Don't blame me I voted for Ben Dover https://t.co/VgKPT11dgO
— Roy Edroso (@edroso) May 26, 2024
He's the one scrambling for that 3% because he knows he's at his ceiling and Biden isn't. https://t.co/pFtpOESliv
— Alito Vexillological Apologetics Society (@agraybee) May 26, 2024
I guarantee the only thing the Mises Caucus learns from this is they need stricter security at the next convention https://t.co/0c6xT6BDMn
— Environmental Services Weedle (@PartyWurmple) May 26, 2024
Even the Terminally Savvy John Heilemann, now at Puck, feels free to dump on TFG — “Donald Trump and R.F.K. Jr.’s cringe-inducing, partly hilarious, and ultimately failed forays into Libertarian Land”:
… Taking place at the Washington Hilton—best known as the site of another legit shitshow, the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner—and bearing “Become Ungovernable” as its official theme, the Libertarian convention unfolded over four days, the last of which, Sunday, revolved around the selection of the party’s presidential nominee and was televised live by C-SPAN. On the (I hope and trust entirely safe) assumption that no one reading Impolitic was batty enough to watch much, if any, of the proceedings live, I offer this account…
The truth is, both Trump and Kennedy had thoroughly beclowned themselves with their forays into Libertarian Land long before Oliver finally, blessedly, brought the convention to a close. The Trump incursion was billed by his people as another in a series of high-profile attempts—the meeting with the Teamsters in January, the visit to SneakerCon in February, the rally in the South Bronx last week—to court voters beyond the confines of the MAGA base.
Instead, the appearance turned into a uniquely Trumpian spectacle, in which the former president was roundly booed, heckled, and mocked by the delegates (some in t-shirts reading TRUMP/FAUCI 2024: GIVE US ANOTHER SHOT), prompting him to march through a series of increasingly desperate moves to try to quell the hostility he encountered: first, gratuitous pandering (“I’ve been indicted by the government on 91 different things, so if I wasn’t a libertarian before, I sure as hell am a libertarian now”); then, attempted favor-trading (vows to appoint a Libertarian to his cabinet and to commute the life sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous dark web drug clearinghouse Silk Road); and, finally, frustrated mockery of the very people he was there to court: “I’m asking for the Libertarian Party’s endorsement, … [but] only do that if you want to win. If you want to lose, don’t do that. Keep getting your three percent every four years.”
The pièce de résistance, however, didn’t come until the next day, when the party chair ruled Trump ineligible even to compete for the party’s nomination because his campaign had failed to file the necessary paperwork. (In an impressive showing of grassroots strength, he still received six write-in votes in the first round, five more than Stormy Daniels, Denali—the cat mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska—and both Sean Ono Lennon and Afroman.) Undeterred as usual by either reality or the words that had issued forth from his own pie-hole the night before, Trump attempted to explain the pratfall with a post on Truth Social: “The reason I didn’t file paperwork for the Libertarian Nomination, which I would have absolutely gotten if I wanted it (as everyone could tell by the enthusiasm of the Crowd last night!), was the fact that, as the Republican Nominee, I am not allowed to have the Nomination of another Party.”…
Difficult to imagine as it might be, R.F.K. Jr.’s face-plant in front of America’s third-largest political party was, in its way, more embarrassing—and potentially consequential. Unlike Trump, Kennedy has been flirting with a bid for the Libertarian nomination for more than a year, starting even before he abandoned his erstwhile primary challenge to Joe Biden and quit the Democratic Party. In the months since then, he’s met at least twice with Libertarian Party chair Angela McArdle. And no wonder. The biggest challenge currently facing Kennedy (or any independent/third-party presidential candidate in any year) is ballot access.
To date, the R.F.K. campaign has secured a place on the ballot in just six states, though it claims to have nine more moving through the pipeline. But the Libertarian line is already established in 38 states, making the party’s nomination valuable to Kennedy on many levels, including his argument for inclusion in next month’s Biden-Trump debate…
… Kennedy delivered his own address to the convention on Friday (drawing fewer jeers than Trump but still receiving a reception no sentient being would have interpreted as warm). Meanwhile, his elusive running mate, Nicole Shanahan, was slated to address the delegates on Sunday; and when Kennedy’s name was placed in nomination that morning—an ostensible surprise—the candidate was at the ready with a warm acceptance of what he described in a social media post as an “unexpected honor” and a “high point of my campaign.”
