Candidate Recruitment Manual

A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E L I B E R T A R I A N N A T I O N A L C O M M I T T E E , I N C .

CANDIDATERECRUITMENT

MANUAL

HOW TO RECRUIT ANARMY OF CANDIDATES

Libertarian Party

LIBERTARIAN PARTYCANDIDATE RECRUITING MANUAL

A publication of

THE LIBERTARIAN PARTYLibertarian National Committee, Inc.

2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100Washington, DC 20037

(202) 333-0008 ★ Fax: (202) 333-0072 ★ www.LP.orgFor information about the Libertarian Party call toll-free: ELECT-US

Edition 3.0. All contents © 2001

This manual was compiled and edited by Noelle Stettner, from previous Libertarian Party materials.Thanks to Bob Waldrop for most of the previous work. Thanks also to Mike Tanner, Dan Beacan, an unknown

Libertarian in Pennsylvania, Ron Crickenberger, Ted Brown, Sara Chambers, and Chris Costanzo for new material.

Design & Production: Bill Winter


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TABLE OF CONTENTS■ INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1

■ SECTION 1The Critical Importance of Candidate Recruitment ............................................................................ 2

■ SECTION 2Finding the Perfect Candidate ................................................................................................................... 7

Requirements for a Successful Candidate

■ SECTION 3Recruiting an Army of Candidates .......................................................................................................... 9

12 Steps to Recruiting Success

■ SECTION 4The 2000 Experience .................................................................................................................................15

In-Depth Case Studies from Ohio, Colorado, and WashingtonHot Tips from Texas and North CarolinaCalifornia’s Operation Breakthrough

■ SECTION 5The Art of Persuasion ................................................................................................................................ 22

Answering Their Objections to Running

■ SECTION 6Key Points for Recruiting Candidates ................................................................................................... 25

■ SECTION 7Sample Recruiting Letters and Scripts .................................................................................................. 27


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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the Libertarian Partyis to move public policy in a Libertar-ian direction by fielding and electing

Libertarian Party candidates. It follows that themore candidates we have and the better thosecandidates are, the further we will movepolicy along the path towards freedom.

A debate has long raged in the LP as towhich is the best strategy. Should we:

★ Run as many candidates as we can, or . . .★ Concentrate our resources on one or

two candidates?

The answer to both parts of the questionis yes. The media and the public pay attentionwhen we run a full slate of candidates. Oppor-tunities arise with full slates that we would beshut out of if we had not filed a candidate. Wehave even had paper candidates go on to winelections under the right circumstances. Andsince we can’t always tell in advance which racesor candidates will perform the best, we needfull slates in order to be sure of having a fewraces that deserve concentration of resources.

In order to eventually elect a lot ofLibertarians; we have to first elect a few. Wehave to demonstrate that it can be done, andwe have to demonstrate that our ideas willwork once put into practice. So Libertarians doneed to concentrate their efforts on the racesthat have the best shot at victory. Some aspectsof the best races to target, such as swingdistricts or open seats, can be determined farin advance. But such things as death of orscandal by the incumbent can arise late in acampaign, presenting opportunities forvictory we can only capitalize on with full slates.

Remember: The only thing that will ensurethat a Libertarian doesn’t win an election isfor a Libertarian to not run in the race.

Another strategy question is:

★ Should we run national level and state-wide candidates for outreach, or . . .

★ Run local candidates where we have achance to win?

Again, we should take yes for an answer.National level and statewide campaigns doprovide the most bang for the buck in termsof free media, outreach, and short-termmembership growth for the party. But winninglocal elections is crucial to our long-termsuccess. We must build a support base for ourcandidates by winning locally to set the stagefor larger victories later. By having a strategywhich encourages lots of candidates at alllevels, our candidates will be able to run inthe races which are important to them, settingthe stage for them to do the best job possible.

This manual is written from the standpointof a state where ballot access and filing feesare relatively reasonable. There will be littledifference in recruiting techniques if yoursituation is more difficult — but your successrate will naturally be somewhat less, and youwill have to concentrate your resources more.

I hope this manual is helpful. Good luck inrecruiting your army of candidates.

Ron CrickenbergerLibertarian Party Political Director

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SECTION ONE

The Critical Importanceof Libertarian Recruitment

The purpose of a political party is toadvance its political agenda byrunning candidates for office. Yet in

a small, growing party where ballot status isnot automatic and the chances of losing theelection are great, finding people willing torun as Libertarians is often a serious problem.It takes courage for a person to understandthat his or her effort may bring littleimmediate reward, but is instead a steppingstone toward long-term success.

But, of course, it is a vitally importantstepping stone. The party needs thousands ofcredible, energetic, articulate candidates eachyear, both to spread our message in apolitical context, and to set the stage forfuture electoral victories by convincing votersthat the Libertarian alternative belongs in themainstream of political discussion.

Our past experience shows that the morecandidates a state runs, the higher theaverage vote for all of their candidates, thehigher the top of the ticket scores, and themore wins they get. For example, in 1988, thethree states with the lowest number of votesfor Ron Paul were New York, Kentucky andTennessee with two, none and two candidatesrespectively. California, Texas and Utah hadthe most candidates, and the highestpercentages for Ron Paul. When New

Hampshire followed a strategy of running asmany candidates as possible, they gained andretained their ballot status for several cycles.When they decided on the alternate strategyof concentrating on just a few candidates,they lost ballot status. In 2000, California ranthree times as many candidates as any otherstate, and had three times as many wins.

By running only a few candidates wearen’t seen as much of a threat. With a lot ofcandidates, the media takes us moreseriously. Even if not all of those candidatesrun active campaigns, Saul Alinsky’s Rules forRadicals applies — “Power is not only whatyou have, it’s what your enemies think youhave.” And when they take us seriously, theyhave to respond to our agenda.

Here, then, is a guide to perhaps the mostimportant Libertarian Party activity otherthan being a candidate: recruiting candidates.We’ll show you how to locate and convincethe best men and women to run, and therebyturn your state party into a political force tobe reckoned with.

Why Run?

A Libertarian Party that contests over halfthe seats up for election to a particular

legislative body — Congress, a statelegislature, a city council or countycommission — has become, overnight, athreat to the Establishment. Maybe the partydoesn’t have a lot of money, but that doesn’t


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change the fact that suddenly, the potential isthere for a massive redistribution of power inthe upcoming elections. It’s something thateven the most ignorant reporter canunderstand and explain in 30 seconds. “Whatkind of a threat is the Libertarian Party thisyear? Well, if elected, they would control theState Legislature.” Even if they disagree withour platform, a ballot packed withLibertarians forces the media to addressLibertarian ideas.

It also exposes our opponents toLibertarian ideas, and often moves them, or atleast the debate, toward the side of freedomas they campaign. Ask almost anyexperienced Libertarian candidate, and theywill tell you that at least one of theiropponents began moving toward at leastsome Libertarian positions during the courseof the race. In some cases our candidateshave caused the Republicans and Democratsto argue over who was the most libertarian.At the very least, our opponents are forced todebate Libertarian positions. Win or lose,Libertarian campaigns do make a difference.

Another argument for a ballot packedwith freedom fighters is very practical. It’s aquestion of the huge amount already investedon ballot access. Gaining ballot status cancost a state as much as $100,000 (by ballotaccess expert Richard Winger’s estimate.)Putting individual candidates on the ballot isusually an inexpensive process, from $15 to$250 depending on the office, and the state.The big money has already been spent. Whywaste such a large investment?

Finally, having more candidates naturallygenerates more money and energy. Peoplewho run for office develop loyalty to theparty. A candidate is more inclined to spendtime and money on himself than some othercandidate. For example, the candidate may bereluctant to donate more than $25 to a

presidential candidate, but would thinknothing of spending $200 or $300 for his ownsigns. Running lots of candidates creates asense of momentum, and gives the state partyleadership some bragging rights. The overalleffect is to increase involvement in time,effort and money.

The Party-Building Benefitsof Candidate Recruiting

For the most part, Libertarian candidatesare made, not born. Few of the thousands

of candidates the party has fielded wouldhave run at all if left to themselves, and manywho were willing to have their names put onthe ballot would never have run active campaigns.

But when candidates are recruited,developed, and supported by their fellowLibertarians, this support can make thedifference between mediocre and effectivecampaigns — and can bring vast benefits to astate party. Here are a few examples of howstate parties mobilized to recruit candidates,and the benefits they received for their work.

Vermont Runs One-In-ThreeMembers for Office

In 1996, the Vermont Libertarian Party ransix candidates who received a total of about20,000 votes. Their highest vote was 3.2%. In1998 they ran 44 candidates and receivedmore than 80,000 votes. They elected twoLibertarians, including state RepresentativeNeil Randall, and set the stage for additionalvictories the next spring.

What was the secret to their success? Awhole lot of elbow grease on the part of a fewparty leaders, and a previous version of thisvery Candidate Recruiting Manual. “I followedthe plan and used all the arguments, and it


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Vermont voters a real alternative, and wouldin itself be a noble effort for liberty.

