Independent Political Report notes in a round-up of poll numbers that Bob Barr is pulling down 3% in North Carolina and "just under" 5% in Texas. Although it has generally escaped comment, this is the latest evidence that down-ticket Libertarians are carrying Bob Barr on their coat-tails , and not the other way around. Let's think this through. Here are the most recent numbers for the three prominent LP candidates in North Carolina : Senate: Chris Cole--7% Governor: Mike Munger--5% President: Bob Barr--3% North Carolina, by the way, is where we have Bob Barr on record claiming in a radio interview that his candidacy would prove to be a boon for (wait for it) . . . down-ticket Republicans . In Texas, the Libertarian Party has been surging into the 5%-range across the State for months, prompting GOP pressure on LP candidates to drop out of State House races, because in 5 or 6 key districts the LP vote may cause previously safe Republican seats to be in jeopardy. The ...

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Mohandas Gandhi * Texas Republicans have a new solution for those pesky Libertarians: quit thinking you should have the right to organize a political party and go off to become the new ACLU. Or an anti-abortion group!? (Seriously.) Here's the Travis Monitor : It would be good if the Libertarians/libertarians attempted to aspire to real political effectiveness, because this country needs more freedom and less Government, and their influence could be salutory. But that would require taking off the big "L", abandoning a failed third party approach, and becoming libertarians working in the one major political party where their ideas are most at home: the Republican Party. Consider some of the most effective political activist organizations - the litigious ACLU, the social conservative Christian Coalition, the gay rights Human Rights Campaign. I would add another group from Texas...

Dixon as quoted in the Dallas Morning News : On Monday July 28 I received a call from the office of speaker Tom Craddick. It was an invitation to meet with chief of staff Terrell Smith to discuss issues of common interest. I am always happy to engage in respectful discourse whenever possible and happily accepted the invitation. Our executive director Wes Benedict accompanied me to the meeting at the speaker's office on Monday, August 4. The meeting could not have been more respectful and professional. We did discuss our honest differences of opinion and commitment to grow our party. We stated that while we have some common ground on economic issues, we feel that the Republican Party has departed from the principles of the free market and that we intend for our candidates to do their best to grow the Libertarian Party. In response to this, my counterpart in the Democratic Party, state chair Boyd Richie, is now proclaiming that the speaker is using unethical tactics by using his offi...

As the story about the Texas GOP being so scared that Libertarian candidates shaving off 5% here or 3% there might cost it control of the House is picked up by media outlets all over the Lone Star State, finally we hear from the Texas Dems. From the Houston Chronicle : The Texas Democratic Party and the Texas House Democratic leadership just weighed in with harsh words for Speaker Tom Craddick and Republican efforts to get Libertarians to drop out of legislative races this year. Democratic Chairman Boyd Richie said it was inappropriate for Craddick's chief of staff to host a meeting in a state office to discuss the political landscape. Speaker Craddick has resorted to using his official taxpayer funded staff in order to strong-arm Libertarian challengers into dropping out of races. It clear Republicans see the writing on the wall and are terrified they will lose seats once again this November. "Using taxpayer funded state employees to manipulate an election is unethical and a ...

Now the Austin American-Statesman is reporting that GOP Speaker of the Texas House Tom Craddick's staff came hat in hand to Pat Dixon of the Libertarian Party of Texas, effectively begging the LPT to drop out of close races that Republicans might lose: In the past, Libertarian candidates might only get 5 percent of the vote, but that’s enough to determine the winner in a close legislative contest. With the House closely split between Republicans and Democrats, a handful of legislative races could affect the partisan outcome and perhaps Craddick’s chances to remain speaker . So after years of supporting the Constitution-shredding policies of Dubya's administration, while simultaneously pursuing an utterly reactive social conservative agenda, the Texas GOP is suddenly seeking common ground with Lone Star Libertarians. For the second time in the same week.... Here's a thought for the Texas GOP and Speaker Craddick: How about the LPT agrees to drop its House candidates in al...

From the Sunday Austin American-Statesman [h/t Independent Political Report ] A former Republican state representative called three Libertarian Party candidates for the state House on Friday to request that they drop out of their races rather than take votes from their Republican opponents. Suzanna Hupp, who represented District 54 in Central Texas for 10 years, said she made the calls Friday because of concerns that the Libertarian candidates would take Republican votes and ultimately give Democrats control over state and national seats. "The fact is, we've got redistricting coming up in a few years," said Hupp, from Lampasas, who served in the House from 1997 to 2007, "and if the Republicans lose the (Texas) House of Representatives because there are a handful of people mad at them and vote for the Libertarians instead, then we could be in big trouble at the federal level." Ms. Hupp, less than twenty-four hours after making these calls, could only recall two ...

... including the Libertarian Party. I am reminded of a Cold War era joke: Seeking to impress and intimidate the Americans, the Soviet politburo orders one gross of three-foot-long condoms from a company in Texas. The Texians fill the order, packing the condoms in a crate marked "medium." There are 173 Lone Star Libertarians running for office this election season. One way you can tell that the LPT is doing well is by the fund-raising numbers: The Libertarian Party of Texas (LPT) has reported $81,765.81 in contributions for the first six months of 2008. That is up from $54,204.57 for the first six months of 2007, and $55,454.24 for the first six months of 2006. Equally important, however, is the urgent requests of Texas Republicans that Libertarians get out of their races, as reported in the Austin-American Statesman : The Libertarian Party of Texas is not ready to be king, but it expects to be kingmaker — or spoiler, depending upon your point of view — in the state's m...