Libertarian Party Held Hostage, Day 95

A couple of the usual disclaimers:

1. I'm trying not to come back to this subject too often, but I'm probably going to continue doing so occasionally. If you don't like that, well, you're free to not like it.
2. Over the last year or two, as the Mises PAC "takeover" project has become increasingly successful, there have been a number of public departures from the Libertarian Party that smack of "look how important I am, and I'm leaving." Rest assured, I know that I'm unimportant. The Libertarian Party needs me very little if at all, and I need it even less, and so far I have not technically departed from the national organization (I am a dues-paid "sustaining member" in good standing until some time next year), although I disavow any implication that I approve of the current LNC's actions.

So anyway, it's now been more than three months since the Mises PAC "takeover" of the Libertarian National Committee succeeded.

How's it going?

Well, that depends on who you ask and what you're asking about.

If you want to know what the new LNC is up to in terms of "messaging," I suggest the following Twitter accounts, if you can see them (over time, the new "leadership" has been blocking people who disagree with their course, or who even notice how bad they're making themselves look):

• The LNC's official Twitter account
• The Twitter account of LNC chair Angela McArdle
• The Twitter account of new communications director J. Reed Cooley

As for the LNC's actual proceedings:

• The LNC's official business email list
• Third Party Watch highlights important developments

If you're asking me how it's going, well ...

Hanlon's razor states that one should "never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

I do not see that stupidity adequately explains the uniquely toxic mix of batshit insane messaging on one hand and continued attempted centralization of authority over affiliates into LNC hands (not a new problem or unique to Mises PAC) that we've seen over the last 95 days.

While there's certainly stupidity involved, the pattern is established far in excess of Auric Goldfinger's rule of three: "Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action.'"

Events continue to confirm my earlier assessment that the Mises PAC is a GOP "infiltrate and neuter" operation with the mission of protecting Republican candidates by ensuring that the LP ballot line is too toxic to lure "liberty-leaning Republicans" away from even the most rabid Trumpists on the Republican ballot line.

Does that mean the Libertarian Party is done as a going political concern?

Not necessarily.

It's possible that libertarians will regain control of the (currently Mises-PAC-controlled) LNC in 2024.

It's possible that libertarians will regain control of the Vichy (that is, Mises-PAC-controlled) state affiliates by then or shortly after.

And it's even possible that by the time those two things happen, there will be something left worth saving/rebuilding from in terms of name/brand recognition and assets like ballot access continuity.

I wouldn't count on it, though.

The more likely way to save the LP from complete destruction as a libertarian political entity of any use whatsoever where supporting freedom is concerned would be for the non-Vichy state affiliates to sever their relations with the LNC immediately, and set up a new national committee to govern their mutual relations (e.g. shared presidential ticket).

That's not guaranteed to accomplish much, but it probably offers the best (however slim) chance of success for those who want an ideologically libertarian political party to work with or support.