“Here too, party leadership did most of thetiresome bureaucratic paperwork for each andevery candidate, and submitted it to the Secretaryof State’s office by the required deadlines. Itwas a big effort but it made it easy for thecandidates. Originally, only a few of us plannedto run active campaigns. But once officiallynominated, many who did not plan to be activecandidates got inspired and ran actively also.

“The need for party leadership to shoulderthe burden, and maintain frequent contactwith the rank and file on these projects, is anabsolute must. If one acts on the principle thatparty leadership should merely outline whatneeds to be done and then step back and letthe rank and file do it their own way, little ornothing will happen. Leadership requires work,and cannot be achieved by personality alone.

“When I became State Chair of the VermontLibertarian Party shortly after we ran sixcandidates in 1996, most people treated ourparty with patronizing indifference. Afterannouncing a slate of 44 candidates in 1998,the change was almost palpable. If a partyruns a broad slate of candidates, their verypresence on the political landscape makes theparty hard to ignore, and draws attention ona continuous basis. The press began dealingwith our party with far greater respect. Wegot many more opportunities for publicappearances and there was an increase inpress play. And, as State Chair, I wasapproached at least two or three times a weekby some legislator or candidate from anotherparty who suddenly wanted to be my friendand who wanted to persuade me that he, too,was a libertarian albeit with a small ‘l.’

“Running candidates is what parties do.If you run a lot of candidates you become afactor. It’s as simple as that. If you do not run

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worked,” said State Chair (1997-’98) ChrisCostanzo. “Using the manual wasinstrumental in recruiting our record slate ofcandidates.” Fully one-in-three party membersin Vermont stood for office in 1998.

Costanzo explains the rest of theirremarkable improvement:

“In 1994, the Vermont LP was moribund.It had no more than a score of members,mostly inactive. Revitalization efforts led tosix candidates in 1996. Four of thesecandidates were for statewide office, so thename of our party showed up on all ballots.Most did not run very active campaigns, yetthe showing of about 20,000 votes indicatedthat electoral support for Libertarians ispossible in Vermont.

“In 1997, we reorganized ourselves as anestablished party under Vermont law. Thiscalled for caucusing and forming towncommittees in at least 10 towns throughoutthe state. We ended up caucusing in 20 towns,and got considerable publicity for doing so.To achieve this required making it as easy aspossible for the Libertarian caucusers. Partyleadership did most of the paperwork foreach caucus, and guided the caucusingcommittees every step of the way by periodicmailings, telephone calls, and visits.

“Buoyed up with success in caucusing in1997, the party’s leadership was able to ridethe momentum and recruit a large number ofcandidates in 1998. The Vermont leadershipnever asked anyone to run for office. Such arequest usually evokes a negative reaction interms of time, money, energy, publicappearances, speeches and debates. Instead,we asked party members for permission toput their names on the ballot as passivecandidates, pointing out that their merepresence on the ballot, with the word‘Libertarian’ after their names, would offer


a lot of candidates you become a joke, andyou are rendered pathetically silly on thepolitical landscape. If you run lots of candidates,your party membership grows, you gaininfluence, and you generate curiosity aboutyour message. If you do not run a lot ofcandidates, nobody gives a diddly-damn aboutyou. There is no getting around this truth.”

The Pennsylvania Experience:Ballot Driven Recruiting

Pennsylvania’s long history of runningmany Libertarian candidates has been

fueled in part by their state’s ballot laws.Ballot status there requires considerablepetitioning each election cycle, but candidatesat different levels can combine petitions toachieve both their individual status andcontribute to the status of other candidateswhere their districts overlap. Thus, candidaterecruitment became a fundamental part oftheir organizational efforts.

According to Pennsylvanians whoorganized their early candidate recruitmentdrives, achieving the goal of recruiting asmany candidates as possible had severalbenefits. Gaining ballot status was mucheasier, since so many had a personal stake inthe effort. Local activists were moreenthusiastic because they had their own“favorite” to cheer for. And the news mediatook note of the fact that so many candidateswere running, treating the party as a wholewith greater respect.

The Indiana Experience:Increased Visibility,Credibility, Momentum

In 1998, one-in-five Libertarian Partymembers in Indiana put their principles on

the line by putting their names on the ballot— a record total of 89 candidates in all. Two

Libertarians were elected in contested,partisan contests. In their target district ofJefferson Township, top-of-the-ticketSecretary of State candidate Steve Dillonreceived more votes than either the Democrator Republican candidates.

State Executive Director Sara CothamChambers recounts their recruiting success:

“Rob Shuford, State Chair, was the leaderof the recruitment effort in 1998. He put afocus on running more candidates than ever,especially since this was the year for ourcrucial Secretary of State (ballot access) race,and we needed to improve both our visibilityand credibility in the eyes of the media andvoters. He contacted county-level leaders andcalled many candidates himself to ensure thatwe had key positions filled. Two counties —Marion and Washington — really camethrough for us by filling their ballots withcandidates. Most of them were simplylineholders/paper candidates, but severalbecame serious and excited about the race,thus garnering coverage and momentum forthe LPI. Rob and I spent the week before theAugust filing deadline calling candidates,proofing election forms, and answeringquestions. People are interested in running,but the election code covering the LPI isincomplete and sometimes inconclusive, sothey are discouraged from taking a stab at it.Our tenacity and focus got the job done.”

Asked about the importance of running asfull a slate as possible, Sara outlined thefollowing benefits:

■ Visibility: “Most newspapers run low-level coverage of all candidates. Activecandidates get more column inches andappearances in forums. Each voter sees‘Libertarian’ on their ballot.”

■ Credibility: “More candidates equalsreal growth. The media recognizes this and

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remembers it in future election cycles. Wehad several hundred media hits betweenSeptember and November of 1998. Ourcoverage is amazing this year since we madesuch a showing in 1998! Voters remember thenames and impressions of active candidatesand want to join or volunteer if they like whatthey saw.”

■ Internal momentum: “We feel betterabout ourselves because we know we workedhard and succeeded on several levels.Members have proven to become moreinvolved, donate more money, and be prouderof their party affiliation this year.”

Asked the secret of recruiting so manycandidates Sara simply said, “The obvious:just ask. In the Marion County 1999 example,they divided the membership/prospect listsaccording to City/County Council district andasked five members to call everyone on thelist and ask them to run. It worked. I also sentout a statewide press release asking forcandidates that received over 100 media hits.It is working. We are already discussing theformation of a statewide CandidateRecruitment committee to work closely withactive counties and intensely cover the lessactive ones in 2000. As a side note, activecandidates are including their non-Libertarianpals to help manage their campaigns, thusincreasing our membership and futurecandidate lists. Our secret was to successfullyco-opt the Nike slogan: Just Do It.”

California’s Ted Browne:600 Candidates and Counting

Ted Browne has not only run for office 10times himself, he has headed up

California’s recruiting efforts for more than adecade, personally recruiting more than 600candidates.

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“As a political party, the best way to comeonto the voter’s radar screen is to runcandidates,” said Ted. “Most people aren’tinterested in politics and would not have areason to look at us — except during electionseason.”

Ted’s “secret” echoed our other championrecruiters: “Persistence,” he said. “I researchwhich of our members live in which districts,then check to see if they are legally eligible torun, then I call through the membership list.Many people never thought of running until Iask them to do so. If there’s no phonenumber listed, I try to obtain it; if still noluck, I write a letter. I try to reach all eligibleLibertarians before giving up.”

The bottom line

Fielding as full a slate of candidates aspossible brings more media, more

manpower, more money, and more credibilityfor your state or local party. Mostimportantly, it moves us all a little further onthe path to Liberty.


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SECTION TWO

Finding Mr. & Ms. Right

Before we get into the specifics ofhow to get candidates to agree torun, let’s take a moment to discuss

who should run. The ideal candidate wouldhave the money of Ross Perot, the namerecognition of Clint Eastwood, and be able tocampaign full time for a year and a halfbefore the election. And if you develop atheory that your minimum requirement for acandidate is that they be a college professor,able to explain the finer points of Austrianeconomics, and willing to invest a minimumof $10,000 and 20 hours a week oncampaigning, you probably won’t have manycandidates.

A better theory holds that mostLibertarians are potentially good candidates,and that they should be solicited, recruited,developed, and supported on a systematicbasis. Putting this theory in action, rather thatwaiting years for the “right” candidate,results in more Libertarian candidates tospread the Libertarian message and buildpolitical credibility and support.

It’s best to avoid complex screeningprocesses. In the previous examples, theindividual judgment of those solicitingcandidates determined whether prospectivecandidates were good spokespersons for theparty. The attitude was that it was preferableto have many candidates, even if a few were

bad, rather than have only one or two perfectcandidates.

