Pulling out his veto pen on March 8, 2008, President George W. Bush was able to successfully thwart congressional efforts to ban the use of certain harsh interrogation tactics by Central Intelligence Agency officers. This veto marked only the ninth of his near six and a half year presidency, the fewest by any Commander in Chief dating back to the Civil War. The two exceptions being Warren Harding who died two years into office and James Garfield, assassinated just six months after inauguration.
One presidential candidate, Wayne Allyn Root of Nevada, hopes to reverse this, promising to use his veto power widely and frequently if elected this November. Root, the millionaire Las Vegas odds maker, author, celebrity, and television personality is one of many candidates seeking the Libertarian Party nomination in their upcoming May convention in Colorado. Armed with two million fans in his database, Root is seeking to deliver the message of personal freedom, state's rights, and low taxes.
“I love the smell of vetoes in the morning,” declares root on his web page. Root pledges to depart significantly from the Bush administration by issuing more vetoes than any other president in history-even Franklin D. Roosevelt, who issued a whopping 635 of them during his tenure (or 25 percent of all presidential vetoes ever issued).
Recognizing the problematic nature of the Line Item Veto, struck down in 1998 by the Supreme Court, Root advocates a much more powerful tool allotted to the president, a little-known power known as “impoundment.” This particular act occurs when a president seeks to delay or eliminate the use of congressionally approved funds-an act that has traditionally been opposed by Congress.
Following President Thomas Jefferson's lead, Root will return what he sees as unconstitutional congressional expenditures back to the United States Treasury rather than permit said funds to be used in violation of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.
“Many presidents have exercised this power ever since, the last being Richard Nixon, who attempted to curb runaway spending,” says Root. “But Congress-at a time when Nixon was weak from his criminal scandals-seized the opportunity to overstep its bounds by passing the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which took away the president's unilateral power not to spend money. Nixon's argument was based on Executive powers, and not on the Constitutional duty of the Presidency.”
Root plans on using impoundment in the same way Jefferson did in 1801 when he returned $50,000 to the U.S. Treasury rather than spending it on a number of Navy gunboats. “This President will impound every last red cent of spending that violates the Constitution,” according to Root. This means goodbye to hundreds of federal programs that fail to meet constitutional consent: African Development Foundation, Agency for International Development, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms, Commission on Civil Rights, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Election Commission (FEC), International Monetary Fund, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, Women's History Commission, and hundreds (if not thousands) more.
Root will head to the Libertarian Party convention, taking place May 22-26, with a small government message that not only emphasizes the traditional views of the Republican Party, but also the some ideas being ignored by both major parties. Root, a self-described S.O.B. (son of a butcher), says that the “Very first cabinet position to eliminate will be the Department of Education.”
A Reaganesque proposal, Root hopes to use this issue, as well as his plan to “end all federal income taxes immediately and move all of them to the state level” to win disaffected members of all parties. “The Founding Fathers never envisioned a government that could take away 50 percent of the money we make,” claims Root. “I will push for an end to all federal income taxation, even opposing the Fair Tax, which will place a 30 percent sales tax on everything we buy and amounts to a big welfare program.”
“I plan on taking millions of votes away from the Republicans,” says Root, who is also an opponent of warrant-less wiretaps, eminent domain abuse, and Real ID. “McCain is a big government conservative who wants to fight wars all over the world. There is nothing conservative about neocons. The majority of Republicans believe in smaller government, lower taxes, and patriotism that doesn't try to stuff democracy down people's throats. I am going after the millions of disgusted, disgruntled Republicans and the 27 million small businessmen and women in America.”
Root also differs with McCain on the Iraq War, thus offering up the possibility of attracting Democrats and independents to his cause. While McCain favors keeping U.S. forces in Iraq for the next 100 to 1,000 or 1,000,000 years if necessary, a Root presidency would admit that the Iraq war was a mistake, admit the post-war planning was a disaster, and finally acknowledge that a civil war situation currently exists in Mesopotamia. He also differs from McCain in his opposition to nation building, an effort that McCain has long supported.
Recognizing that the United States is locked in a war with radical Islam, Root could be the one presidential candidate who believes that Iraq should be helping pay for the war, which according to Boston University Professor Andrew Bacevich, is costing the United States $3 billion per week and $22 billion in total aid and assistance to the Iraqi military as of this month. Root also calls for drastically reduced foreign aid, more oversight of government spending at the Pentagon, and a cut in spending at the United Nations.
Root plans to lead the charge on fiscal conservative issues and tap into the large number of voters who gravitated to Texas Congressman Ron Paul's campaign this year. “On fiscal issues, I'm straight up conservative,” says Root. “Someone needs to lead the movement away from the nanny state.” Emphasizing his pitch to supporters of Paul's campaign, Root stresses that he is “Ron Paul with one little difference-a quarter of a century from now, I'll be younger than Ron Paul is today. I'm Ron Paul on steroids!”
In order to make it to the big dance in November, Root must first win his party's nod by defeating former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel (profiled here a few weeks ago), former Congressman Bob Barr, and a number of lesser-known candidates also seeking the nomination. Andrew Davis, Libertarian Party spokesman, tells Political Grind that the total number of candidates may be close to 16.
“The Libertarian Party can't win being the same as the Republicans and Democrats-my being a small businessman, home school Dad, citizen politician, and son of a butcher all help make me more like the Founding Fathers,” says Root. “I'm the rebel with the pitchfork. Mike Gravel is a liberal, big government Democrat who was a DC politician for many years. Gravel stands for universal healthcare, the hallmark of liberalism. He believes in global warming-I believe it is a fraud. Gravel also believes that NAFTA is a mistake, as a Libertarian, I believe that free trade is a positive thing.”
Commenting on the recent announcement of former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr's entry into the race, Root notes that “Bob Barr and I have the same politics, but unfortunately, he is a lawyer and lawyers are the root (no pun intended) of the problem in Washington.”
Root sees a golden opportunity for Libertarians this year to run to the right in order to score a multitude of new voters. “If you are anti-war and liberal, you will vote for Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton-not the Libertarian. The proof is set for me by Mike Gravel, who ran in the Democrat primary system and got 24,000 votes. Ron Paul, who they laughed at and compared to Don Quixote fighting windmills, pulled in 800,000 votes or four percent of the overall GOP vote,” he says.
