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Public or Stealth?

Started by Bruehound, April 12, 2006, 02:27 PM NHFT

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Bruehound

For the purposes of anonymity, I?ll present my question hypothetically.

Let?s just say that I know a guy who ran as an LP candidate for State Rep in Illinois in 2004 and he waged a very aggressive campaign which raised $32K . He earned just under 9% of the vote in a 3-way contest in Chicago?s Northwest Suburbs. Last month, he ran on the same issue set in the Republican primary and came up just 550 votes short of defeating an 8 year entrenched tax and spend, nanny-state republican incumbent. This time his campaign spent 80K but the moral victory was that in dozens of media stories about the race he was tagged every single time as a ?libertarian turned republican? and republican voters nearly elected him anyway.

My question is: If he and his beautiful wife were to move to NH, would it be better to do so stealthily to strengthen viability of a potential future candidacy or should he make a very public pronouncement with fanfare to try and add momentum to FSP recruiting? Would association with the FSP bring with it "carpetbagger" demagogery?

JonM

Well, you must live in NH for two years before you can run for state rep.  I would hope he would not distance himself from the existing free staters during that time just to keep under cover.  The more the Free State movement takes hold, the less of a "baggage" it will be.  As it stands, it's only baggage if you let it be.  If someone asks, answer honestly, but you don't have to broadcast it if you don't want to make a big deal about being a free stater.

president

Quote from: Jon Maltz on April 12, 2006, 02:35 PM NHFT
If someone asks, answer honestly, but you don't have to broadcast it if you don't want to make a big deal about being a free stater.
You don't have to broadcast it, cus I will do it for you  :P

Dreepa

Besides Grafton  >:D.. I don't see there being too much baggage.

JonM

Quote from: dead president on April 12, 2006, 03:02 PM NHFT
Quote from: Jon Maltz on April 12, 2006, 02:35 PM NHFT
If someone asks, answer honestly, but you don't have to broadcast it if you don't want to make a big deal about being a free stater.
You don't have to broadcast it, cus I will do it for you  :P

Just spell my name right.

cathleeninnh

I think that it is important to create relationships and not antagonize any of the differing groups like anarchists, FSP, Republicans, Libertarians, and those few others who join in our efforts to increase liberty. Some people seem to "know" the only way to succeed and it creates damaging rifts.

Cathleen

Tunga

Stealth has many plausible alternatives. Fanfare leaves only one direction in which to go.


aries

You're best learning how your town usually votes, and running as a democrat or republican, but an outspoken pro-liberty one, if you do.

mvpel

#8
I seem to recall reading that fewer than half of New Hampshire residents were actually born here, and many moved here decades ago for exactly the same reasons laid out by the FSP.  Or, if they were born here, they stayed here or moved back for just those reasons.

There's not usually any need to be defensive about one's status as a Free Stater, once you truly know and understand these facts.

If you come in and become a good neighbor, and a good citizen, that's really the key, not the particulars of when and why you joined us here in the state.

FTL_Ian

Quote from: mvpel on April 12, 2006, 08:41 PM NHFT
If you come in and become a good neighbor, and a good citizen, that's really the key, not the particulars of when and why you joined us here in the state.

Being a good neighbor, I agree with 100%.

Being a good citizen?  I can't figure out why anyone would want to be a citizen.  Can someone explain it?

mvpel

Now, be polite.  We minarchists are polite to the anarchists, and don't feign ignorance of the arguments and principles, we'd appreciate the same courtesy.

Russell Kanning

Isn't this Ian being polite?
I think he can get much worse. :)

Russell Kanning

I, for one, cannot be a good neighbor and a good say .... US citizen. The US is torturing and killing people. I cannot be a part of that.

Dreepa

I think that the word citizen is maybe being used as 'neighbor' in that sense.  Maybe a citizen of the town.  I think that Russell is a good citizen of his town. There are less pot holes in Keene now.

jgmaynard

My thought would be to play it up outside of NH, through libertarian channels if he has a name (to increase the # of people who will tip ove rthe edge and join/move), but for him to play that quietly amongst his neighbors once he gets here (but don't hide it either). Then, he should spend the 2 required years before he could run getting to know his neighbors, volunteering, etc., then he stands a good chance of getting in.

JM