Beware of Last-Minute Convention Floor Smears

Based on recent history, delegates to the Libertarian Party's 2010 national convention should be on guard against last minute convention floor smears. It happened to Mary Ruwart in 2008, and might have cost her the nomination.

I reported on this incident nearly two years ago, in my post: Last Minute Anti-Ruwart Lies on the Convention Floor.

I wrote: "Someone (or a group of someones) was spreading ugly and outlandish anti-Ruwart rumors on the convention floor during the voting.

Before the 5th ballot, after Senator Mike Gravel was dropped, I asked Mike's daughter, Lynne Moiser, to vote for Mary Ruwart. ....

[Lynne] said she'd heard on the floor that the 'Washington Post was about to break a story that the Libertarian Party was nominating child pornographer Mary Ruwart.'

That false and ugly accusation about Ruwart was old news, based on an out of context quote from a book by Ruwart that had been unearthed by George Phillies. Both Wayne Allyn Root and Christine Smith had pounced on Ruwart at the time, asking for her to withdraw. The rumor was known and disregarded by Ruwart's supporters.

However, Lynne was new to Libertarianism. She was unfamiliar with our blogs and channels of communication. This false rumor was news to her.

And this Washington Post twist was entirely new.

So, the Washington Post was 'about to break a story' about the LP was nominating a child pornographer? Really? Where did that come from?

Well, an effective lie needs to be specific. It's more believable that way.

Clearly, someone was spreading lies on the convention floor, when only Barr, Ruwart, and Root remained on the ballot -- in that order. Which camp was spreading these lies? Barr or Root? Root was in last place (behind Ruwart) and his campaign has a history of playing the 'child pornographer' card against Ruwart. But there's no hard evidence either way."

This incident was never followed up. This last minute anti-Ruwart smear went down the Memory Hole.

Well, I'm extracting this incident from the Hole. Somebody was spreading an anti-Ruwart lie -- a Big Whooper of a lie! -- at the last minute, in a tight race. And some delegates were swayed by this lie.

Who would want the nomination that bad? Bad enough to spout Whooper-sized lies? Who embraces an ethic of winning at all costs?

Someone who would do it again.

I don't know who has what up their sleeves, but I urge all delegates to the 2010 Libertarian Party national convention to take all last minute "revelations" and rumors with a grain of salt. In the upcoming LP Chair race, do not be swayed by eleventh hour accusations, when there's no time for the smeared party to defend himself.