out of your ass.

I have a feeling you don't have to be right to be a dick.

Because the 3 full page ads in the Boston globe explained what Question 1 was and how they should vote on the issue. The LP News ad was to get donations and volunteers for her campaign which is less likely in a Boston globe ad.

Getting 45% to remove an entrenched state tax despite millions upon millions being spent to scare people into thinking the state would collapse without it and while having a meager budget is something to be very proud of.

Because Taxachussets isn't a strong state for Republicans and since it was the first election after the highly questionable elections in 2000 voter turnout was extremely low and polarized on the two major parties.

I don't mean to burst your bubble chief but you don't seem to know as much about the LP as you think.

The source isn't unknown...it's from UT. He's actually capable of charting numbers.

Are you challenging his LP membership numbers? Where are yours?

Should we be impressed?

Tonight I'm gonna start the Aloysius Party. We currently have one member, me.

I bet by tomorrow, I could have a 300% increase in membership. Then <I>I'd</I> be responsible for the fastest-growing party in America!

He's got point there, Shepps. :)

Maybe it's time to change your User Text.. "Sometimes wrong" is getting old; "Such a dick" has a much better ring to it!

Radar ... Just remember, Toad DID warn you.

(Sits back, makes popcorn, and prepares to enjoy the fun...)

People have been saying that for decades. The system will never change. You'll never get enough people to agree that the two parties are so bad that we need a third.

I consider myself more libertarian (lowercase) than conservative, but I'd only vote Libertarian as a protest vote if the Republican was an idiot.

Even if I thought the Libertarian would do better, I'd still vote Republican, for two reasons:
<OL><LI>I want my vote to count. I know the Libertarian couldn't win, so I won't vote for him. You may disagree with that logic, but that's the way most people who actually vote think.</LI>
<LI>The Ralph Nader effect. In 2000, a vote for Nader was a vote for Bush. Bush is president because of Nader (and Elian Gonzalez, for that matter). Maybe if we had a ranking system instead of voting for one only, the LP would have a snowball's chance in hell. But <I>that</I> will never happen, because the two parties wouldn't want it. It's a vicious cycle, man.
</OL>