That doesn’t mean that all potentialcandidates are equal, however, or that all areequally suited to run for the same offices. Acandidate who is well-known but doesn’t planto run an active campaign may be able tocreate a media buzz simply by running for ahigher office. A candidate who doesn’t have ahuge name but is well known in their owncommunity and plans an active campaign isbetter suited to a smaller race, where there isa chance of winning or bringing in asubstantial percentage of votes.

Minimal Requirements

As for the candidates, here are someminimal requirements that should leave

you with a wide field of potential candidates.Even strictly paper candidates should bewilling to do all of the following:

★ Answer any media calls promptly.

★ Fill out and return all candidatesurveys.

★ Get a good head shot photo taken.

★ Fill out any required legal paperwork.

★ Attend any candidate forums forwhich they receive invitations.

When you move from paper to infor–mational level candidates, you may wish toadd more minimums.

★ Most candidates should be able to


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raise at least some amount of moneyto finance their campaign. For toolong, Libertarians have been satisfiedto make false “votes per dollar”comparisons. Too many say, “Myopponent spent $50,000. I only spent$200 and I got 5% of the vote.” As longas we are outspent by those margins,we will always get 5% of the vote. Thisunderscores the previous point, that acandidate with less money shouldconsider which race may be the bestuse of their resources. Factors such asthe candidate’s community ties andwhether it is a two- or three-way raceshould be factors in the decision.

★ Candidates should be mature,responsible members of thecommunity. Ideally, they should havea history of community involvement.To whatever extent possible, local

candidates should personify thedemographic profile of the community.

★ Candidates should be generallyarticulate. They should have theability to answer questions about theparty’s positions in a clear,knowledgeable fashion.

★ Candidates should not haveembarrassing marks on their past.These would include actions involvingfraud or force.

One note: Successful Libertariancandidates do not always come from theparty’s ranks. There are many people who fitthe Libertarian profile, yet aren’t partymembers. Often, they will be recommendedto you by current party members. They shouldstill meet the above qualifications, and oncerecruited, they should be encouraged to jointhe party and take part in its other activities.


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SECTION THREE

How to RecruitLibertarian Candidates

You’re ready to turn your local LPinto a credible political force byfielding a team of candidates. But

before you begin recruiting, it pays to do yourhomework to identify in which races a Lib–ertarian candidate can be the most effective.

Think about every elected position at everylevel of state and local government, includingcounty commission and school board races.This process is called “political mapping.”

Focus on open seats. They offer the bestopportunities for electoral victories. It canalso be a good strategy to run LP candidatesin races left unchallenged by the non-incumbent party. If the Democrats won’tbother to challenge the entrenchedRepublican candidate, the race needs aLibertarian. Two-way races against anentrenched incumbent, while they may beeven more unwinnable for us than for themajor party that has already given up on thatseat, provide avenues for extra exposure, andincreased vote totals over what we couldexpect for the same effort in a three-way race.They also get people in the habit of votingLibertarian.

Find out what’s important to voters inthe district. Research the area’sdemographics, including voting patterns,

socioeconomic status, ethnic groups, etc. Youmay discover weaknesses of your opponents,or come across a race that would be perfectfor a particular candidate.

OK, you know which races to target. Here,then, is a suggested strategy for preparation,recruiting, and follow-up in puttingLibertarians in the race for our country’sfuture.

1The state leadership must lead. It ismuch easier to recruit candidates if you

are already a candidate yourself (assuming, ofcourse, you meet whatever legal residencerequirements prevail in your area).

2The state leadership must prepare. Thepreparation process includes:

a. Getting maps of all the appropriateelectoral districts.

b. Identifying which districts havepossible candidates (subject to the guidelinesbelow).

This is done by matching the addresses ofyour people with the appropriate spots onelection maps. In Utah, the party’s databasehas five informational fields that relate tocandidate recruiting purposes. Each member’sinformation includes: district number, statesenate district, state representative district,congressional district, and county. Themembership list can be sorted by any of these


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items to facilitate candidate recruiting.

c. Selecting a first, second, and thirdchoice (if possible) for each office.

d. Plenty of lead time is required. If thecandidate filing period opens in March,potential candidates should get their firstrecruiting letters by January.

e. Putting together a candidate recruitingteam. Depending on your circumstances,three or four people may be enough. If yourstate is large and spread out, you may want toassemble local or county level recruitingteams. The definition of an effective countyparty includes their ability to recruit theirown candidates, apart from the state effort.Any help you can get will allow you toconcentrate on weak areas.

3Prepare a timetable and quantify yourgoals. For example: Preparation and

homework will be done by X, letter will bewritten by X and mailed by X. Second letterwill be sent on X and a follow-up meeting ortelephone call will be completed by X. Theperson(s) responsible are X, X, and X. A totalof $X will be required to complete thisprocess. This money is already (a) in the partytreasury, or (b) must be raised by X date. Arough draft of a candidate recruitingtimetable is outlined later.

4Quantifying your goal is a mostimportant part of the recruitment

process. If people are going to put theirnames on the line for us, we have to prove tothem that simply filing for an office will dosomething useful for the party. Thus, “Yourcommitment is important because we aretrying to field candidates for 100% of thelegislative seats up for election this year. Thiswill bring the party credibility and help usbecome a threat to the special interest parties.”

Set this goal high — low enough to bewithin reach (at least theoretically) but highenough to make you work. Publicize this goaland create a bandwagon effect.

5Create an environment supportive ofrunning a lot of candidates. The farmer

plows before he plants. Every time youcommunicate with your party members, talkabout this numerical goal and how importantit is to run a lot of candidates. Run articles inyour newsletter — mention it in fundraisingletters — write about it in your “Chair’sColumn.” Build the bandwagon effect — andwhen you think everyone has heard enoughabout it, keep on truckin’ and talk somemore.

6Make a full slate part of your partystrategy. Filling ballots with Libertarians

should be part of a larger plan for victory. Inturn, more candidates will be attracted by anorganized effort that supports their ownefforts.

7Once you have finished your preparation,completed your homework, agitated the

pot, plowed the field, run it up the flagpole,and counted the number of salutes,implement the recruiting process. Geteveryone out of the frying pan and into thefire and see how things hop. Theimplementation phase should look somethinglike this:

a. Ninety days in advance of the candidatefiling period opening, the first letter goes outfrom the state chairman, inviting the personto consider running for office. This letter willbe two or three pages, to allow enough spaceto explain why the candidate is important tothe campaign and may include a one page“recruiting flyer” prepared by either thenational HQ or your state party. The one pageflyer is to address general questions of strategy.


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b. Follow-up letter encouraging thecandidate to run for office.

c. Personal follow-up. This phase iscrucial. It’s a good idea to telephone thepotential candidate to get a sense of his orher feelings. If they don’t say yes right away:

★ Find out exactly what their objectionis. Attached is a list of commonobjections and suggested responses.

★ Secure a commitment to “keepthinking about it.” Above all, on thisfirst telephone call, avoid an outright“No.” As long as they are still on thehook, you have a chance to get themin the boat.

★ Set up a time to meet with thempersonally. If they are resistant tothis, don’t push it. Tell them you willcall them back in “a few days.” At alltimes and at all costs, don’t let themsay “No” to more follow up.Remember: As a major survival skill in20th Century America, we all havestrong and effective defenses againstpeople who are trying to talk us intodoing something new, strange, unusual,and possibly risky. Included with theobjection list are a couple of ideas forbreaking through those defenses.

★ Immediately, send them a letter(same day!) thanking them for theopportunity to speak with them andanswer — again! — their mainobjections. Mention your progress todate (“of the 120 candidates we aretrying to recruit, 35 have said yes”).Depending on the circumstances, youmay want to contact someone else inyour local party to follow up withanother telephone call or anotherletter. If they are acquainted on afriendship or business basis withsomeone already committed to run,have the friend contact them. This can

be very effective, as it is harder to say“No” to a friend than it is to somefaceless party official on thetelephone.

★ Follow up a second time with atelephone call. At this point, you’llfind that about one-third sign upimmediately, having thought about it asecond time. For those still holdingout, remember that “the third time isa charm.” Send them another letter ofthanks and explanation (these follow-up letters should never be more thanone page) and a third call. If they arestill sitting on the fence — andassuming you have a backup — ask ifthey mind if you fall back and talk withyour “second choice” for the office.“Understand, Mr. Smith, we want youto run — you are our first choice —but we do have some deadlines thatare fast approaching, and sincerunning a full slate is so important forus this year, we have to talk with acouple of other people to see if theyare interested.”

Some will sign up at that point. Otherswill be relieved that they are “off the hook”for the moment. Complete the recruitingprocess with your second and third choices. Ifyou still don’t have success in filling that sloton the ballot, return to the original candidateand try again.

