The rogues' gallery

A few points of clarification:

I am not a neutral observer, nor do I pretend to be. I support a particular candidate (Steve Kubby) for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination and for the presidency of the United States. I work on that candidate's campaign staff (although I am no longer his campaign manager or his campaign's public spokesperson). I can be expected to promote my preferred candidate's interests at every opportunity.

I recognize no duty to be "even-handed" in my treatment of candidates here at Kn@ppster. This is my blog. It's my soapbox. I use it to communicate the things I want communicated. I keep the door open for damn near unlimited comment content -- the only thing I've blocked or removed so far is outright spam and I don't have any plans to change that -- but if you want a bigger microphone, tough. You can't have mine. Get your own. It's free.

All that said, I don't think that the best way to support my candidate is to hype him to the exclusion of mentioning or discussing his opponents. If he's really the best of the bunch -- and I firmly believe he is -- he'll look even better when I stand him up next to the opposition. Half the time he'll hang them, the other half of the time they'll hang themselves.

So, in alphabetical order, here are the candidates for the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential nomination -- at least the ones a) whom I know of, and b) who have active campaign web sites (thanks to Politics1 for the list):

David Hollist
Daniel Imperato
Bob Jackson
Mike Jingozian
Steve Kubby
Alden Link
Robert Milnes
George Phillies
Wayne Allyn Root
Christine Smith

I'll update this list when I'm made aware of changes.

Check them out. Compare their positions, their resumes, their demeanors, their communications skills ... everything, as best you can. Click on some audio or video links and listen or watch. Ask yourself which of these candidates (if any of them!) you think will best represent the Libertarian Party in front of America with the limited face time he or she will get (and ask yourself which one you think will be able to get the most such face time, and whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing).

But don't stop there. Don't just stand them next to each other. Bash them up against each other. Ask questions. Demand answers. Pick your horse and advocate for him or her (see above -- you can do so in comments here, or on your own blog, or in your forum of choice, or wherever).

Don't like any of them? Hey, you've still got 11 months to find a better horse ... or to saddle yourself up ... before the LP's national nominating convention.

If you like one or more of these candidates, you might also consider putting a little money where your mouth is. Ron Paul has flat sucked the air out of the LP fundraising room. Your ten or twenty bucks makes a real difference (email me if you want to discuss beforehand where your contribution to Kubby will go. I have a list of places I want the campaign to advertise, and the costs of doing so. You can look at "your" ad and say "hey, I made that happen!").