Susan Hogarth for Libertarian National Committee (at-large)

I am running for an at-large seat on the Libertarian National Committee, and asking for your vote as delegate to the Denver ’08 convention.

As an activist in North Carolina’s LP, I have worked on outreach, ballot access issues, and forming issue coalitions with ‘fellow-traveler’ groups. I currently serve as the LPNC’s Outreach Director and the Chair of the Wake County LP. I have run for office as a Libertarian twice before (state legislature and county commission) and will run again this year (congress). As a candidate I have several aims:

• offer voters a chance to vote for their hopes rather than their fears;
• shift the political discussion in the direction of freedom and non-aggression;
• help form coalitions among various freedom-oriented individuals and groups;
• constantly reduce the size and scope of government when elected;
• grow the Libertarian party and the freedom movement by stirring an interest in the message of freedom and limited government, and;
• better develop myself as a critical thinker and clear speaker.

Ideologically, I am a strongly radical Libertarian – that is, I believe there is never a time when the rights of one person, properly understood, conflict with the rights of another person. Strategically, I believe the LP can have the most significant impact on the American electoral system by returning to a strategy of strong emphasis on basic ideology and by remaining a distinct political party without significant ties to either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party.

I am a founding member of the revived LP Radical Caucus, which seeks to revitalize and strengthen the LP as a radical ideological party. I want to see as many radical Libertarians serving in key positions within the Party as possible, as I believe the Party is strongest when it has a solid ideological grounding.

I fully support David Nolan’s Restore ‘04 effort to make the 2004 platform the starting point for any platform changes that the 2008 Convention feels necessary. The 2004 platform was a detailed and principled document clearly outlining the LP’s program and stands. I do not think the policy of the LP should be to avoid discussing matters where libertarianism differs most from other political philosophies, but instead to stress those issues to differentiate ourselves. Issues where there is significant and sincere difference of understanding of the application of libertarian principles within the Party (such as abortion and immigration) should likewise not be avoided but should be discussed, debated, and reviewed frequently as newer Party members become active and struggle to understand the implications of libertarian principles for themselves.

I want to work with the other members of the National Committee to restore and maintain the Libertarian Party as a vibrant and healthy political party in all ways: financially, ideologically, and organizationally. As a freshman LNCer, I will begin what I anticipate will be a long-term project of helping to restore and grow the LP. Along with the all-important task of increasing membership and activist involvement in the Party, I will begin work to help accomplish these tasks among others:

· Changes to region formation and representation: Regional composition and representation must be stabilized so that regions and their representation aren’t something scrambled together in the heat of a busy convention. Regions should not be constantly shifting, and representatives should be chosen well in advance of the national convention.

· Streamlining LNC meetings and strengthening Party management: The LNC should be required to meet more frequently using conferencing, and less frequently using travel. The current travel requirements take large expenses of staff time and Party funds, and discourage the participation of younger, older, and less established activists. Having a rough meeting schedule as part of the bylaws will allow those interested in serving on the LNC to evaluate the requirements of the commitment realistically before campaigning. The LNC should explicitly have – and should use – the power to make resolutions concerning events of the day, rather than allowing the LP’s public policy face to be created by default by staff-prepared press releases.

· Advertising and Publications Review Committee: The APRC should be made a standing committee of the LNC, and I would like to see it actively involved in the creation, review, and dissemination of literature and other materials, including the LP News and a detailed legislative agenda to complement the platform. Development and expression of the Party’s message is of paramount importance, and has been handled in a haphazard fashion resulting in outdated and often conflicting materials and releases.

· Life Membership – not for sale: The current purchasable ‘life membership’ category should be done away with. I believe that membership in a political party should be an ongoing commitment to activism, not a one-time purchase to be used for party newcomers for campaigning purposes. We should acknowledge committed supporters who have shown sustained and significant support via activism and/or financial contributions for the Party in ways that distinguish them from folks who simply have some extra cash to spread around.

I look forward to working with the newly-elected LNC, and appreciate your vote. Please email me at hogarth@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns about my positions or my race, or if you would like to help. My personal ‘blog is here.