Once the candidate filing period hasopened, send another letter out to the “finalholdouts” for races you still haven’t filled andgive them another phone call. If you havetime, call them on the last day of the filingperiod — give them the current statistics, andturn on the emotion — “We really need you —you can be more help to the cause of libertythan ever before, and it’s for doing nothing,really, just going down and putting yourname on the ballot. You won’t have to do


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anything else — we’ll handle it.” You may getone or two more candidates that way. Nevergive up until the filing period is closed.Frankly, the success rate after three follow-ups is not that great — but it has occasionallyproven useful, particularly when you are justshort of a goal.

8Once committed, send them a letter ofthanks. Include with this letter any of the

legal information (such as candidatereporting requirements) etc., and how thestate organization is going to help thecandidate handle this requirement. For linecandidates, you should offer to file therequired reports for them. You may want tooffer a monthly class for active candidates.

9All the preparation in the world doeslittle good without follow up and

follow through. Candidates have been lostsimply because they didn’t make it to thefiling office by 5 PM on the final day theperiod was open.

a. The week before the candidate filingperiod is to start, send a letter to eachconfirmed candidate noting the beginning ofthe filing period. Give them the place andtimes that they can file. Schedule two or three“mass filings” where several candidates couldget together and go down in a block to file.For many of your people, this will be the firsttime they have run for office — and they may,understandably, be a little uncertain as to theactual mechanics of finding their way througha maze of bureaucrats in order to completethe required paperwork. You can also offer tofind a volunteer to go with them, if suchsupport is available. Make sure that eachcandidate has two phone numbers to call ifhe or she has problems with the filingbureaucrats.

b. On the first day of the candidate filingperiod, meet with your candidate recruiting

team. If you have teams in several areas, tryto bring them all in for a face-to-face meeting.If this isn’t possible, call them on thetelephone. Since all of you are running foroffice (remember?), one good choice for ameeting location is a coffee shop close by thecandidate filing office. Every candidaterecruiter should file for office on the veryfirst day, unless strategic reasons dictateotherwise. Copies of the “Status Sheet”should be distributed to all concerned andassignments checked.

c. During the first week of the filingperiod, contact everyone by telephone toremind them of the deadline.

d. Someone should check with theappropriate clerks every day and the statussheet should be updated.

e. On the first day of the last week of thefiling period, everyone who has not filedshould be personally contacted — with asense of urgency — about filing. Offer to getthem a ride, etc., and make sure they haven’tchanged their mind and are trying to backout. Schedule another “mass filing” for thisweek.

f. For the final day, anyone who has notfiled should be called the night before AND inthe morning. Clerks should be checked at 1PM, following the lunch hour, and more callsmade to those who still have not filed. Offerto go and pick them up — right then — ifpossible.

g. Determine the required travel time foreach holdout, and contact the clerksappropriately to find out if they have filed. Ifnot, call them — immediately – and get themon the road.

It is disheartening to work hard to recruitcandidates — and then have people flake out


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11Use candidates as a source forsuggestions for other candidates. If

they say yes, tell them what areas in whichyou are still looking for candidates and ask ifthey know anyone who might be interested inthe area. If they say no; ask them if they cansuggest someone. You may find a lot ofapolitical libertarians that way — principledpeople who simply are not party people.

on you at the last minute. Avoid this bygetting everyone filed as early as possible. Wedo not have so many candidates that we canafford to lose even one.

10Honor your candidates. Send themanother “thanks” letter once they

have filed. Print their names in your news–letter and tell everyone else to thank them.Don’t recruit them, file them, and forget them.Keep in touch — preferably, with a regularparty candidate’s newsletter of some sort.


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...................................★...................................

SECTION FOUR

The 2000 Experience

In 2000, the LP ran over 1,400 candidates,far more than its previous record of 840in ’98. Several factors came into play to

bring about this dramatic increase.■ In consultation with state parties, a very

aggressive national goal was set.■ With the national Libertarian Party’s

urging and assistance, some states that wouldhave gone for individual candidate statuspetitions, instead went for the more difficultfull party route.

■ Some innovative recruiting techniquesbrought forth large numbers of new candidates.

Ohio’s Full Party FactorBY STATE CHAIR DENA BRUEDIGAM

Ohio ran 70 candidates in 2000, whichis more than the total number of

candidates we ran between 1982 and 2000.The most important recruitment tool wasbeing on the ballot as a full party for the firsttime in 18 years, and being able to takeadvantage of the reduced signaturerequirements for filing.

The major benefit of running lots ofcandidates was increased visibility of theparty; especially press coverage and generalawareness of the Libertarian Party. Ourphones rang off the hook and we received arecord number of information requests. Thisspurred increased fundraising. We raised

enough money to run a statewide TV adcampaign, something we had never donebefore, in addition to what our candidatesraised for their campaigns.

We had to put a lot of effort intorecruiting candidates. Here’s what we did:

1. Set a goal of 100 candidates —reasonable but not outrageous.

2. Personalized the recruitmentmaterials by adding Ohio district maps, Ohiopetitioning requirements, candidaterequirements, blank petitions, etc.

3. Set up a campaign committee anddesignated them as the “head recruiters.”Their job was to study the recruitmentmaterials and then take them to the regionsand teach the region leaders how to recruitcandidates.

4. Call, call, and call some more . . . weencouraged the region and county leaders toget on the phone and CALL people and askthem to run for office. This was a very import-ant step and we found out that there are peopleout there who will run if they are asked.

5. We set up an LPO-Candidates e-maillist and included people (with theirpermission, of course) who were still unsureif they wanted to run as well as people whowere sure and kept them informed of filingdates, filing fees, petition requirements, etc.(This later became a discussion/support list


for campaigns and was very effective.)

6. We set up a website for therecruitment team to keep track of whichcandidates had filed in which districts, andwhere more work was still needed.

7. We offered to pay filing fees foranyone who could not afford it.

8. In areas where there was noorganization or where the leaders could not/would not recruit, the state chair (me) madethe calls and I followed up with a personalletter or note.

One thing I found out early on was that alot of people would say they wanted to runand would then back out for various reasons.At one point it actually looked like we wouldhit our 100 goal, but we lost about 25%.Lesson learned is to get commitments from25% more candidates than you want/need.

It also helped that our national politicaldirector came out to assist in our efforts.

For 2002 we’ll use the same approach but,should add a few things, such as having amore organized work force to help with thesignature gathering, and making better use ofpast candidates as recruiters.

Colorado 2000: MoreCandidates Than theDemocratsBY STATE CHAIR BETTE ROSE SMITH

In 2000 we ran 88 candidates for office,which was more than 3 times the number

(27) we ran in 1998, and 14 times the numberof candidates (6) we ran in 1996. We actuallyran more candidates for the state level officesthan the Democrats and were 3 short ofrunning more than the Republicans.

The one thing that helped us most wasthe passage of the Minor Party Bill that one ofour members worked to get passed into law.This allowed us to nominate candidates to theballot without petitioning. The law went intoeffect in April 1998, but it was difficult to getenough candidates that year since we had lessthan 3 months to do it.

In 2000, we had a new member — angrywith our governor’s turn-around on the gunbill — make phone calls to everyone we hadphone numbers for, asking them to be part ofour drive to run more candidates than eitherof the major parties. He was able to fill everyopen seat with the exception of two districts.One did not have any Libertarians in it andthe other only had two current members. Sixpeople failed to get the paperwork in to theSOS after agreeing to run.

The benefits that we got from all of thiswas much more press coverage, most of it verygood; the Republicans opening a real dialoguewith us; a better feeling among our members;many more volunteers and some excitedactivists; over 1000 NEW Libertarian regis-trations; and finally, 4 new county affiliates.

To repeat what we did, I would suggest:

1) Setting a reachable goal that isattractive to your membership. In 1998 weset a goal of “Half a Slate in ’98” which wouldhave been about 42 candidates. We managed27. In 2000, we set a goal of having morecandidates than either of the other two majorparties for state level races. We managed tobeat the Democrats and could have beatenthe Republicans if we would have gotten allthe paperwork in on time. In fact, 22 of theseraces would have gone unopposed if not forthe Libertarians.

2) Have someone who is a goodsalesman make the calls to people you

PAGE / 16


would like to recruit. If you have a good,attractive, reachable goal, this part of the salewill be much easier.

3) Have someone who is willing to driveout and pick up paperwork at the lastminute, no matter how far way. I drove morethan 8 hours in one day to pick up paperworkfrom 3 candidates, and more than 12 hoursanother time to pick up paperwork from 2other candidates.

4) Give good support in terms of how todeal with paperwork, how to answerquestionnaires, and how to create press kits.Training classes are very helpful as well.Forming campaign teams would be especiallyhelpful.

5) If possible, get legislation passed toreduce or eliminate petitioning.

Washington: In-PersonInterviews and theBandwagon EffectBY BRETT WILHELM

In 2000, the LP of Washington Staterecruited 3 times as many Libertarians for

partisan office as all the other third partiescombined. Our 69 candidates in 2000 werealso more than the LPWA fielded in the prior10 even-numbered year elections combined.

