LP

I appreciate the spirit and enthusiasm behind macho statements about heroic Libertarian defiance of the Covid-19 disease. These bravely spoken chest-thumping comments, however, remind me of the lyrics to the song ‘Macho Man’ by The Village People:

Macho in the eyes of some may strike voters and potential Libertarian recruits as insensitive foolishness at best.

See this thought-provoking video by Arvin Vohra on the moral issue of excluding higher risk delegates and attendees from a physical convention, not to mention bad optics for the LP.

After all the hard work put in by the COC and others on this convention, why take moral and optic shortcuts now?

If the LNC is going to lead by example, the ten day delay might provide a window of opportunity for soul searching as to personal motives for ignoring practical priorities and moral imperatives and ways to save face before we are stuck with a June or July physical or hybrid convention that could easily be canceled due to causes outside our control.

If June or July physical or hybrid convention is canceled, what then? Punt? Better to go with a May virtual Zoom LNC/state delegation chair convention that will maximize delegation participation, campaign length, and ballot access, with ZERO, I repeat, ZERO CANCELLATION RISK.

Here are the practical priorities and moral imperatives as I see it:

1. Health safety is a moral imperative and an opportunity for the LP to set an example

2. Accommodation of voting rights for ALL delegates, including those with health issues or concerns that limit attendance options is a moral imperative. This will be an ongoing issue that will have to be resolved in the future with or without pandemics.

Like it or not, virtual meetings will increase delegate participation in votes. If we limit ourselves to physical conventions, it will not bode well for the future of the Libertarian Party.

Electronic meeting technical difficulties MIGHT compromise a few delegates votes. However, a physical non-hybrid convention will DEFINITELY eliminate far more delegate votes through inability to attend.

3. Early selection of candidates and LNC/Judicial Committee members will allow candidates to promptly launch campaigns and leave us with a fully functioning LNC and legitimized Judicial Committee. Both committees are faced with challenging times ahead.

4. 50-state ballot access risk will build if we miss a Memorial Day virtual meeting opportunity for LNC members and state delegation chairs

5. Limiting conventions to physical events will skew votes by age, health, wealth, and random happenstance preventing physical attendance, and could open the door to disruptive and detrimental shenanigans made possible by skewed attendance.

Today’s vote to postpone convention decisions for ten days is not all bad. The door is left open for further due diligence and soul-searching that may increase the likelihood of wise decisions. Today’s vote is a second chance for Libertarian leaders to shine.

Thoughts?

D. Pratt Tseramed, May 2, 2020