http://www.richardrider.org/tbcm/

Richard Rider, a longtime, registered Libertarian is running for mayor of San Diego...After a debate yesterday, most of his competitors admitted that he easily won, and that has given him a full head of steam. He has gained endorsements from several newspapers and an influential taxpayers group.

My questions for debate are:

Do you think Richard Rider will win and make him the first Libertarian mayor in Californian history?

Do you think that his candidacy and possible victory will pave the way for other Libertarian victories across the country?

CP

Wow- that is great news- you have to give credit to San Fran- they can be the truly most freedom loving city in the country, and the wierder edges of the libertarian party probably won't scare them much LOL



Do you think Richard Rider will win and make him the first Libertarian mayor in Californian history?

I am sorry to say, beyond your link, I know little of his opposition- and that makes all the difference in the world. If one group or the other truly fears thier polar opposite candidate- they will not vote libertarian- if the two party candidates are non-threatening AND offer nothing new, perhaps this is the time for change!

I think the national election exemplifies what I am talking about-NOBODY seemed to excited about their guy, and everone feared the other guy- so they didn't want to "waste thier vote" on someone that is more like what they are thinking.

There are only two ways the libertarians are going to succeed: Both candidates in the "two parties" are so offensive, you can't help but switch your vote-

or both candidates are so non-threatening but so lack any real platform that someone actually begins to think for themselves and start looking for alternatives.

Revolution, be it peaceful political or political upheaval, only happens when enough poeple are desperate to make it happen- fat and sassy citizens do not upset the status quo too much!

Do you think that his candidacy and possible victory will pave the way for other Libertarian victories across the country?

IF he wins, we may see some domino effect, or some change in the dem platform I think- I notice locally that some dem candidates are starting to co-opt some libertarian ideals and ideas- I don't think the repubs can go libertarian at this point, because of the influence of the religious right.

I think it will be a watershed moment in the libertarian movement if he does win though- LOTS of dissaffected voters may see that a libertarian "has a chance at winning" and thier vote wil be more than a protest vote- then the ball would get really rolling!

Also, another important component- a major city mayor libertarian will force the corporate media to give this guy air time, which is the real achilles heal of the libertarian movement right now- the two parties have a lock on the media through their corporate sponsorship. A libertarian winner of a major city is too news worthy for them to let it slide.

Richard Rider is great candidate. Well spoken, credible, viable...I voted for him when he ran as a Libertarian candidate for Governor of California back in 1994. I hope he wins this race! But even if he does win, it will not make him the first Libertarian mayor in California history. That honor goes to Bonnie Flickenger of Moreno Valley (pop 140,000). She served several terms in the 1990's



Unfortunately no. With very few exceptions, Mayoral races don't generate attention. More importantly in this case, Richard seems to be keeping his Libertarian affiliations to himself this time around.