A Root victory in the Libertarian nominating convention would set the stage for a history-making election. Root, like Senator Barack Obama, was a 1983 graduate of Columbia University, which according to Root, creates the first presidential contest in history featuring two college classmates from the same graduating class squaring off against each other.
The role of government, the nanny state, and the nation's crushing income tax system underscore the major differences between the two classmates. “Obama is showing he is an elitist,” says Root. “I'm the opposite of him in every single way. Elitists like Barack Obama argue 'what are Wayne Allyn Root's qualifications to be president?' I argue 'what are his qualifications'?”
Root sees Obama as a typical politician who has “never had his name on one significant bill.” “Under an Obama administration, the Democrats will already have the cash in your wallet and will then want the change too,” he says. “Barack Obama is like going back to the future for the Democrats, nominating a candidate just like McGovern, Muskie, Mondale. He is a divider, not a uniter as he claims.”
Currently the leading fundraiser in the Libertarian Party race, Root will press onward to Colorado this May to face his opponents. Clips of the recent Libertarian Party debate in Kansas City featuring Root, Barr, and Gravel can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... arch_type=
Nathan Shrader can be reached at nathanrshrader@yahoo.com
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( 3 / 1169 )In the last year and a half that I've actively campaigned for the Libertarian Presidential nomination, I've traveled to 30 LP State Conventions and many major Libertarian events across this great country. I've gotten to know LP leaders and delegates from coast to coast. I've received thousands of emails from LP voters (and answered back almost every single one). And over the past 2 weeks, I've personally phoned hundreds of delegates to the LP Convention. What I've found, not surprisingly, is that Libertarians are not your typical American. We are far more intellectual and cerebral than the typical American. We read far more books than the typical American. We are populated by professions such as professor and engineer in far higher numbers than the American populace. And we seem to be populated with far fewer gamblers, poker enthusiasts, sports fans or sports gamblers than the populace as a whole. As a result, we travel far less frequently to Las Vegas. As a matter of fact, few Libertarians seem to recognize how popular gambling (and Las Vegas) is in American culture today. So it is my job to explain to my fellow Libertarians why gambling and gamblers are so important to the LP cause- and particularly the 2008 Presidential campaign.
America is a nation of risk-takers (otherwise known as gamblers). It is in our blood. We are all descended from the biggest risk-takers on this planet. Our ancestors were the ones willing to risk everything (including their lives) to travel thousands of miles, on a dangerous journey, to reach an unknown land (called “The New World”), often leaving behind friends and family. In most cases, they arrived at Ellis Island without money or job prospects. That's a greater risk than any gambler ever takes today (times one thousand). It was literally the gamble of a lifetime.
On the other end of the journey, our ancestors were told they were mad, crazy, insane, foolish, reckless, or even called traitors to their country of origin. The people who disdained risk all played it safe and stayed home in Russia, Europe, Asia and other countries. It was the wild risk-takers and big dreamers who threw caution to the wind to take the biggest gamble of their lives to travel thousands of dangerous miles to start a new life in a mysterious new land called America. So in fact, gambling is in the blood of most (if not all) Americans.
That would explain why we are the most gambling-crazed nation in the world. More money is risked on our stock markets (Wall Street) than any other place in the world. We are also a nation of entrepreneurs- we lead the world (by far) in small business creation. What could be a greater gamble than betting your life savings on opening an unproven business with no guaranteed income ever again- instead of keeping a safe job with a guaranteed weekly check, health insurance, and a pension. Small business owners are serious gamblers.
And these same Americans with gambling in their blood are also the most willing to pick up and move to another place in order to find new opportunity. Last year eight million Americans relocated to another state. In almost every case, they left a high-tax, big-government, highly-regulated, Big Brother state to move to a low-tax, limited-government state where economic freedom is more abundant (meaning taxes are lower and government leaves us alone). It's no coincidence that the state where taxes are zero and gambling is legal- Nevada- is the fastest growing state in America (for 21 of the past 22 years). They may not know it yet, but all these risk-taking, opportunity-seeking Americans searching for more economic freedom and their own piece of the famous American Dream are Libertarians. They just want to be left alone by government to achieve their own destiny.
Want more proof that we are the most gambling-crazed nation in the world? During the last decade (until the U.S. Congress voted in a ban on online gaming), Internet gambling and poker were a global phenomenon. Billions of dollars changed hands- daily. America was the only major country that considered making a bet on the Internet on your own computer a crime. England, Canada, Australia and virtually every other industrialized nation either legalized online gaming,
or looked the other way. Yet guess where the majority of the gambling dollars came from? You guessed it- the United States. Experts estimated that 70% of all the dollars wagered on the Internet came from American gamblers- despite the fact that it was considered illegal. Can you imagine- the rest of the world said it was legal, and all those countries COMBINED only added up to 30% of the dollars wagered!
How popular is gambling in this country? How much has gambling grown legally in the past 25 years? In 1980 about $1 billion dollars was legally wagered in the United States. Today almost $50 billion is legally wagered in one state- New York.
In 1980 there were no legal casinos outside of Nevada or New Jersey. Today there are 400 tribal casinos across the United States producing over $20 billion in revenues. California alone now has 60 tribal casinos that, remarkably, just surpassed the famous Vegas Strip casinos in revenues.
Americans made 376 million trips to casinos in 2007- that means that one quarter of all adult Americans visited a casino last year. Remarkably, it's now far easier to buy a lottery ticket than a Big Mac- there are 14,000 McDonalds in the USA, versus 185,000 lottery retail establishments.
But here's the statistic that should open the eyes of Libertarians everywhere as to how popular, accepted and mainstream gambling is this country- The New York Times reports that more money is spent on gambling in the USA than books, movies, music, videos and DVD's COMBINED.
