The Liberty Pledge News December 1988 Dear Pledgers, Hi - Sharon Freeman here. Remember me? I worked at the national office in Houston from November '85 until December '87, and was involved in the production of 19 issues of Liberty Pledge News before leaving the staff and focusing on my responsibilities as an At-Large member of the National Committee. I've recently relocated to DC, and now my top priority is to get the Pledge back on schedule ASAP. As a member of the INC Finance Committee, I'm not interested in just the newsletter, but the Pledge program as a whole. If you have any advice, comments, complaints, and/or suggestions, please contact me care of the national office. Enough of that for now. I want to talk about this Pledge issue. The LP was mentioned in over 1200 newspaper articles in the month of November, and several themes emerged: 1) The Democratic and Republican parties have very little to offer the voters. (We already knew that, but the papers treat it like news.) 2) The media (who own the News Election Service) are involved in the falsfication not only of the election process, but the results as well; their role is denounced even by their own editors. 3) Ballot access laws have to be changed before we can seriously 00!,!Jndnt. p,,2-c.ies on the national 4) Meanwhile, we can continue to make real inroads on the local level. If the rest of the headlines and articles in this month's Pledge make you as mad as they did me, remember, your continued support of the Pledge program allows us to: * start planning now for '90 and '92 (when we may face a Republican incumbent saddled with an economic crisis and a Democratic party irreconcilably split); * set aside funds for a professional media campaign and the ongoing court/petition battle for ballot access. In financial news, figures show that in '88 the LP spent only 20% of the money brought in bringing it in - which works out to a savings of $20,000 over projected usable income in '88. Accounts payable were down to $4000 as of December 3, and we could be completely out of debt before the New Year. On that note, I'll close and wish you all: Happy holidays. The Liberty Pledge News is produced monthly for members of the National Libertarian Party's Pledge Program, Independ- ence '88 and the Torch Club. It is also distributed to State Party Chairs and National Committee members in appreciation of their contributions and to make availible information on Headquarters activities and Libertarians in the news. Clippings and other items of interest are greatly appreciated. Libertarian Party Headquarters * 1528 Pennsylvania Ave., SE * Washington, DC 20003 Can we be of help? Want to raise your pledge? Call 1-800-682-1776. s .)tin Jose Mercury News 14A Saturday. enereinocr ICAMPAIGN : 174 Liberty Pledge News November 1988 Ballot includes surprises For Libertarian, recognition is elusive Libertarian, New Alliance parties By Thomas-Farragner man from Texas who. is spending $3 mil- Paul, a physician from Lake Jackson, mantle Social Security and legalize drugs Mercury News Staff Writer lion in a campaign_dependent largely on _Texas, said he expects Vice -President — has become the political home' to "hip-_ Edward Winn as president with pies" and businessmen, and erstwhile fol- By ROY WOOD The final indignity comes Tuesday night the free microphones of radio talk shows George Bush to be elented Tuesday by a Bristol Press Barry Porster as vice president. Ballots: — via satellite. from Bangor to Bremerton. comfortable margin — an achievement lowers of two preachers, liberal Democrat . Larry Holmes as president with Not only is he about to be.drubbed at the The National Election Service, which that, Paul said, will be just deserts for his Jesse Jackson and conservative Republi- Voters may not recognize some Gloria LaRiva as vice president. polls, but Libertarian Party presidential compiles election returns for the TV net- fellow Texan. can Pat Robertson. of the political parties on this . To become registered as "People should be left alone," said Paul, Who's candidate Ron Paul is going to be snubbed works and newspaper wire services, has "He deserves it because the price is year's ballot, let alone some of the write-in candidates, those seeking by the real heavyweights of.the American rejected Paul's personal appeal to have his delivering his equivalent of a sound-bite- candidates representing those the presidency each had to name going to be paid during his administration sized version of his party's philosophy. " political process — network anchors votes included in the national tabulations. for eight years of Reagan administration parties. • and get signatures from a vice Boxed Out? named Rather and Jennings and Brokaw. Still, Paul said his campaign is more .. The government should exist for the Among the lesser known can- ' presidential candidate as well as economic policies," said Paul, who quit the protection