A few minutes later, however, first-round voting began and WHAM-O—the Libertarians slammed the door right in Kennedy’s kisser, giving him just 19 votes, or precisely 2.07 percent of the total. Almost immediately, Shanahan’s convention appearance was canceled without explanation. And with that, the dream of a Cato Institute-sponsored Camelot came crashing to the ground…
LP chair McArdle said she had meant to block off chairs last night but was called out of the room to be told to block off chairs, and she said she was accountable for the chaos that ensued. “I’m going to say that error was on us.” https://t.co/qsQkIHWUPo
— Meryl Kornfield (@MerylKornfield) May 26, 2024
Ron Paul: “A democracy is nothing more than a dictatorship of the majority.” The audience applauded. https://t.co/JL67SSb3Ig
— Meryl Kornfield (@MerylKornfield) May 26, 2024
Story: https://t.co/UERd4NdWtX
— Meryl Kornfield (@MerylKornfield) May 27, 2024
… Oliver is supported by the Classic Liberal Caucus, a left-leaning faction. After the last standing contender was knocked out, Oliver won with 60 percent of the vote against “none of the above.” The contest had fewer than 900 delegates voting.
The final contender was Michael Rectenwald, a former New York University professor who faced backlash and left his job after he invited controversial far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos to speak to his class. Rectenwald, endorsed by the right-wing Mises Caucus that had taken over the party in 2022, had been the front-runner for most of the day. But Oliver, who was in some ways a protest vote against the ruling caucus, ultimately surpassed Rectenwald in their final head-to-head round.
“In a weird way, this is a microcosm of where the country is headed,” said Dave Smith, a comic and Mises Caucus leader. “Things are so polarized.”…
Oliver, an openly gay man and sales account executive, ran in the 2022 Georgia Senate race against Raphael G. Warnock, the Democratic incumbent, and Herschel Walker, the Republican challenger, and won 2 percent of the vote, denying a victory to the two major party candidates and leading to a runoff…
Senator Mike Lee delivers a super cringe speech, desperately trying to fit in with the libertarians at the Libertarian National Convention.
He babbles about his Constitution shoes and then tries to do a Trump impression.
They boo him.
— Art Candee ???? (@ArtCandee) May 26, 2024
Only a paid agitator would boo Trump at a party convention. https://t.co/Sn4cqgQ0XO pic.twitter.com/0mTpSRWbhN
— River_Tam (@RiverTamYDN) May 26, 2024
Trump could take a dump in Mike Lee's mouth while standing in the middle of Fifth Avenue and Mike Lee would still endorse him for president. https://t.co/yhcqGwCDXM
— Ragnarok Lobster ?? (@eclecticbrotha) May 26, 2024
The MAGA cope after that disastrous Trump speech in front of the Libertarians is unreal.
?????????????? pic.twitter.com/vLYKM6qKfo
— Art Candee ???? (@ArtCandee) May 26, 2024
Rallies in NJ and NY where he has no chance, then the Libertarian Convention.
The Deep State plant in the Trump campaign is working out nicely so far.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 26, 2024
eldorado
libertarian party would be more popular if Denali—the cat mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska was on the ticket
Brachiator
If nothing else, Trump is faster than a speeding bullet with lies, bullshit and obfuscations.
opiejeanne
@Brachiator: Trump: I meant to do that.
danielx
@eldorado:
The cat would certainly have more credibility.
opiejeanne
@danielx: Except that cat died two years ago. The current mayor is a cat named Aurora, who shared the mayoral duties with Denali.
Shalimar
@opiejeanne: It’ would definitely be on-brand for libertarians to almost nominate a cat. It’s even more hilarious that it was a dead cat.
Jay
@Shalimar:
@opiejeanne:
Whut?,……..
No Bear?,…….
Boss Bear is available. but Canadian,…..
Momma Bear 128 Grazer is also available, and is Alaskan,……
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
6 votes!