Gambling has never been more widespread or accepted by voters. According to the annual poll of American adults conducted by Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research and Peter D. Hart Research Associates, 84% of American adults view casino gambling as acceptable for themselves or others. An even larger majority, 86% of Americans adults believe that people in individual states and communities should be allowed to decide what is best for them with respect to gambling. When it comes to gambling, Americans display a strong Libertarian bent.
But no form of gambling is more woven into the American psyche than sports gambling. According to the U.S. Congress Impact Study on Gambling in 1997, over $380 billion dollars is wagered on sports annually in the United States, making sports gambling the most widespread form of gaming. That $380 billion dollar figure makes sports gambling bigger than the entire U.S. auto industry. According to USA Today, more than 1 out of every 2 American adults places a bet on sports annually.
The Wall Street Journal recently said of sports gambling, “If you've never placed a sports bet in America, you are fast becoming a member of the minority. Since its beginnings at Colonial horse tracks in the 17th century, the amount of money Americans wager on sports has grown to rival the gross domestic product of New Zealand…through the next calendar year, more than 100 million Americans will wager…on sports.”
The popularity of sports on television in this country can be directly attributed to the popularity of betting on sports. The biggest sports gambling event of the year is Super Bowl Sunday- with $6 billion to $8 billion being wagered on that one day, on that one game. Not coincidently, Super Bowl is the highest-rated television event of any kind each year.
NFL football is the TV ratings king- attracting the highest television ratings (by far) of any sport- leading the way are American TV institutions like "NBC Sunday Night Football" and "ESPN Monday Night Football." Not surprisingly, the highest-rated TV show of any kind in the history of cable television is a Sunday Night NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots.
Not coincidently, football is the king of sports gambling too- with about 50% of all gambling dollars being wagered on football. Can you guess what are the two biggest betting games of each week? Of course they are the two highest-rated TV games of the week- "NBC Sunday Night Football" and "ESPN Monday Night Football." The gambling action is actually so hot and heavy on Monday nights that American bookmakers changed “collection day” from Monday morning to Tuesday (after the Monday Night Football game).
But football is not the only big betting sport. The popularity of March Madness has made college basketball the second most popular betting sport in the USA. More money is now bet on the 3 weeks of March Madness than the Super Bowl- over $8 billion. Not coincidently, March Madness is now the second highest-rated television sports event.
What's important in all this is the role that Libertarian Presidential candidate Wayne Allyn Root plays in what Sports Illustrated calls “America's favorite past-time.” The national media has called me, “The King of Vegas,” “America's Oddsmaker,” and “The Face of Las Vegas Gambling.” Since 1990 there have been several million calls for my advice from American sports fans and gamblers. On any given fall football weekend, about 20,000 Americans are each wagering hundreds to thousands of dollars on my advice on a multitude of games.
Our research indicates about $100,000,000 is bet on my advice each weekend during football season. That's approximately $3 billion wagered annually on Wayne Root's advice. My success in this popular and dynamic industry earned me a star on the famous Las Vegas Strip in 2006. My star (in front of New York New York) is one of only 25 stars ever awarded by the Las Vegas Walk
of Stars (I am also the youngest recipient ever).
Then there's poker. One poker site alone- Party Gaming- a public company, reported $45 billion dollars of wagering on their poker site in 2005. Their revenues on that $45 BB in action were just shy of $1 billion- all on one web site. There were approximately 2400 poker web sites on the Internet at that time. Then the U.S. Congress passed an online gaming ban (called UEIGA) which prevented the transfer of monies for online gaming purposes through banks, credit cards or other financial instruments.
Since then, over one million American poker players have joined the political and lobbying arm of poker, The Poker Players Alliance. The Chairman of the PPA is former United States Senator Al D'Amato. Those one million poker enthusiasts can be harnessed by the Libertarian Presidential nominee to support, contribute and vote for LP candidates at all levels of office- especially if a high-profile friend of gaming is the nominee.
Add to that group the 10 to 12 million online poker fans in the USA…the 50 million Americans that choose to play poker with friends…and my personal database of two million Wayne Root fans and clients…and it's easy to see why the LP is positioned for a record-breaking year in 2008.
That is why my fellow Libertarians, gambling should and must matter to the LP this Fall- especially if our goal is dramatically growing the party; attracting record-setting media exposure; electing Libertarians on the local level; and perhaps most importantly, adding tens of thousands of new donors. That is precisely why I believe that putting Wayne Allyn Root at the top of the LP ticket would be beneficial to the LP and the “freedom movement” for years to come.
The media has dubbed me “Ron Paul…on steroids.” They are referring to the dynamic energy, excitement, youthful enthusiasm, passion and high-profile celebrity that I bring to the Presidential campaign. But what should be most important to LP voters is that I'm just getting started. I have a 16 year plan to win the White House. I am here for the long haul. 2008 is just a start in the right direction. I'll work with LP local and state candidates over the next 4, 8, 12, and 16 years to build the base, build the donor list, build the “LP brand,” and build our party.
I hope you're as excited as me. As an old proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” I hope you'll honor me with your LP Presidential nomination in 2008 so we can take that first big step to the White House and majority party together.
Wayne Allyn Root is a Libertarian Presidential candidate. For more about Wayne and his bold stands on important political issues, go to: www.ROOTforAmerica.com
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( 3 / 2256 )Upsets are based on the power of personality.
Boris Johnson has just recently been elected the Mayor of London, one of the world's biggest cities. He took office of this metropolis of 14 million (metropolitan area) on May 4, 2008. He is described in the media as a “Libertarian conservative.” He is also a New York-born TV personality, host, guest, author and comedian. Oxford-educated, he is colorful, and charismatic. He is a media darling- always ready with a colorful or controversial comment. He is the quintessential UK “political outsider” who has just pulled off a huge upset to shock the UK political establishment. Sound familiar?
Wayne Allyn Root is a New York-born son of a butcher; small businessman; home-school father of 4 young children; Ivy League-educated college classmate of Barack Obama; dynamic and colorful television personality, host and guest; author; Las Vegas oddsmaker; and citizen politician. Wayne is the quintessential D.C. “political outsider.” This may be an unusual resume for the President of the United States; but in this case it's tailor-made to build “America's Third Party.” The Libertarian Party is known for being anti-establishment, anti-government, anti-tax, and anti-status quo. We are a party of rebels with pitchforks. A party dedicated to liberty. Wayne is our Boris Johnson.
