Everyone may share about 85-90% of the views expressed by these other organizations, but the leaders continue to push their own agenda and end up with a splintered response that simply does not carry the majority. You have to be willing to work together and stop drawing arbitrary lines in the sand.

Lets try to get them to work together. Interview and select candidates that we can respect. Combine promotional efforts to maximize the outreach and gain recognition. If the end result is valued for its impact on the major parties, then we need to pull together.

Otherwise, they divide and conquer, as they have done with 3rd party efforts for most of my lifetime.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul

Ron Paul must have lived in the wrong district and had the wrong message in 1974.

Peace,
Tony

#1: He was too aggressive and came off as anti-Republican when he needed Republican support. It also made him seem “anti-American” at times.

#2: I am good friends with many in NM 3rd District although I live in Massachusetts, and I know it is a very Catholic/Mormon district, and they are very neoconservative, particularly the Mormons. The Catholics seem to lean liberal Democrat if they’re not neocons.

#3: The campaign was run too amateurishly – too many college kids running the show who were smart, but lacking in experience. They also had more heart than political skill. Kokesh needed more experianced campaign workers – he needed more professionals, and should have used the college kids as lower level volunteers.

#4: He is too young and seriously lacks a good resume to work off of. He should go find a real job for 10 years, write a book or two, work alongside Campaign for Liberty and the like, and then run again in a different district (which he should move to at least a few years ahead of the time he plans to run)

Not being collectivists does not mean we do not cooperate and work together to accomplish a desired result. Collectivism is based on coercion, which none of us are advocating. You can voluntarily work collectively without being a collectivist.

Aaron, great analysis. I hope Kokesh is enlightened by this and runs again – in a better district.

By definition, a “Republican Liberty Caucus” will always be sidelined by the big-money special interests. You will never use the state to limit the state.

1) Wrong district – why did Kokesh choose this district? BAD choice. Why would Kokesh choose a district that is overwhelmingly Democratic (and run by the “Mexican Mafia”) and is highly unlikely to change? Surely there are other places in the country that would be more welcoming to his message. We don’t know him – he hasn’t raised a family here or run a business here or volunteered to help community organizations or worked for Republican candidates (usually helps in the primary) – all we know is that he is from liberal Santa Fe and his papa is having legal troubles with defrauding folks of their savings. We are highly religious: Catholic, Mormon, evangelical Christian. Kokesh didn’t appear to be any one of these.
2) Poor strategy – I don’t know what kind of yahoos were running his campaign, but it was not well-run. (And too many of them were very obviously not from our neck of the woods – they knew nothing about New Mexico geography or history or culture, had weird accents, and didn’t even seem to like our state.) He kept losing his volunteers (it doesn’t look good when your own supporters leave your campaign.) And what did he spend his money on? I never saw $225K worth of signs or ads or anything. Did he and his volunteers use the money to live on?
3) Unpopular message – I heard Kokesh speak and debate several times and spoke to him personally as well as with his campaign representatives. I want someone who will represent my values and views. I don’t think Adam Kokesh does. It is as though he was campaigning in an entirely different part of the country but accidentally ended up here. He would start his speeches screaming “Revolution!!!” I’m sorry, for right or for wrong, we aren’t looking for revolution – we want reform. He and his campaign staff did not treat the voters with respect and used rough language (some of us still care about that.) One woman who asked him about his views on a particular topic was frightened by angry Kokesh volunteers on the way to her car after the meeting. Things like this get around town and don’t make a good impression. Oh, and his volunteer who smoked constantly and blew smoke in people’s faces didn’t help.

Maybe we are ignorant so-and-sos but telling us that to our faces isn’t a good strategy. Putting down the opponent and complaining and gossiping and whining about how unfair it all is with anyone in earshot after debates or Republican meetings is plain stupid – you don’t know who is listening. It is also unprofessional and makes him appear to be prideful and arrogant (and thin-skinned – men should “man up” to their responsibilities and face difficulties with grit, not whining.) He doesn’t have a job, tries to talk recruits out of volunteering to serve in the military, and is proud of not paying his taxes – not a really good platform to run on. And his explanation of all the organizations he is associated with and his past statements and actions just wasn’t convincing.

His libertarian views of legalization of drugs and no laws against abortion and opposing traditional definition of marriage and (gasp) opposing war in any way, shape, or form just doesn’t work in this district EXCEPT in Santa Fe where Kokesh is registered to vote. We all think folks from Santa Fe are liberal and wacky and weird – Kokesh seemed to fall into that stereotype. Most of us wondered why on earth he was running as a Republican when he is so obviously a Libertarian. Why scold the Republican voters when we just didn’t really like the guy? His message and passion may be great, but I’m sorry, some of us didn’t find him personally likeable. He is the “young buck” that irritates the heck out of everyone, even when he is right
(my husband was, and is, a “young buck” and irritates a lot of people so I have some sympathy.)

I appreciate his enthusiasm but wish he’d grow up and live some “real life” before he presumes to take on such an important job. (And yes, that is one of my problems with Ben Ray Lujan – he hasn’t grown up yet.)

I actually was at the state convention (able to take a delegate’s place when they couldn’t attend). Has anyone reported the response of the body to the proposed changes to the State Platform brought by the Santa Fe County Republicans (I can only assume it reflected Kokesh’s ideas.) It was defeated by a very loud, resounding “NO!” It isn’t Kokesh himself, it isn’t a “corrupt” Republican machine, it is that Republicans in this part of the state aren’t Libertarian. If Kokesh doesn’t support the state Republican platform, why would we vote for him as the Republican candidate? You all disagree with the NM state Rep. platform – but who are you to come from all over the country to tell us we are stupid and corrupt and dumb to support it? Don’t I have the choice of voting my conscience? I voted against Kokesh at the state convention – not one Republican leader told me how to vote – I just voted for the candidate I thought would be a better Congressman. Maybe we think differently in this state. Isn’t that our right? I don’t appreciate being told by Kokesh (or you all) that I shouldn’t believe what I believe.

So bless his heart, good for Kokesh for participating in the political process, I hope he learned a lot from his campaign. Just have him run in your district if he is so wonderful. Or he could run for a lesser seat and show us how he can make a difference in a less visible position. I was impressed with his election night statement – I wish he had shown that kind of class and thoughtfulness throughout the campaign.

Please don’t cuss at me and tell me I’m stupid or corrupt – this is how I saw things. You read about campaigns on the internet or from one candidate’s viewpoint. Maybe we the voters saw things differently.