The best recruiting results came from in-person interviews. Our Executive Director setappointments for a volunteer to meet withmembers who were willing, typically on aweekend at a coffee shop near their home.Appointments were scheduled for 30 to 45minutes but frequently lasted 60 to 90minutes as tends to happen when kindredfolks get to talking.

Some members were too new to the

libertarian philosophy to be viable candidatesbut most were good to excellent prospects.We typically promised that volunteer activistswould do the heavy lifting of petitioning forballot access, fundraising for filing fees, filingcampaign disclosures, etc., if the memberwould “ just lend us their name to go on theballot.” A small group of activists and theExecutive Director worked overtime and thensome to deliver as promised.

A Voter’s Guide is mailed to all registeredvoters in Washington State. Our interviewerspainted a mental picture of filling the Voter’sGuide with coordinated Libertarian candidatestatements — each like a different chapter inthe same book — to introduce voters to thefeatures and benefits of liberty. Weemphasized how the Guide gave us incredibleleverage because voters would be readingabout liberty “at the point of decision.”

An amazing discovery was that recruitinggot easier as the number of candidates grew.Once we had candidates for most of thestatewide and congressional races memberseagerly jumped on the bandwagon to helpcreate a full slate. I think we could haveutilized the bandwagon effect earlier if wehad known of its existence.

The LPWA won major party status inWashington state for the first time ever withthree statewide office candidates garneringover 5%. In the process we earned credibilitythat resulted in our best news media coverageto date.

Our efforts also put the lower Washingtonstate house and the U.S. Senate into a tie. Asthe March 19, 2001 National Review articlepointed out, “. . . hardly anybody has noticedhow Libertarians have put Republicans on thebrink of losing the Senate. In both 1998 and2000, a Republican candidate for Senate lostto a Democrat by a margin much less than the

PAGE / 17


Libertarian’s total vote. The most recentvictim was Slade Gorton of Washington. In afinal tally that took weeks to add up andconfirm, he lost to Maria Cantwell by 2,228votes. A Libertarian candidate, Jeff Jared,hauled in 64,734 votes.”

There were some frustrations too. Onecandidate appeared at several forums dressedin a T-shirt and shorts. Two candidateswithdrew after the primary and endorsedtheir Republican opponents. We areconsidering drafting a contract for futureLPWA nominees to prevent a reoccurrence ofthose problems.

Other 2000 Experiences

Texas exceeded its goal of 100 candidatesby 12, more than doubling its previous

record. They mailed every member a letteroutlining the reasons for and obligations ofrunning, along with the necessary forms forfiling as an official candidate. The forms werealso posted on the party’s website. More thantwenty candidates filed just from therecruiting letter alone. The state chair, countychairs, and others made follow-up phonecalls. They also established a website forrecruiting team members to keep track ofwho had filed for what offices, and whatraces still needed candidates.

North Carolina reported good resultsusing personalized emails, followed up withphone calls. Copies of the TX recruiting letterand NC email are included in the next section.

One recurring theme from state partyrecruiters was that recruiting a lot ofcandidates made it easier to recruit evenmore — the bandwagon effect. This isparticularly true when you are close to fillinga slate. One of the best ways to utilize thebandwagon effect is with a website showingthe recruiting campaigns progress, with

information on who has filed where, whatspots still need to be filled, and the progressof petitioning, if necessary. Frequent emailupdates to drive your membership to checkout the website can result in more full slates.

California: OperationBreakthrough 2000REPORT PREPARED BY LPC EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR JUAN ROS AND LP POLITICAL

DIRECTOR RON CRICKENBERGER

The California LP’s Operation Break-through was an extremely innovative

project. The project used standard recruitingtechniques, but employed commercialcontractors to do much of the work normallydone by volunteers. Expanding the recruitinglabor to contractors led to the recruitment of162 candidates in only one month. Fourteenwent on to win their elections.

Although the cost per candidate wasmuch higher than typical volunteer basedefforts, there were numerous side benefits ofthe program. Candidates were recruitedlargely from registered Libertarians instead ofjust LP members, creating scores of newactivists. Some of the money for the projectcame from new donors, as the recruitingprospects were solicited for funds as a“backup” request if they did not agree to run.And a large pool of recruiting prospects forfuture elections was also created.

■ CONCEPTThe basics of the plan were as follows:1. Identify all possible local races for the

Fall 2000 elections.2. Determine the 10,000 registered

Libertarians with the highest votingpropensity, and who had current phonenumbers available. Data match theLibertarians to the available races.

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3. Mail the 10,000 registered Libertariansa recruiting piece, tailored to the specificraces they were eligible to run for.

4. Hire a telemarketing company to phoneall 10,000 Libertarians to do an initialscreening for interest, and solicitcontributions as a backup request.

5. Have LPC staff follow up with allprospects to confirm they will run andshepherd them through the filing process.

■ COSTOperation Breakthrough Expenses:

$22,647$4,359 for the project came through

contributions solicited from the recruitingprospects, plus another $1,100 for 44 newmemberships. The rest of the project wasfunded through targeted donations.

■ RESULTS162 candidates for non-partisan office

were recruited as a direct result of OperationBreakthrough. That is a cost of $140 percandidate recruited. 14 winning candidateswere recruited at a cost of $1,618 per win.

19 additional candidates qualified forvarious non-partisan races in the Fall,recruited earlier in the year. 181 total non-partisan candidates for the general election,plus 113 partisan candidates = 294 Libertariancandidates for the general election.

Of these, six “won” their election — bybeing appointed to office because not enoughcandidates filed for those offices.

That leaves 288 candidates who were onthe fall ballot. 14 candidates ran for office inthe Spring, but four also filed for bothpartisan and non-partisan races.

That gave the LPC a year-end total of 294+ 14 - 4 duplicates = 304 Libertariancandidates in 2000 running for 312 offices

(eight candidates filed for two offices).

Eight Libertarians won their races onNovember 7. Together with the 6 who wonuncontested races, and with Tom Tryon’s re-election bid in the spring, the total number ofCalifornia Libertarians elected in 2000 was 15.

■ HOW IT ALL HAPPENEDTop Notch Data, the voter data firm we

contracted with, dropped 9,707 letters on July14, three days before the opening ofcandidate filing. Prospects for the mailingwere selected based on being high-voting-propensity registered libertarians with validphone numbers who lived in one or morespecial districts. {Note: Special Districts arelocal governing bodies designed to deal withissues such as fire control, water distribution,airports, and hospitals. Many have budgets inthe many millions of dollars.}

Almost immediately the LPC office wasflooded with calls from interested prospects.85 inquiries were initially generated from themailing alone.

On July 25, Action Marketing — thetelemarketing firm — began making thefollow-up phone calls to all members of thelist. Action Marketing callers were trained bystaff on the LP, LP positions, organizationalstructure, and the goal of the campaign. Thegoal of callers was to filter out thoseLibertarians who expressed an interest inrunning for office from those who had nointerest at all. Those who had no interestwere then solicited for a contribution.

393 hours of calling (at $28.00 per hour)produced 221 Hot Prospects and 290 WarmProspects. Staff had to follow up with allthese prospects. Staff estimated they spent480 person hours on the project.

On August 1, LPC hired temporary staff to

PAGE / 19


assist in processing the prospects identifiedby Action Marketing. The temp turned out tobe a quick learner and was very good atclosing many “sales” to prospects who werenot sure about running for office. The tempworked approximately 100 hours, for a totalfee to the agency of $1,617.35. This was inaddition to the staff time mentioned above.

Action Marketing completed phone callson August 5 after saturating the list to 54.4%.

Filing closed on August 11 for mostoffices. Those offices where an incumbent didnot file by August 11 had their filing periodsextended to August 16.

It took staff an additional two weeks toverify that all the candidates who claimed tohave filed actually filed. In some casescandidates who thought they had filed hadonly taken out papers without returning themto the Registrar’s office, resulting in the lossof a few candidates. But other candidatespreviously unknown to us came forward andannounced that they had qualified, mitigatingthe attrition from other candidates.

In addition, LPC discovered about a half-dozen elected Libertarian officeholderspreviously unknown to us. Further, 230prospects that could not run this timeexpressed an interest in being contactedagain for future elections.

■ PROBLEMS ENCOUNTEREDToo many inquiries. LPC staff was

unprepared for the positive results of themailing and the follow-up phone calls.Incoming and outgoing calls overwhelmed theoffice. Staff (including temp) was working atpeak capacity for two weeks. Many prospectsdid not receive follow-up phone calls duringappointed times set by Action Marketing.Next time LPC should have temp staff linedup and trained much sooner.

Bad information from the counties. Incompiling data from the counties to forwardto Top Notch Data, errors were made as aresult of bad information provided bycounties. For example, San Diego County hada typo in their list of special districts thatread “County Water District.” Hundreds ofLibertarians received a letter telling them theyare eligible to run for this office, when nosuch office exists. The information shouldhave read “Cambridge County Water District.”Similarly, Santa Clara County’s list of officesup for election included “Santa Clara WaterDistrict,” which held elections in the Spring.