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
@Shalimar:
at least they would get a dead cat bounce in the polls
Geminid
“Jackie” posted a link to the Texas Tribune’s runoff primary report in the previous tgread, at #33.
Two Republican incumbents had narrow wins: House Speaker Dade Phelan barely held off a more conservative challenger in his Beaumont area district, and Rep. Tony Gonzalez beat Brandon Herrera by around 400 votes in his Rio Grande Valley 23rd CD primary.
The last was a real relief, because Hererra would be a terrible Congressman who could make Marjorie Taylor Greene look like Margaret Chase Smith.
And in the Laredo-area, Cecilia Castellano defeated Rosie Cuellar in the primary to fill an open state House seat. Rosie Cuellar is Congressman Henry Cuellar’s younger sister.
NotMax
Libertarian party has al the credibility of a used car salesman on meth.
NotMax
Geminid
No comeback attempt for Louis Gohmert?
Good news, that.
mrmoshpotato
LOL! Thank you, you national treasure!
SpaceUnit
Our MSM political coverage reminds me of Neidermeyer in Animal House: All is well!
Their horserace BS will be the death of us all.
mrmoshpotato
So, I just learned that 1. Ron Paul is still alive, and 2. Ron Paul is still a nutjob.
Jay
@mrmoshpotato:
#3 Ron Paul want’s a different “dictatorship”,
More low fat, slightly less Nazi*.
*maybe, not.
eclare
@mrmoshpotato:
Yeah I did not know he was still alive.
mrmoshpotato
@Jay: Most likely – either way.
Baud
If Chase Oliver is smart, he’ll choose a bear as his running mate. Libertarians hate them, but women love them.
Warblewarble
Dead cat bounce for the win.
TBone
The most memorable thing about the information in this post, for me, is that there is a candidate named Afroman. How did I not know that? 🤣
His Wiki
TBone
I would like to see a cage match between Mike Lee and Afroman. My money says Mike Lee would be left crying over some missing teeth – easier to gargle Dotard’s balls that way. Thunder twat.
Suzanne
Well, I voted for Bofa Deesnuts. Because I’m ungovernable.
Libertarians are funny. Definitely funny uh-oh as opposed to funny ha-ha, but funny nonetheless.
Baud
Reddit pointed out that Trump’s latest war on EVs may help us in Georgia where they’ve attracted a bunch of EV investment.
TBone
I wonder how the flaming clown show will attempt to intimidate the jury today. It’s the last time they’ll have that chance. Dotard’s “Please don’t send me to prison!” plea, uttered by his carnival monkey Blanche, was a striking reminder of just how terrified he is and that time in lockup for violating his gag orders is still a possibility. I’d like to see Judge Merchan tack on some extra punishment for those violations. Also, he defamed E. Jean again so he’s maybe racking up even more financial penalties. Better sell some more assets, Rump Org!
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
@Baud: I think Mike Ditka is too old too run for office
cmorenc
Ron Paul: “A democracy is nothing more than a dictatorship of the majority.”
OK…so what is a dictatorship by a minority over the majority, Ron? What if the controlling minority is repugnant to the majority?
Ken
@Geminid: Other Texas primary news: Lauren Simmons won the Democratic primary against incumbent Shawn Thierry, who had voted with Republicans on some anti-LGBTQ bills.
cmorenc
@Shalimar:
Better yet still, libertarians could nominate Schrodenger’s cat. No one would know if it was a dead cat or a live cat until they opened the ballot box to count the votes.
Josie
@Geminid:
For those unfamiliar with Texas politics, Phelan’s win was a defeat for Ken Paxton, who went all out to eject him from the speaker’s position. Paxton blamed Phelan for supporting his impeachment. Phelan and Gonzalez show that the newer, wackier Republican party is not a majority yet. There is hope.
TBone
@Josie: 💙
Geminid
@Josie: I guess one question is: will Phelan’s and Gonzalez’s close wins prove to be inflection points, or only pauses in the Texas Republican party’s descent into radicalism.
Josie
@Geminid: I honestly don’t know the answer to that. I guess we will see which way the wind blows when we see how Allred does in November.