What with more important news, such as the upcoming April antiwar protest rallies, I'm increasingly tired of covering the petty sleaze that infests today's Libertarian Party, but here's goes...
I'm not sure if there's a fire, but smoke indicates that Root allies in the Libertarian Party of California are trying to stuff the 2012 delegation in Root's favor.
It's been a California LP tradition that the state convention alternates between southern California one year, northern California the next. A ruckus ensued when this tradition was ignored (e.g., the 2006 convention on a cruise ship to Mexico, which left from Long Beach, CA, so it was briefly in "southern California").
Aaron Starr was state chair in 2006. He arranged for another cruise convention for 2008.
But in 2007, a new set of CLP officers were elected, partially as a backlash against Starr's cruise convention. Kevin Takenaga was elected chair. (Starr chose not to run again, because, he said, he wished to focus on being national LP treasurer). The Takenaga faction ended plans for a 2008 cruise convention (the contracts had not yet been signed).
Now, in 2011, the Takenaga administration has set the LPC convention not in northern California, but in Nevada. Root country.
Does this mean anything? I don't know for sure, but it fails the "smell test." It may be legit, but it smells fishy.
But wait -- there's more!
Now "Libertarian Girl" reports on Independent Political Report (comment #6) that the Nevada LP is spending its own cash to promote the California LP convention.
LG writes: "the Clark County excom, not my vote, voted to let the Chair alone decide to send our money to the state, who decided to let the chair alone decide how to spend it (NO I'M NOT MAKING THIS SHIT UP) and the chair has decided to spend 1500 advertising the cali convention. TOTAL FUCKING BULLSHIT, the LP in NV is corrupt, sorry Wayne but this is so far past acceptable there aren't even words"
(It's noteworthy that LG is a longtime Root fan.)
Why would the Nevada LP spend $1,500 to promote the California convention?
"Gains" suggests (comment #13): "Because they are going to stack the California delegation with WAR supporters... again. Duh. You don't even have to live in California to vote, you just need $125 and the officership in your pocket."
Is Gain's right? Well, Root did carpetbag his whole family to the 2008 CLP convention, signing them up as delegates.
"Delegate Stuffing" asks (comment #22): "Are not delegates to the 2012 national convention to be chosen at the California LP's 2012 state convention? They're not choosing any national delegates at the 2011 convention, are they?"
Gains replies (comment #25): "The WAR camp has enjoyed a very friendly posture with the operations committee in California, which has traditionally been handed the responsibility to filling in unused delegate slots from the California Convention, of which there is usually some good number.
"The responsibility is in the ExCom of California's hands by rule, and opacity in the office has lent itself to them having to, in a state of deadline emergency, OK the operations committee list for filling those slots without more than a few moments of review.
"The problem is cultural. We need officers and representatives that do this business without skulduggery, bypassing the will of membership. We also need membership that does not engage in exclusive politicing with delegation slots.
"I am not going to point at individuals for blame, nor call the set up especially nefarious on its face. Deescalating WAR's acceptance in the party seems to be a sign that that culture is starting to form.
"The answer lies in getting involved, though I am sure some force wielding authoritarian-libertarian will try to correct the issue with by-laws proposals."
It's noteworthy that...
* The LNC has set the 2012 national LP convention in Las Vegas, NV. Root country.
* The same CLP leadership that opposed Starr's cruise convention, has now shifted its principles to arrange a Nevada convention. Root country.
* The Nevada LP (Wayne Allyn Root, Vice Chair) is promoting the California convention.
* The California LP has many delegate slots available, whereas Nevada has but a few. (Hence the temptation for "Nevadans for Root" to carpetbag into California.)
If this isn't a "fix," then coincidences are certainly aligning nicely for a Root victory at the 2012 national convention (regardless of whether he runs for president or chair).
Like Gains, I don't know if anything's afoot. But petty skulduggery has long been one of the LP's few strong suits. (Yes, some LP officers no doubt fantasize about big stakes skulduggery, but if they had any skills in that direction, they'd be Demopublicans.)
Okay, now back to more serious business...
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