Imagine.
The blizzard of media attention after the LP convention is over. Thank you Congressman Bob Barr and Jesse “The Body” Ventura. Media from across the country came to Denver because of you. But what they witnessed was Wayne Allyn Root pulling off the political upset (at least as far as the Washington D.C. press corp. is concerned). A star is born. Now the media will be more interested in the new face of the LP because of who he is…not who he was.
The important thing about media isn't getting it- it's what you do with it after you get it. Wayne is a dynamic media personality. He has proven he knows how to get media, and how to use it. He wins over even skeptical and cynical hosts. He gets them to say, “Wow, I could actually vote for you.” If Wayne Allyn Root gets the LP Presidential nomination, we'll have a future. With Wayne there is a huge (and long-term) upside.
As the Root campaign begins the first four-year phase of the journey to the White House, phase one is to build the infrastructure of our party. This is a story to illustrate how that grassroots work can be done.
On the campaign trail building constituencies.
The Root advance team meets with the local LP days prior to Wayne's arrival. Preceding the team's arrival a brief paid advertising campaign is launched. A meeting with Wayne the night before gets the local volunteers fired up.
Imagine the next morning a ROOT for America bus pulling up to the town square. A group of local candidates and/or activists are waiting. As Root emerges, the advance team and local activists swing into action. There are 27 million small business owners who need us. Wayne is one of them.
As they visit each small business in the area, the county chair introduces the business owner to Wayne. Wayne then warmly introduces the local LP candidate or activist. They listen to the shop owner's concerns. Something Root will hear a thousand times.
As they leave, a photo is taken with the shop owner, candidate, county chair, and Root. The photo is given to the local paper along with a press release. An enlarged autographed photo will be hand delivered to the shop-keeper later by the candidate or LP State Chair as a reason to meet them again. Root pitches the owner to join the LP. Just prior to leaving, a small crowd is gathered to hear a brief stump speech on the value of small businesses in America and how libertarian ideas are good for the local economy. It is a successful campaign stop.
The town square event is repeated in towns encircling a larger media market. After a day or two of walking the town squares, speaking at business events, and interviews with local papers, Root moves into the major market and is interviewed by television and radio stations and major urban newspapers. The topic of the day is the state of small business- what Root calls "the economic engine of America." Newspapers love it- they call small business owners their advertisers.
As Wayne travels, he drops in on a group of parents in each city who like Wayne choose to home-school their children. He delivers a stump speech on the inadequacies of government schools and how he will impound the funds of the federal Department of Education. He talks about moving all education funding and decisions to the state level. He enthusiastically talks about the value of vouchers and choice as needed steps toward achieving educational freedom. The local media are taking notes and filming. It gets picked up in home-school magazines and newsletters to the delight of millions of home-school parents.
Next Wayne stops the bus to buy a Lotto ticket. Wayne quotes the New York Times, who recently reported that more money is spent on gambling by Americans than movies, music, books, videos and DVD's COMBINED! He explains the positive impact of the gaming industry, noting that there are 14,000 McDonalds locations in America, versus 185,000 lottery locations. He points out that government needs the small businesses to sell their lottery tickets and collect their sales taxes. A free market doesn't need much government.
Wayne speaks with authority on the millions of poker enthusiasts denied the freedom to choose their own form of entertainment online. The story hits the AP wire and goes out all over the country-
serving to excite and motivate 10 to 12 million online poker players, as well as 50 million poker enthusiasts across the country. Las Vegas is the tourist capital of America for a reason- 40 million people a year visit Las Vegas because they like to play. Those 40 million potential voters want the freedom to choose their own form of entertainment.
Attracting younger voters through popular media.
That night Wayne hits a local college night-spot and dances with the younger set. The video makes U Tube and starts a youth movement for Root around the country. It becomes a popular “spontaneous” event. Wayne is invited to be a guest on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “The Colbert Report,” “Bill Maher's Real Time,” ABC's “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (Jimmy is a fellow Las Vegan), and MTV. The younger set loves Wayne's passion, high energy, enthusiasm and sense of humor. He goes to New York for his “media tour.”
In Grand Central station, Wayne approaches a small crowd of soldiers waiting in the terminal. He asked them how things are going. They ask him to get us out of Iraq and he reassures them that if elected he will. He tells the reporters on the scene that the libertarian non-interventionist foreign policy is the only way to avoid further wars of aggression. Making war only in defense of the country is the American way.
While in New York, Wayne scores more national media on Fox News, Fox Business, MSNBC, and CNBC (where Wayne started his career as a host and anchorman). He visits dozens of trade publications and pushes his campaign's small business message through the national print media that serves industries across America. He scores a number of articles and even a few covers. The phones at national and state LP offices begin to ring from small business owners wanting to know more about the LP- and CONTRIBUTE.
As the trade media stories begin to break, a direct mail campaign is launched using each trade publication's mailing list. A coordinated campaign with the state organizations will invite local business owners and executives (subscribers) to an exclusive meeting with Wayne.
The meetings take place weeks after the stories are published, so there is time to coordinate invitations with the campaign. This phase is designed to get people to join the LP, to become our future candidates and supporters. This is the point of sale. This effort will continue as an ongoing strategy even after the election to ensure we continue to build the party's membership and infrastructure for 2012. Wayne Root will represent the LP for the next 4 years.
Home-field advantage.
On election night 2008, Wayne Allyn Root outperforms the expectations of the political pundits and Beltway insiders, including a very close third place finish in his home state of Nevada. He is already well-known in Nevada. He has his own star on the Las Vegas Strip. Nevada is the most Libertarian state in America. No personal income tax. No business income tax. No inheritance tax. Property tax increases are limited by law. Gambling and prostitution are legal. Ron Paul finished second in Nevada- tied for his best showing in the nation. Wayne will build on his close third place finish in Nevada in 2008 to win Nevada as a Libertarian Presidential candidate in 2012.
Post Election.