Not enough information. LPC had troubleobtaining district-specific information toprovide to prospects, such as: when andwhere the district meets, how often, howmuch compensation board members receive,if any, how much the candidate statementcosts, and who pays for the candidatestatement. Some districts thought to notrequire petition signatures ended uprequiring signatures. Staff was forced to giveonly general district information to theprospect and make the prospect responsiblefor uncovering the specific informationrelative to the district being considered.

No control over recruitment. LPC hadno control over how many candidates endedup filing for any one office. In fact this isimpossible to control given the proceduresused. For instance, LPC cannot stop aLibertarian who receives the mailing fromfiling for office without informing us (thishappened). Similarly, LPC cannot control acandidate who ends up filing for a differentoffice than the one originally committed to(this also happened). Having too manyLibertarians in one race can jeopardize thechance for Libertarian victory in that race(votes are split, giving any incumbents anadvantage).

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Little opportunity for follow up orsupport. Aside from receiving the standardcandidate package from the national office,recruited candidates received little supportfrom the LPC. Many were first-timecandidates.

Poor fulfillment on contributions. Actionmarketing obtained $20,623 in pledgedcontributions and memberships from their“backup” solicitation for funds. Only 26.5% ofthis ($5,459.00) actually came in. This ratiocould be greatly improved with betteroversight of the telemarketers, and morefollow-up fulfillment reminder letters.

No candidate screening. LPC had nocontrol over the quality of candidates. Ourgoal was quantity. While some small amountof screening took place during follow-upphone calls, it is far from perfect. Someprospects, for example, did not receivefurther follow up after telephoneconversations revealed that the prospectdisplayed behavior likely to embarrass theparty or was not in alignment with LPCpositions. But it is quite possible that somecandidates slipped through this minimalscreening effort and don’t adhere to theLibertarian philosophy despite their voterregistration.

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The Art of Persuasion

You’ve got the plan, now it’s time tomake the call. There is an art topersuading potential candidates to

be committed candidates. When recruiting, keepin mind that most people will not respond togeneric appeals to “run for office.” The mostproductive appeal is directed to a specificperson asking them to file for a specific office.This lets the potential candidate know thatthere is some strategy behind the request. Itclearly defines the parameters of the request.

Remember, most people are flattered whenasked to run for office. The worst they will sayis no. Here are some arguments you’ll hear —and suggested ways of turning a no into a yes.

1. I just don’t have the time ormoney to run for office.

“John, no one ever has enough time ormoney for running. But we aren’t asking youto spend a lot of time or a lot of money — thefiling fee is only $50.00, and we’ll guide youthrough everything else! We’ll prepare a guideto filling out the questionnaires you’ll get, aswell as for the financial reportingrequirements. It will probably take you anhour to go downtown to the County Clerk’soffice and file the papers. Painless and easy,John, there is nothing that you could do thatwould take so little time and as little moneythat would help us more than you filing forthat office, and that’s the truth.”

...................................★...................................

SECTION FIVE2. I wouldn’t feel right justfiling for the office and thennot running a real campaign.

“Jane, I’m telling you right now that sincewe don’t have an active candidate for yourrace, you can really help us out by puttingyour name on the ballot. Our top of the ticketcandidates are running really activecampaigns — but if we only have two or threeother candidates on the ballot, we’re going tohand the media an issue to attack us on. Noone is going to notice that you aren’t runningan active campaign. They will notice that wehave packed the ballot with libertarianchoices — making our top of ticketcampaigns that much more effective. Besides,if you file and then want to do something —but not everything — we’ll help you. You don’thave to do anything, remember, but if youwant to make yours a semi-active campaign,maybe go to a couple of candidate’s nights orfill out your own questionnaires, that’s fine.We’re easy, we can work with you.”

3. What if I get elected?I don’t have time to go tothe legislature.

(This objection is heard more often thanyou may think.)

“John, I promise you: You won’t getelected unless you decide to run a very activecampaign. Besides, I think you’d make a greatlegislator. If that miracle happens and you doget elected, it will probably be part of a


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Libertarian landslide! Then you get to be partof the new Libertarian majority in the statesenate. Give us two weeks, and being alegislator will be something you do part time— maybe one weekend a month — sort of likebeing in the National Guard. But really, youwon’t get elected without a heavy dutycampaign and spending lots of money. Ipromise you. I’m the state chairman, I knowthese things.”

4. I don’t think it does us anygood to run candidates whodon’t to do any campaigning.

“Jane, I agree, it would be better for us tohave active or at least semi-active candidatesin every race. But look, we’re just getting thisstarted, we’re still learning — we’re stilllooking for people. We just don’t have thepeople to run for every race in the way thatwe should. Since we can’t do everything, wehave to do something.

“No one will notice if most of our candidatesaren’t active. They will notice that theirelection ballot is full of Libertarians. Politicscan be real funny sometimes—things can addup in unexpected ways. No one takes a partyseriously that runs only a few candidates —even if those candidates are tremendouspeople spending a lot of money. People willtake us seriously when they see us becominga serious threat—and a ballot packed withlibertarian choices is a serious threat.

“Besides, we can’t leave our othercandidates sitting out there on a limb bythemselves, can we? If we can’t pack theballot behind them, we are letting them down.The media will pay more attention to ourcandidates when they can stand up and saythey have 5,000 Libertarian candidates behindthem. I’m running, everyone on the StateCentral Committee is running—and we needyou too. Political power isn’t what you have,

it’s what our enemies think we have. And ifwe can field a full slate of candidates in 2004,we will have power with a capital ‘P.’

“And besides, do you think that everyRepublican or Democratic candidate on theballot is an active candidate? They know theimportance of running a full ballot and theyrecruit a lot of people who don’t do muchmore than we’re asking of you.”

(Point out that even if the candidate startsas a paper candidate, there is always theoption of getting more involved later, shouldthey decide to do so.)

5. I’m afraid my careermight suffer.

“Actually, your career may be enhanced.Most people admire those who dare to make adifference. And you’ll likely meet plenty ofpeople who turn out to be excellent businesscontacts. You’ll certainly enhance yourcommunity visibility.”

6. Do you really thinkthat I’ll do any good?

“Absolutely. Without a doubt. Our top ofticket candidates will get more votes becausewe have a full ballot than they would if theyare the only people on our ballot. We will getmore, and better, media attention. This is partof our long-range strategy to bring aboutfreedom in our time. It’s not much that we’reasking, John. And I know you’re a Libertarian— you’ve been supporting us faithfully forten years. I think you’re under-rating yourselfhere, telling yourself that you really can’t doany good. You can — and you are our choice.I’m the state chairman — I know these things.That’s why I got elected, so I could makecrazy phone calls like this and harass youabout running for office (humorously). In1776, they weren’t sure of success either, butlook what they started!”


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Some AdditionalRecruitment Strategies

Humor is an excellent method for break-ing through barriers. When people are

laughing with you, it is harder for them to say“no” and keep their defenses up. Asimportant as humor is the image: Projectedconfidence, positive expectation. You are,after all, the state chair. Presumably, youknow something about politics, otherwisehow did you get to be the “chief agitator” foryour state? Thus, when you, as the state chair,tell the potential candidates that what theyare doing is important, it means something.

If you don’t know what you are doing, atleast sound like you do — which means doingyour homework. Make sure they know thattheir race is part of a coherent nationalstrategy for victory for the Libertarian Party.Their choice has not only local consequences,it has national consequences.

★ Use emotion. Don’t be afraid to wrapyourself in the flag and stand on theplatform of the American Revolution (“Weneed to recruit Minutemen for the ’90s”).It may sound hokey, but people expectpolitics to be hokey. Most do not do thingsfor rational reasons — they do them foremotional reasons. If they have children,appeal to their sense of duty as parents.

★ Consider using any argument or tactic, aslong as it is not un-libertarian. Appeal toemotion, reason, religious values, businesshopes. Point out that there are advantagesto being a candidate, such as namerecognition, respect, media attention, andadvancement within the Libertarianmovement. Study your people, figure outwhere the buttons are, and push them. Ifthey have a favorite issue — persuadethem with the fact that they will be able topromote that issue in the press.

★ Persistence is a virtue. “Hi, it’s me again,your friendly neighborhood libertarian

chairman, calling to pester you aboutrunning for the state legislature.”

★ Look for objections within objections —and beware of someone who tells you“Yes” to get you off his her back with nointentions of following through. When it’stime to get to the filing office, you can’tafford no-shows.

★ I will also admit to appealing to thevanity of the person recruited. “Jane, wesimply don’t have anyone else. You are ourlast and best hope. The ball is in yourcourt and you have all the cards. You canreally make a difference this year.” Maybeyou don’t have anyone else because no oneelse was crazy enough to want the job, butdon’t tell them that.

★ Finally, don’t hesitate to use bribes. If youmust, offer to help the candidate move,clean out his garage, put up storm windows,or whatever it takes. If it will put anotherLibertarian on the ballot and move us onestep closer to a Libertarian society, it’sworth it!