of liberty — making sure that Paw, wno Friday brought his frugal than an academic exercise or the novel GOP in January 1987. "George Bush is not didates are Ron Paul, a presiden- signatures from eight candidates campaign to Stanford University's Hoover ingredient in a mudslinging race. people don't kill each other, or hurt each tial hopeful running on the Liber- for elector. F WE HAVE 329 PEO- Ronald Reagan, and it's not just going to other or steal from each other." ple running for Presi- tarian ticket. Paul's vice Write-in votes for candidates Although his name won't appear on elec- presidential pick is Andre Marron. dent, why aren't they all ic tote boards that will be flashed other than those who are regis- on the ballot? How can we The Liber4arian party, broadly tered with the secretary of the Third party could improve quality of canipaigns-nd the country on election night, Paul speaking, believes in little gov- make an informed choice if __ that once the Libertarians hold the state's office aren't counted. we don't know what our ernment involvement in the af- choices are? Well, it's finally over. The Jackson would force candidates to deal with real problems margin of difference between major party fairs of citizens. • In the Senate race, Libertarian candidates, they can no longer be ignored. The most serious problem less-than-heartening 1988 The New Alliance Party, gener- • Howard Avery Grayson Jr. and "We're answering the questions of the for minor candidates, says presidential campaign is now election that we, the elec- broader, less-deliberate focus ally considered to fall to the left of New Alliance party candidate Sharon Snydet, assistant torate, have become all too for the national election by day mainly because we're the only ones the Democratic Party on the Melissa M. Fisher have joined one for the record books, with Tim asking the questions." Paul said. press officer for the Federal George Bush officially the familiar with in recent years dealing directly with primary poltical spectrum, has a presiden-' " Democratic state Attorney Gener- Elections Commission, "is victor. Maybe it should be the watered-down issues, in turn forcing the tial candidate, Lenora Fulani. al Joe Lieberman in trying to ballot access. You might noted with an asterisk, presentation of two candidates Hare Democratic and Republican Bush, Dukakis Fulani's running mate is Joyce unseat GOP Sen T ^wall We.;,.1.-- signifying that the election too fearful of voter backlash to presidential candidates to Dattner. and appear on tl and campaign by both the seriously address the issues at the campaign when Michael answer and contemplate or Libertarian? In addition, three write-in Bristol Mayor `Republicrat' majority reigns Democratic and Republican hand. Dukakis was obviously crucial issues. presidential candidates have ren- Jann-F J. Wien! candidates was one of the Perhaps the apati.y of man. lagging in the pni is. the "Republicrat" majority has suc- most banal ana discouraging American citizens toward What is the answer? It's ceeded in silencing the collective voice of political charades in recent presidential elections is not hard to say. But perhaps one a significant minority - those that do not Third-party candidates face u hill battle support them. First, they refused to allow memory. entirely incomprehensible. alternative is the establish- But short of a miracle, the ment of a major third party. ()40 "none of the above" on the ballot. Now, It was a campaign marked By John P. McAlpin people from political parties future is not much brighter for That's not an easy task. John ihree they have enticed the press to further by the vague political agendas Staff Writer other than the two largest have Med presidential elections. The Anderson was a legitimate dim the light of contrast by not reporting of both candidates; the their intent to run for the lone Senate of any ballots cast in opposition. presidential candidate in 1980, bloating of events irrelevant power-brokers behind the It's hard to ride somebody else's spot open in this election. Thz. Big Press has been more than to the fate of this country (the scenes of both major parties but still only garnered about coattails when you don't even have a Rcn Paul . "If only radio talk-show listeners "They (the voters) are looking for happy to piny along with Republicrat are not about to release their 61/2 percent of the vote. Pledge of Allegiance - as 'a shirt of your own. were voting, we'd win the election." an alternative that we have to offer," hypocrisy; to glach1- accept tax-dollar -.); a control in helping to select Likewise, the Libertarian campaign issue? Please That is the problem facing can- said Thomas Fiske, a Senate can- subsidies by running politie,:a advertise- barrage of often-inaccurate "safe" candidates with Petty, despite increasing didates who are not the name-brand ments, all the while editorially bene,an.