Root attracts numerous new members, contributors and potential candidates to the LP. The media pundits speculate on the bright future of the LP. The talk centers on Root's youthful enthusiasm, along with his colorful, dynamic and passionate personality. They predict that he'll be a major player on the political scene for a long time to come. Wayne becomes a frequent guest on shows like “Real Time with Bill Maher” (an outspoken Libertarian who featured Wayne often as a guest on ABC's “Politically Incorrect”), “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” (Wayne's Columbia University classmate), and many other national TV and radio shows, keeping the Libertarian Party in the public eye for a long time to come.
No one is betting against Wayne Allyn Root and the Libertarian Party anymore.
This isn't the end …it's just the beginning.
ROOT for Liberty!
ROOT for Freedom!
ROOT for America!
ROOT- the ideal image and candidate for the Libertarian Party!
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( 3.1 / 2570 )- What would you hope to accomplish as the Libertarian presidential nominee? Could you break the million vote barrier?
Republicans and Democrats use great marketing to sell America a lousy product. We Libertarians are trying to sell America a great product, but with lousy marketing.
No doubt, we Libertarians have had some wonderful presidential candidates over the years. Many were deep thinkers, scholarly types who provided thoughtful, intelligent answers to serious questions about the role of freedom and individual rights in society.
And few voters listened. So, if we select a nominee similar to ones we selected in the past, we should not be surprised if few will listen again in 2008.
We may long for the days when folks would ponder and seriously debate the issues in the public square, but this is not the America we live in today. Today's American is influenced by media coverage. And the reason why the media does not cover our candidates is simple: because we don't provide the media with the two things they care about most: dynamic energy and entertainment. It's simple economics. Boring television means fewer eyeballs watching the screen; and fewer eyeballs watching the screen hurts the media's bottom line. If we are boring, we don't get coverage.
We need a candidate who understands Libertarianism and is able to present our ideas in a way that is both palatable and entertaining. As a political science graduate from Columbia University with over 20 years experience as a national television host, guest and producer, I believe I fit the part. As our party's nominee, I will expose our ideas to more media coverage than any previous candidate.
Already, pre-nomination, I've attracted extensive media as a Libertarian Party candidate: Fox News (multiple times), Fox Business (multiple times), MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, WGN, Glenn Beck (3 to 4 million listeners), Michael Medved (3 to 4 million listeners), the nationally-syndicated Mancow Show, BBC, the biggest radio shows in Canada and UK, and hundreds of local stations from coast to coast. I am bringing the Libertarian message of smaller government, less spending, lower entitlements, lower taxes and more freedom to mainstream media and tens of millions of mainstream voters. And I'm doing it in a way that is colorful, and entertaining.
Then there's the powerful constituencies that I bring to the LP. My campaign has several very important constituencies. I am the ANTI-politician. I am a S.O.B. (son of a butcher); small businessman; home-school dad of 4 young children; and a citizen politician- just as our Founding Fathers intended. That image sells to anyone lookingfor dramatic change in Washington D.C. It is the ideal image for an anti-establishment, anti-tax, pro freedom, LP Presidential candidate.
But it is especially appealing to the 27 million small business owners who truly understand the LP message that “less is more” when it comes to government. That 27 million number does not include independent contractors and all the self-employed- stockbrokers, real estate brokers, insurance brokers, mortgage brokers (anyone whose compensation is performance-based). Small business is the economic engine of America. Small business now creates the majority of non-government jobs in America. These tens of millions of small businessmen and women want exactly what we want- smaller government, lower taxes and more personal freedom. My message will attract this ideal group of voters to the LP. Remember, I'm one of them. I speak their language. I understand how big government screws up their lives and kills their dreams. Add this constituency to home-school parents (and all parents looking for education reform, parental freedom and education choice) and we truly have a solid base of support to build for this election and the future.
My game plan is realistic. As your Presidential nominee in 2008, I will break all-time LP records with 2 to 4 million votes. In 2012 I will attract 8 to 12 million votes (Ross Perot territory). By 2016 and 2020, I will be a credible, viable, nationally recognized candidate with a realistic shot at the White House. Yes, I will certainly break the one million vote barrier, but why shoot so low? I want to get at least 2 to 5% of the vote in every state in 2008, so that the LP will automatically qualify for ballot access in 15 states or more. This is a worthy goal as it helps the LP and our local candidates in so many ways.
- During your campaign for the nomination, do you feel you have helped the party with its recent growth? If so, how?
I like to think that all the media interviews I've done have contributed to the LP's growth. I'm the new face and voice of freedom. Or as some in the media have dubbed me, “Ron Paul…on steroids!” The beauty of my candidacy is that I'm here to represent the LP for the long haul- a quarter of a century from now, I'll still be younger than Ron Paul is today! This is only the start of my 16 year campaign to win the White House for the LP.
- In the event that you do not win the presidential nomination, will you assist the presidential nominee and other Libertarian candidates around the nation? If so, how?
Of course I will help anyone that asks me. I will speak whenever, wherever possible not only for LP Presidential candidates, but for local LP candidates across the country. I will be a dynamic voice for “America's Third Party.” I will continue to represent the LP on national TV, just as I have for these past months. The goal is to elect LP candidates at every level of government from water commissioner, school board, and town council on up. And of course to gain ballot access nationally. Then I'll be back in 2012!
- Given that the vice presidential nominee is selected independently, after the presidential nominee is named, do you intend to seek the vice presidential nomination in the event that you do not win your bid for the presidential nomination?
I'm a competitor. My personal philosophy is to shoot for the stars. I aim to win- and
I've never settled. That could be why I've accomplished so many things the so-called “experts” and critics never thought possible. I became one of the youngest anchorpersons on American TV- with no prior experience in the field. I've taken my company public on Wall Street- against all odds. I've written 6 books- including a national best-seller. I've sold a TV series to Hollywood. And I haven't achieved any of this success with a lick of talent. I credit all my success to my tenacity. I am relentless.
I never give up.