★ Use every means possible to ask peopleto run — newsletter, email, meetings, anda personalized mailing to every memberoutlining the overall strategy and askingthem to run. But recognize that almost allof your “closed sales” on candidates willcome from one-on-one, personal requests.

★ Create a “Bandwagon Effect” by constantannouncements of newly announcedcandidates. Create a website for partymembers and recruiters to track therecruitment campaign’s progress.

★ Make sure every party member andevery other prospect gets full informa-tion on running, including filing forms,petitions, and other qualifying information.Make the forms and information readilyaccessible on the Internet.

★ Start Early! A few candidates on boardearly will jumpstart the recruiting process.


...................................★...................................

SECTION SIX

Key Points onRecruiting & DevelopingLibertarian Candidates

P utting Libertarian candidatesbefore the voters is such animportant step on the road to

freedom that it’s worth reiterating thesecentral principles. Keep them in mind as youbuild a winning team of candidates.

1Develop a consensus among party activ-ists that running candidates is an

important and integral part of party activities.

2All potential candidates should be askedto run. Comparatively few will volunteer,

but many will agree if approached.

3Avoid complex screening procedures forcandidates. It uses precious time and is

usually unnecessary. It is better to have manycandidates — with a couple of bad candidates— than to end up with only one or two goodcandidates.

4Demonstrate to potential candidates thatthe party is willing to support their

efforts with volunteers, money, materials, oradvice. Prove your commitment — in writingif necessary.

5Hold training sessions for all of thecandidates in the area. They’ll hone their

skills, and they’ll feel like they’re part of adedicated team.

6Don’t reject “paper” candidates if amore serious candidate isn’t available.

Lineholders often evolve into activecandidates.

7Use every means possible to ask peopleto run — newsletter, e-mail, meetings,

and a personalized mailing to every memberoutlining the overall strategy and asking themto run. But recognize that almost all of your“closed sales” on candidates will come fromone-on-one, personal requests.

8Create a “Bandwagon Effect” by constantannouncements of newly announced

candidates. Create a website for party membersand recruiters to track the recruitmentcampaign’s progress.

9Make sure every party member and everyother prospect gets full information on

running, including filing forms, petitions, andother qualifying information. Make the formsand information readily accessible on theInternet.

Start Early! A few candidates on boardearly will jumpstart the recruiting process.

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10


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...................................★...................................

SECTION SEVEN

Sample RecruitingLetters & Scripts

Texas Recruiting Letter

December 13, 1999

“Now is the time for all good mento come to the aid of their party”

Dear Fellow Libertarian Texan:

Remember this sentence from high schooltyping class? It seemed really stupid backthen, but it sure makes sense to me rightnow! Now IS the time for all good men (andwomen, of course) to come to the aid of theLibertarian Party of Texas.

Nationally, the Libertarian Party set a goal of2,000 candidates in the year 2000. The TexasLibertarian Party set a goal of 100 candidatesto do our part here in Texas. To do our part,we need your help now.

If we want liberty, we’ll have to win a lot ofelections. To win elections, we have to runcandidates. We need candidates for officeshigh and low, local, state and national,partisan and non-partisan. But we especiallyneed partisan candidates. And in order to runfor just about any partisan race in Texas, youare going to have to file before January 3rd.

Why am I writing to you? Because you canhelp the Libertarian Party and the cause ofliberty by becoming a candidate. Because youmight be the person whose candidacy willsave the Libertarian Party more than$100,000 (read on to find out how). Becauseno matter how little time, money orexperience you have, your candidacy will helpthe cause of liberty.

The National Libertarian Party just budgetted$1,000,000 for advertising in the year 2000.Harry Browne, one of our presidentialhopefuls, has already raised more than$1,000,000, most of which he intends to usein advertising. Who knows how much more hewill raise in 2000. The Texas LP already has$30,000 in the bank, and hopes to have$60,000 to $75,000 available for advertisingby the fall. The Libertarian message will beheard in 2000 like never before. And everyLibertarian candidate in the country willbenefit from the coattails of our presidentialcandidate.

But how will we benefit if we do not runcandidates? The answer is — we will not. Onlyif we run candidates at every level. Only if werun as many candidates as possible. Only ifyou help us out. Be a candidate. And we’ll bethere to help you every step of the way. We’llkeep it as painless as possible.

We must achieve a 2% vote total in thepresidential race in Texas, or 5% on anystatewide race to maintain ballot access forthe 2002 election. If we fail, we’ll need to


collect over 75,000 signatures, at a cost of morethan $100,000. Your candidacy could makethe difference. Will you help us achieve this?

We need active candidates. Candidates withthe time and initiative to get out there andspread the Libertarian message. And eventhough we are legally forbidden fromdonating money to your campaign, we canprovide support in the form of assistancewith filings, party and issue specificliterature, non-candidate media, web pages,software, training, advice, etc. We’ll doeverything we can to help you out.

We need placeholder candidates. These peopleneed only file and hold a position on the ballot.Then, we can put in a replacement where theresults will be most promising, such as in arace with only one Democrat or Republican.

We need paper candidates. Lots of them. Justseeing lots of names on the ballot with that“Lib” next to them helps the party out. Everyelection we receive feedback that people havenot only voted for us, but investigated theparty because of our ballot presence.

We especially need lawyers. If every lawyerthat meets the office requirements would signon as a placeholder, we’d only need one ortwo serious judicial candidates to give us areally good shot at 2002 ballot access. Pleasecall me if you meet these qualifications so wecan talk it over.

If you can help, here’s what to do:

1) If you will run for a county, StateSenatorial or State Assembly position; or, ifyou will run for your own Congressionaldistrict; or, will run an active statewide race:

(a) Decide which race you want to run forfrom the enclosed list. If Public Weigher isyour choice, check with your County Clerk

to make sure the position exists in yourcounty.

(b)Determine whether to file with your countychair or the state chair from the enclosed2000 Public Office list. If you file with yourcounty chair, call them first to let themknow you are running. If for some reasonyou cannot contact them, call meimmediately.

(c) Fill out the enclosed Application forNomination form.

(d) Have the Application for Nomination formnotarized.

(e) Mail the form to the appropriate chair,making sure your full return address is onthe form (for proof of timely submission).If you are not sure, or your county is notlisted, call me and we’ll assist you.

2 ) If you will be a paper candidate or aplaceholder in a Congressional or statewiderace, please call me so we can discusswhere your candidacy will best help theparty. Remember: you do not have to live ina congressional district to run for theposition.

Please think it over — but not for too long. Allapplications for nomination must be receivedby January 3, 2000. That means the formsmust be mailed in 1999. You can make a bigdifference by running.

If you have questions, feel free to call me at512-280-6540 (home) or 512-465-1875 (work).

Yours in Liberty,Geoffrey J. Neale, State ChairLibertarian Party of Texas

PS: We also need campaign managers andworkers. Call me to volunteer, and we’llmatch you up with candidates in your

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area. Or e-mail me at [email protected]•

PPS: Even if you can’t run, you can still help.We need your emotional, inspirational,and financial support, now andthroughout the coming election cycle.Your donations are always welcome, andwill be put to good use. Just mail anycontributions to the Houston P.O. Box.You’ll be helping the cause of liberty.

Ohio Recruiting E-mail

Ohio Candidate Recruitment UpdateFrom Political Director Ron CrickenbergerReply to: [email protected]

Record slate already announced — morecandidates sought.

Filing Deadline: January 7

Dear Ohio Libertarian,

Nationwide, more than 500 Libertariancandidates have already announced they willrun for office in 2000, putting us on mark torun 2000 candidates across the country nextyear.

More than 90 Ohio Libertarians haveannounced they will run — already a recordslate, and we expect to top 100 candidatesbefore the deadline.

But the deadline for filing — January 7 — isfast approaching. And there are still morespots on the Ohio ballot without a Libertariancandidate than with one. Candidates are nowbeing actively recruited for all offices fromState Representative to statewide.

Wouldn’t you like to see a Libertariancandidate in every spot on your ballot nextNovember? Don’t you want the chance to votefor a candidate:

■ Who truly understands the Constitutionand the Bill of Rights?

■ Who believes that freedom works andfreedom is right?

■ Whose stand on the issues matches yourown — pro-freedom — every issue — allthe time.

That candidate could be you! Without yourhelp, the LP’s goal of running 2000candidates for the 2000 elections is only agoal, not an achievement. Declaring yourcandidacy will turn the words into action.

Filling the Congressional slate is especiallyimportant in Ohio. The Libertarian NationalCommittee has adopted the goal of runningat least 218 candidates for the US House ofRepresentatives as one its most importantgoals for 2000 — putting it on the same levelof importance as 50 state ballot access. 218US House candidates — if all were elected —would constitute a new majority in the Houseof Representatives. No third party has beenable to challenge a majority of House seats in80 years. Just their presence on the ballot willpresent a threat to the political establishment— and is sure to draw the attention of themedia.