I may or not win the LP Presidential nomination, but no candidate will out work me, out hustle me, or out sacrifice me. I've given 110%...and then a little more. So, I haven't really given second place any thought. I plan on winning the LP nomination. No other thoughts will enter my mind. But win or lose, I'm your best asset to travel the country motivating and rallying LP voters- and especially younger voters to get excited about Libertarian ideals and principles. I have four young children and I'm more motivated to provide them with a future of freedom and possibility than anything I have ever done before. I'm doing this for them.
- With the exception of one presidential cycle, the Libertarian Party has enjoyed significant growth during presidential election years. Are you confident that you can continue this trend if chosen as the presidential nominee? Do you believe it is reasonable goal for the LP to reach its all-time membership record as a result of your campaign efforts?
If we want people to buy our product, they first have to know we exist. A loud, booming, confident, dynamic, charismatic, colorful voice that attracts the attention of mainstream media and mainstream voters will get people to know that we are here. If you give me the honor of being our party's nominee, I will drive more prospects to our party's website than any previous campaign has accomplished. The resulting increased number of donors will build the foundation that allows us to run bigger and better campaigns in the future.
There's the perfect storm out there- and if we seize the moment we'll get unprecedented results. This could and should be the best year in the LP's history.
We have the right message- now we just need the right messenger.
- Do you feel that you would be able to attract significant media coverage as our nominee? What coverage has your campaign generated thus far?
As a first time LP Presidential candidate, I think that we've done exceptionally well in this regard. Specific proven accomplishments are far more credible than potential, promises or wishful thinking. I'm now a proven commodity. The quality of the reception given me by media heavyweights has been overwhelmingly positive. I've been asked back by nearly every show I've appeared on- including some of the biggest national TV and radio shows. I've had host after host say, “You're a Libertarian I could actually vote for. You are a breath of fresh air.” I've been endorsed by mainstream media- including Mancow Muller, whose syndicated show reaches millions of Americans. I'm proving the LP message can appeal to mainstream media and voters.
- Five years from now, what role do you see yourself having in the Libertarian Party?
I hope I will have earned the respect and trust of the LP members and delegates to represent them again as their presidential candidate. I hope to have gained us permanent ballot access in at least 15 states. I hope to have elected LP candidates at the local level over those 5 years. I hope to have raised record dollars for the LP. I've been the leading fundraiser at the LP's “Liberty Decides” from the day it was created to now. I've encouraged my friends and supporters to give to the LP cause. I plan to continue to help us develop our party's infrastructure and constituency base- not just for the next 5 years, but the next 16 years. By then I hope to be your first Libertarian President residing in the White House. We must capitalize on this breakout year by continuing the campaign at the grass roots level forever more. I hope you'll be ROOTING FOR ROOT. Please visit my web site at www.ROOTforAmerica.com.
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( 3 / 1915 )There has been a lot of debate and misinformation spread about my supposed views on war and peace. It's time to set the record straight. I'm no pacifist and that's a good thing, because no pacifist has ever been, nor ever will be, elected President of these United States.
I am a strong patriot who loves his country, will defend his country with honor, and is always respectful of our troops who are willing to put their lives on the line for our freedom. But I am most definitely not “pro war.” To the contrary, I am a Libertarian who believes in dramatically altering and re-focusing our foreign policy, foreign aid decisions, war on terror, military objectives, and military/defense budget.
The Libertarian Party advocates a non-interventionist policy in the affairs of other nations. I agree 100% with this stance. It's time to stop gallivanting across the globe to “nation build” and stuff democracy down the throats of others.
It's time to admit that the Iraq war, as well as the supposed “post war planning” was a disaster. It is time to admit that while there is a "war on terror," the war in Iraq had (and has) little do with it. It's time to admit the war in Iraq has distracted us from the real "war on terror" we are waging against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
It's time to admit that the war in Iraq has fostered terrorism and civil war. It's time to admit that our troops are dying in the middle of a sectarian civil war that, to be blunt, is none of our business.
It's time to admit that our injection into the foreign affairs of others often causes more problems than it solves. It is time to admit that our foreign policy in many cases has caused, as Ron Paul put it, “blow-back.” In other words, by choosing sides we create new enemies and grudges against the United States.
Worse, we often choose the wrong side. As an example, we supposedly deposed the Sunni regime of Saddam Hussein to make the world a safer place for America and our allies such as Israel. Yet it is Shiite-supported Hezbollah that is now attacking Israel, as well as our forces in Iraq, NOT Sunni. It turns out that we did not make the world a safer place. Quite to the contrary, by choosing sides in a war that was none of our business, we made Iraq, and the world, a much more dangerous place. And we did no favors for our ally Israel.
It's time to admit that our military has been stretched to the breaking point- which has endangered our security at home. It's time to admit that this occupation of a small country in a far-away land is damaging our economy, and bankrupting our country for future generations. It's time to admit that if we can't afford the costs of a war in small, lightly populated countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, we should aim to avoid future wars at all costs (unless we are responding in self defense).
Most importantly, it's time to admit that no war should be fought in a foreign land under the guise of fighting for the rights and freedom of others, while being used as an excuse here at home to expand government, violate the constitutional rights of Americans, and take away our freedoms. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security."
There are a significant number of libertarians (I among them) who believe that only a direct attack or an imminent attack from a foreign enemy can justify our use of the military to defend our country. Of course, there are a few libertarians who would object to a military response even under those conditions, rationalizing that it must have been our country's fault in the first place, or that non-violence takes precedence over self-defense.
And there are some libertarians who hold a more hawkish view on foreign policy. No less a figure than Ayn Rand wrote that America had the right to invade dictatorship nations and institute successor governments that respect the natural rights and freedoms of their citizens.
Dictatorship nations are outlaws. Any free nation had the right to invade Nazi Germany and, today, has the right to invade Soviet Russia, Cuba or any other slave pen. Whether a free nation chooses to do so or not is a matter of its own self-interest, not of respect for the nonexistent "rights" of gang rulers. It is not a free nation's duty to liberate other nations at the price of self-sacrifice, but a free nation has the right to do it, when and if it so chooses.
This right, however, is conditional. Just as the suppression of crimes does not give a policeman the right to engage in criminal activities, so the invasion and destruction of a dictatorship does not give the invader the right to establish another variant of a slave society in the conquered country.
A slave country has no national rights, but the individual rights of its citizens remain valid, even if unrecognized, and the conqueror has no right to violate them. Therefore, the invasion of an enslaved country is morally justified only when and if the conquerors establish a free social system, that is, a system based on the recognition of individual rights.
--- Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness
Chapter 13 - Collectivized "Rights" (1963)
However, while Ayn Rand advocated a moral position for pre-emptive war, when one looks pragmatically at war as a policy, one cannot ignore how it has historically been both costly in terms of lives and treasure. Moreover, the government almost always uses war as an opportunity to expand its size and encroach upon our own civil liberties.
The fundamental basis of libertarianism is ownership of one's life and honestly acquired property. Very few other actions of the government can do more to infringe upon basic libertarian values than waging a war upon others. Waging war almost always results in the expansion of government and the military-industrial complex, which in turn results in waste, corruption, debt, budget deficits and ultimately higher taxes upon the wages and property of Americans. War, while sometimes unavoidable, should be seen only as a last resort. And when war is waged, its mission should be to eliminate the threat to our country in a manner that minimizes the loss of innocent life.
One action by voters can go a long way to preventing future wars under any circumstances. Electing a Libertarian as President can certainly promote policies that will dramatically reduce, though not eliminate, our risk of being attacked by other nations. That will only happen however if a tough-talking, patriotic Libertarian like myself is the Presidential candidate. No weak-sounding pacifist Libertarian will ever break the 1% of the electorate barrier, let alone wage a credible, realistic campaign to actually win the White House.
America is a nation of parents - mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers - whose number one concern is the safety of their children. They will only choose to elect a President who talks tough to our enemies and makes it clear that America will always respond quickly to any threat to our security. That is the attitude that makes America's parents feel that their children are safe at night. That makes it all the more necessary to nominate a Libertarian candidate with national defense views that do not appear weak - because a popular, credible LP candidate who does well at the ballot box leads to the election of LP candidates at every level of office from water commissioner and school board to mayors and state assemblyman. It also leads to ballot access in states across the country in the 2012 election.
Given that war is an act that we should aspire to avoid, here are some of the policies a Wayne Root administration would advocate to reduce the likelihood of involving America in future wars:
* We must rapidly and dramatically reduce foreign aid and U.S. military bases around the world. In particular, it is time to end our defense of wealthy countries such as Japan, South Korea and the nations of Western Europe. As a Libertarian and fiscal conservative who stands strongly against welfare and entitlement programs for able-bodied individuals here at home, I believe it's high-time to stop supporting welfare for able-bodied nations as well.
* More specifically, we must also starve terrorism by stopping the flow of foreign aid to nations that support terrorism. Douglas Casey once defined foreign aid “as a transfer from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.” Our government has given billions of dollars to tin-pot dictators around the world, many of whom are enemies of America and democracy, all while we are denouncing terrorism and funding wars to fight it. It's time for this misguided and naïve charade to end. Let's start by eliminating financial support to dictators, with the ultimate goal of cutting foreign aid to a bare minimum everywhere and only if absolutely required for national defense. Let's bring these monies home to the American taxpayer in a time of economic uncertainty.
* We need to change our system of funding defense. The current system encourages cost overruns and time delays. Figures compiled by the Government Accountability Office showed that 95 major weapons systems exceeded their original budgets by $295 billion in the past seven years. This is a disguised corporate welfare scheme, which is bad for your pocket book and dangerous to our national security. Considering that the entire U.S. budget deficit was $160 billion last year, cutting waste in these 95 programs alone is a great way to reduce the U.S. budget deficit. We need to minimize the number of contractors that are paid based on cost plus. If you were told that you would get $2 for every $1 you spent, how much would you try to spend? Think of the waste and corruption involved in our entire military-industrial complex. Think of the billions of dollars wasted to fatten the wallets of politically connected defense contractors. It's time to start applying the same criticism, cynicism, and fiscal discipline that we do to welfare (for individuals) to the U.S. defense budget. Waste is waste, whether it's dressed up as “patriotism” or not. Dramatically cutting waste from the defense budget will automatically dramatically cut the size and scope of government spending- which leads to dramatic reductions in the tax burden to American taxpayers.
* Remove the barriers to free trade, thereby increasing the interdependence of other countries on the success of ours. Nineteenth century French economist Frederic Bastiat once wrote: "When goods don't cross borders, soldiers will." Or to put it another way, greed is good. Create wealth for another nation, and that nation will rarely, if ever, risk damaging or losing that wealth by starting a war.
* Eliminate the international "war on drugs." This policy will eradicate the huge profits that terrorist groups and terrorist nations reap from the monopolistic prices the "war" creates. The current misguided policy wastes billions of dollars and unwittingly subsidizes America's enemies around the globe. To be blunt, what farmers in Afghanistan or Columbia grow on their properties is none of the business of the United States of America. But if we stop increasing the profits that this “war” creates, it's much more likely that they will be harvesting grains instead of poppies and coca leaves.
* Reduce our nation's tax burden. Competition for industry will compel other nations to also lower their tax burdens, which will decrease their capacity to build weapons of war. And the wealthy society that America creates with a low tax burden will cause others to want to emulate our way of life.
* Open up the Arctic and Gulf of Mexico to oil drilling. This will increase the supply of oil and reduce its price, thereby squeezing the budgets of the socialist oil-rich kingdoms that fund terrorist groups. As long as we are dependent on foreign oil for our energy needs, we will be funding our enemies and thereby encouraging terrorism. America must find a way to develop energy independence so that we can starve the terrorists. Without the money that funds terrorism, terrorism will eventually end.
* The so-called “war on terror” must be aimed at our enemies, not our own American people. Warrantless wiretaps are a violation of the constitution and must be ended immediately. PERIOD. It's quite simple: if the government has proof of a possible crime being committed then get a judge to issue a warrant. Many provisions of the Patriot Act should be repealed. The so-called “Real ID” program is yet another abuse of the rights of privacy of American citizens. “Real ID” will be a bureaucratic boondoggle run by the same government bureaucrats who lost one laptop and thereby exposed the private information of millions of U.S. veterans to identity thieves. Worse, “Real ID” will turn America into a Big Brother-like police state. As long as the Homeland Security Administration is in place, our liberties will be in jeopardy.