Ohio is one of the easiest states in thecountry for Libertarians to get on the ballot.Some states require as much as 25,000petitions and $4,000 in filing fees just to getone Libertarian Congressional candidate onthe ballot. In Ohio all that is required are 25valid signatures of registered voters, and an$85.00 filing fee. Every candidate opportunitynot taken in Ohio will have to be made upelsewhere at a much higher cost.

While we would like to see active, competitivecampaigns in every district, there is still greatvalue in filling every possible slot. Fieldingfull slates brings more media, moremanpower, more money, and more credibility

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for the LP. Time after time we see that themore candidates a state runs, the more mediathey get, the better the average vote for alltheir candidates, the better the top of theticket does, and, most importantly, the moreLibertarians they elect. You will greatly helpour total effort even if your campaignactivities are limited just to putting yourname on the ballot.

A political party exists for the purpose ofmoving public policy by fielding and electingcandidates to public office. The morecandidates we have, and the better campaignsthey run, the further we will move policyalong the road to freedom.

Our campaigns are the first exposure toLibertarian ideas that most Americans get.Without candidates and campaigns, we areinvisible. Running for office is the single mosteffective way to promote the freedomphilosophy.

Don’t stand by and let big government justkeep getting bigger and bigger. Give yourneighbors the chance to vote for a candidatethey really want, instead of a choice betweentwo evils.

Make sure your ideal candidate is on theballot. Join Team 2000 as a Libertariancandidate.

But do it now. The opportunity for recruitingpartisan candidates in Ohio ends January 6.

For more information about running foroffice in Ohio, contact:Dena Bruedigam Chair, Ohio Libertarian [email protected] or (614) 444-2493

North CarolinaRecruiting Email

Howdy Brian! I hope the New Year is treatingyou well. I know that you’re probably busierthan ever, but this year, more than ever, weneed you to put your name in for publicoffice. Do you think I could interest you in aspot on the ballot for NC State House?

Brian, it really won’t be that difficult to run.The requirements are minimal, and most ofthem would be more fun than work. Thethings you would need to do are:

■ File for office before February 7th at noon,and pay the filing fee of $208;

■ Answer the questionnaires you receivefrom the media and various political groups(wouldn’t you enjoy the opportunity to telleveryone what you really think?);

■ Return reporters’ phone calls in a timelymanner (just think, they may actually writenews articles on you and your Libertarianviews);

■ And of course, if you win, be willing toserve (but frankly that’s not likely unless youtry really, really hard).

We are getting ready here at the state partylevel to give you the help you need. We canhelp you put together a press packet, fax yourpress releases, and otherwise give you thetraining and information you’ll need to run aseffective a campaign as you want.

I know I’m asking for a significantcontribution of your time and effort (and alittle money). But think of the payoff. Thinkof every voter in Charlotte having aLibertarian choice for State House. Think ofhow your campaign can help bring more

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people into the Libertarian Party. Think of theimpact when voters across the state seeLibertarians running for every office fromPresident to Soil & Water Commissioner.They’ll know we are for real. By helping theLibertarian Party establish a strong ballotpresence, you will be hastening the day whenvoters see us as a legitimate choice onelection day. And you know what the nextstep is after that — elected Libertarians allacross North Carolina!

Brian, please think it over and let me know ifyou are willing to make this commitment tobuilding the Libertarian Party in NorthCarolina. Let me know if you have anyquestions or concerns, and I’ll be happy toanswer them. Thanks for your consideration,and for your support of the Libertarian Party!

Yours in liberty,Sean Haugh, Chair, Libertarian Party of NC

Marion County (Indiana)Phone Script

Hello, this is ______________ with the LibertarianParty of Marion County. Hi! Is this an okaytime to call you? Is it okay to ask you a fewquestions?

[If this is not a good time for the person totalk, find out when to call him or her back]

I’m calling because we are looking forcandidates for the ____ election. We have overeighty positions to fill just our local ballot—everything from two Congressional racesdown to contests at the township level.

Have you ever considered running forpolitical office?

[This is leading question intended to engagethe callee. It is assumed that everybody has

“considered” running for political office—some more seriously than others. Responseswill range from “yes” to “not really."]

In your area of Marion county there will bestate and local elections for:

[Read this information from computerprintouts]

Would you consider running for one of theseoffices?

[This question could elicit a “yes” response, inwhich case you should continue with theCANDIDATE SCRIPT directly below; or itcould elicit a negative response, in which caseyou should go to either the LINE-HOLDERSCRIPT or the VOLUNTEER SCRIPT, dependingon the nature and brevity of the callee’snegative response]

■ CANDIDATE SCRIPT

[At this point, your goal is to gauge thequality of this potential candidate in terms ofsuch factors as enthusiasm, commitment,libertarian understanding, personality, andrespectability]

That’s great news. It sounds as if you havealready given the question some thought. Letme tell you about some of the qualities we arelooking for in candidates, and then ask youabout your particular interests and level ofcommitment.

First, understand that we are committed torecruiting the best and most activecandidates for the most prominent andimportant races, such as for Indiana Houseand Senate seats. And we are committed totraining these candidates to be the best they(or you) can be. Thus, to run for a ratherprominent office, such as for State House orSenate, requires greater commitment than to

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run for a township or school board office.

Now, with that said, tell me a little aboutyourself. (Don’t grill them, but ask suchquestions as:) Where are you from? How longhave you lived here? Where did you go to highschool, college? What class were you in? Whatdegrees did you attain? What do you doprofessionally (or non-professionally)? Do youlike what you’re doing? How (and when) didyou become a libertarian? Are you fairly-wellversed on the libertarian philosophy? Do youread libertarian books and materials? Whatdo you regularly read?

What particular office appeals to you? StateHouse? School Board? Why?

Do you have much time to spare on behalf ofyour candidacy? Would you be willing to:

Attend and participate in bi-monthly (twice amonth) candidate training sessions(tentatively scheduled for the first and thirdWednesday evenings each month),

Devote at least ten hours per week to yourcampaign (particularly in August, September,and October),

Ask friends and relatives for contributions oftime and money for your campaign,

Work with others in coordinating volunteersand electors in your campaign?

I will share this information and yourinterests with the Candidate Committee atour next meeting. When is a good time to callyou back? Please expect another call from theCandidate Committee during the next coupleof weeks. Thanks.

■ LINE-HOLDER SCRIPT

[Employ this script when the callee respondsunfavorably to being an active candidate.]

You understand that our party wants activecandidates for the major offices, but for thesmaller races, we’ll settle for beingrepresented on the ballot. Would youconsider representing the party merely as aline-holder on the ballot, withoutcommitment or obligation to activelycampaign?

[If the answer is “no,” go to the VOLUNTEERSCRIPT. If the answer is “yes,” find out forwhich office(s)the person is most interestedand appropriate, confirm the person’s nameand address, and try to get some volunteercommitment.]

That’s great news. Do you have a preferenceof running for a particular office? What isyour second preference? As well, may I putyou down as a volunteer for the ____ election?The Libertarian Party is always looking forpeople to leaflet and canvass theirneighborhoods, to help get out the vote, andto be our eyes and ears at the polls. Can I letour volunteer coordinator know you willhelp? Thanks. Please expect to hear from ourvolunteer coordinator soon.

■ VOLUNTEER SCRIPT

[Use this script when the callee refuses to beany kind of candidate. You may wish tosubstitute this final part with a request forfunds to help your candidates.]

Yes, I certainly understand. Not everyone hasthe time, means, or desire to run for publicoffice. Nonetheless, can I put you down as avolunteer for the ___ election? The LibertarianParty is always looking for people to leaflet

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and canvass their neighborhoods, to help getout the vote, and to be our eyes and ears atthe polls. Can I let our volunteer coordinatorknow you will help?

YES ENDING: Thanks. May I confirm yourname and address? Please expect to hearfrom our volunteer coordinator soon. Thanks.

NO ENDING: Well, I am grateful for your time.May I confirm your name and address? Don’tforget to support the Libertarian Party thisyear. Your contributions of time and moneyare always appreciated. Thanks again.

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THE LIBERTARIAN

PARTY

Libertarian National Committee, Inc.2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100

Washington, DC 20037(202) 333-0008 ★ Fax: (202) 333-0072 ★ www.LP.org

For information about the Libertarian Party call toll-free: (800) ELECT-US

The purpose of the Libertarian Party is

to move public policy in a Libertarian

direction by fielding and electing

Libertarian Party candidates. It follows

that the more candidates we have and

the better those candidates are, the

further we will move policy along the

path towards freedom . . . The only

thing that will ensure that a Libertarian

does not win an election, is for a

Libertarian to not run in the race.

From the Introduction by Ron CrickenbergerLibertarian Party Political Director

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Candidate Recruitment Manual

News & Politics

Transcript of Candidate Recruitment Manual