* Bring private industry and American ingenuity into the “war on terror.” Government's attempts to make us safer against terrorists are often irrational. Seven long years after 9/11 there are still only 50 Arabic-speaking FBI agents out of 10,000 agents in our country. Some people are only half-joking when they state that TSA means “Thousands Standing Around.” If we want the “war on terror” to be a success, without compromising our liberties, we need to get the government largely out of it and bring American private industry into the efforts. Make sea ports, train depots and airports responsible for their own security. I can almost guarantee you they will not be requiring that you dispose of your toothpaste and water bottles. If an airline believes that the best way to protect its passengers (and keep its insurance costs down) is to require ID, search bags and arm pilots, that's should be up to them. If we want to apprehend Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists, have Congress issue letters of marque and reprisal, as currently authorized in the Constitution, to allow American companies to earn billions of dollars for successfully capturing these thugs here and abroad. Never underestimate a motivated company's capabilities with billions of dollars at stake to get the job done. Remember how back in 1979 Ross Perot, with the assistance of retired Green Beret Colonel Arthur “Bull” Simons, rescued his employees taken hostage by the Iranian government? Now, imagine unleashing that same level of can do spirit with results-oriented American companies leading the way. That's how you fight the “war on terror.” Good old American capitalism can triumph when given the opportunity.
* Lastly, if the day should come where war is necessary, it cannot be implemented in contravention with the restrictions imposed by our Constitution. We must reject the notion that the President has the power to declare war. The entire concept of an imperial presidency is anathema to our Constitution's checks and balances. In a Root Administration, wars and offensive military actions will require Congressional authorization, as our Constitution dictates - preventing a President from ever again involving this nation in unpopular wars without the full support of the American people. And while a military response in self-defense of this nation in the hours after being attacked does not require immediate Congressional approval, the President must seek a timely ratification after the fact. This is clearly a standard that prevents future unnecessary, unpopular or controversial wars or military actions, yet allows America the leeway to defend herself without debate or delay.
Ideally, these policies of a Root Administration will decrease the risk of war and terrorism.
Of course, we cannot assume that non-interventionism will always be sufficient to avoid conflict. There are other groups, cultures, and nations that do not share even slightly the Libertarian "live and let live" sentiment, and will not necessarily act in what we consider a rational manner. Pretending otherwise may well lead to the deaths of many Americans in future terrorist attacks.
We're already familiar with how many in this country are infected with envy. The envious people amongst us seek to punish or even destroy those who produce the most and reap the rewards of industry. And the politicians these people elect enthusiastically serve their cause, engaging in productivity sapping redistribution-of-wealth schemes in the name of “fairness.”
It's naïve to believe that people in other nations do not hold similar views. They blame the West for their own failings and the United States, in particular, for representing the epitome of Western Civilization. Islamic Jihadism preaches hatred and destruction of “infidels.” And as long as mothers hate us more than they love their own children, some teenagers and young men (and increasingly women too) will strap explosives to their bodies and detonate them to kill the targets of their hatred - regardless of what a Libertarian administration might do.
Unfortunately, battling this Islamic extremism, hatred and violence is not new. In 1786, long before our foreign interventionist policies of today, Thomas Jefferson, then the American ambassador to France, and John Adams, then the American ambassador to Britain, met in London with Abdrahaman, the ambassador to Britain for the government of Algiers. They were attempting to negotiate peace with Muslim countries that were engaging in piracy and enslavement of Americans. In a letter to John Jay, Jefferson wrote the following of how Abdrahaman justified attacking innocent Americans:
The Ambassador answered us that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman [Muslim] who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.
-- Joseph Wheelan, Jefferson's War: America's First War on Terror, 1801-1805
The United States government for years tried appeasement, making payments in ransom and tribute amounting to 20 percent of its annual revenues to Muslim nations during the year 1800 for the safe passage of American ships or the return of American hostages. But our most Libertarian United States President Thomas Jefferson - who hated most all forms of federal power, dramatically reduced the size of the military budget, and warned of foreign entanglements - felt compelled in 1801 to send a U.S. Naval Armada to Tripoli to wage a war against "Barbary Pirates."
We are in a contest between two civilizations: ours, which values rational thought and individual liberties; and theirs, which is based on theocracy and subservience to an all-powerful government.
During most times we are able to largely ignore our enemies because our own wealth protected us from any threat they could pose. In the long run, free countries with free economies will always outgrow socialist tyrannies.
But technology is making weapons of mass destruction both cheaper to produce and easier to transport. As this trend continues, the risk of a country - or its terrorist agents - being able to harm us will increase.
If the day should come that weapons-of-mass-destruction become affordable to tyrants, and if such tyrants think very little of giving such weapons to terrorists who share a common goal of our destruction, in spite of our libertarian non-interventionism, we may have to rethink our foreign policies and strategies. We know now that some terrorists are willing to fly a plane into a building. If it were possible, these same murderous thugs would not have hesitated to set off a nuclear device in the middle of Manhattan, Hollywood or Disneyworld.
Fortunately, I do not believe it is too late for non-interventionism and our other Libertarian, free market policies to be the solution to avoiding unnecessary war. But we must be vigilant and prepared if we are proven wrong.
In summary, a Wayne Root administration will never unilaterally engage in pre-emptive war and it will implement and champion Libertarian policies that reduce the likelihood of Congress ever having to declare war. A Root administration will stand ready to defend America should she ever be attacked, or if Congress concludes that irrefutable proof exists that our being attacked is unavoidable. And wherever possible, we will employ the superior power of the marketplace to preserve our safety.
If you believe in a future where America does not engage in nation-building, yet our nation remains vigilant and strong enough to defend ourselves from foreign attack, join the Wayne Root campaign to restore America to its constitutional tradition of limited government and non-interventionism.
Wayne Allyn Root is a Libertarian Presidential candidate. For more about Wayne and his bold stands on important political issues, go to: www.ROOTforAmerica.com
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