Marc Allan Feldman dead at 56

Cleveland Clinic doc who sought Libertarian Party presidential bid found dead in Brook Park motel | cleveland.com -  Chanda Neely:

June 23, 2016 - "A Cleveland Clinic doctor who recently lost a bid for the Libertarian Party's nomination for president was found dead Wednesday in a Brook Park motel, the party confirmed.

"Marc A. Feldman, 56, of Beachwood was found at the America's Best Value Inn in the 14000 block of Brookpark Road. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office has not released an official cause of death....

"In May, Feldman lost the nomination to represent the Libertarian Party in the November presidential election. The party selected former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson....

"Nicholas Sarwark, chair of the party's national committee, said: 'We will miss his dedication as a member of the national committee and candidate for public office, but most of all, I will miss a good friend.  He was a delightful, spirited, and dedicated Libertarian who inspired and won the hearts of many. Our deepest condolences to his family on their loss.'"

Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/06/cleveland_clinic_doc_who_sough.html
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Cult, mainstream visions of libertarianism collide at Presidential debate

Libertarian Party Presidential Debate: Gary Johnson is From a Different World - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Brian Doherty:

May 29, 2016 - "The final presidential debate at the Libertarian Party National Convention happened last night (aired live on C-SPAN), featuring what most media treated as the "likely three"—former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, antivirus software innovator John McAfee, and libertarian movement mover and shaker Austin Petersen—plus anarchist firebrand Darryl Perry and surprisingly amusing wildcard Marc Feldman, selected via token ballots cast by Libertarian delegates.

"The debate lasted a punishing two hours. I was unable tonight to learn who wrote the questions, which were delivered by radio host and libertarian fellow traveler Larry Elder....

"Whoever wrote the questions did the Party, in my judgment, a great disservice. A C-SPAN audience did not need to see the five candidate pondering out loud whether drivers licences are legitimate. (Among other challenging questions that could serve no other purpose but to embarrass the Party and its candidates in the eyes of any random cable viewer were such pressing, burning 2016 presidential campaign questions ... as: would you have fought World War I? II? Apologized for bombing Hiroshima? Voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act? Do you think drivers need to be licensed? Should it be a crime to sell heroin to 5-year-olds? I'm enough of a movement veteran that these things just flowed by me at the time, but in retrospect they seem the worst sort of hectoring irrelevances designed to make the Party's candidates seem like eccentric loons.)

"A lot was said in two hours. Feldman, [whom] I'd previously ignored in my convention coverage, delivered a standard middle-ground Libertarian activist set of opinions, but expressed in often funny jokes, ending in his closing statements in a barn-burning rap in which he referenced every type of Libertarian activist and all his presidential opponents.

"Darryl Perry delivered straight-up passionate anarchism, with the state always the wrong answer to every problem. In talking to a couple of handfuls of delegates after the debate, it seems likely Perry will probably do better on the first presidential ballot than many might have guessed. He seemed a favorite freak-flag-fly choice for delegates who don't expect him to survive that many ballots or be the nominee. Feldman's good humor and solid Libertarianism will earn him a fair number of first ballot votes as well.

"Even among people who don't love Gary Johnson, I found few people who swore they'd never vote for him.... But the most interesting story coming out of the debate is the degree to which Gary Johnson was simultaneously the most strongly disliked, or disapproved of, candidate while still seeming the favorite of more than any other single candidate. No one got more, and more sustained, boos than Johnson did, for various departures from movement orthodoxy....

"Johnson's description of the core of libertarianism as 'fiscally conservative, socially liberal' seems to weary the serious convention crowd. That a core part of his quick discussion of immigration involves the idea that an immigrant should 'pay taxes' doesn't seem to thrill everyone either. Johnson said he first was satisfied with a 'get government out of marriage' solution to gay or plural marriage debates, but decided that the concept of marriage was so tied in to so many laws that it was better to just take a 'government shouldn't discriminate' solution. He boldly and simply stated that he would have voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which drew boos, as did his heretical opinion that drivers licenses might be a legitimate state function.

"Johnson garnered lots of boos by claiming that the free market is killing coal ... a large part of the crowd seemed ... annoyed at the idea that anything other than regulations were keeping coal down. Saying he imagined replacing the income and corporate taxes he hopes to eliminate with a FairTax style consumption tax annoyed a crowd more primed to just hear that 'taxation is theft' — though Johnson has learned enough about dealing with Libertarian crowds to use that phrase too.

"His favored technique was linking any question to some actual experience as governor of New Mexico, to remind delegates that this executive thing was natural to him. It isn't always clear most Libertarian delegates want to hear about real world experience as opposed to a passionate or smart expression of core libertarian philosophy. He did win cheers for openly calling for legalizing all drugs, but boos for admitting that some provision would need to remain in the law against supplying drugs to children.

"In his closing statements, Johnson dealt quietly with the question of whether he was libertarian enough for the Libertarians. He admitted openly that he likely was not the most libertarian candidate they could pick, but that he believed he was the one this year who could get them the most attention and votes."

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2016/05/29/libertarian-party-presidential-debate-ga
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Libertarian undercard debate televised (video)

Against ‘government at gunpoint’: Libertarian candidates debate on RT America - Aliza Krichevsky:

"From abolishing most government in favor of free markets and personal responsibility to ending foreign wars and pardoning whistleblowers, three Libertarian Party presidential candidates presented their vision for the US in a debate hosted by RT America.

"Marc Feldman, Kevin McCormick, and Darryl Perry faced each other before RT America’s 360-degree camera, in a debate moderated by Watching The Hawks co-hosts Tyrel Ventura and Tabetha Wallace.

"The Libertarian Party is the third-largest political party in the United States, behind only the Democratic and Republican parties. Its platform favors civil liberties, small government, free markets and a non-interventionist foreign policy."

"'I’m a physician, not a politician,' Feldman said in his opening statement, noting that he was an 'informed non-voter' for years before deciding he could not support either major party.

"'We absolutely are not centrist,” said Perry, adding he represented the 'libertarian wing of the Libertarian Party.' He articulated the movement’s ideology as 'self-ownership' and described taxation as 'theft, armed robbery and extortion.'

"Major parties don’t represent the average American, McCormick argued, adding that officials are 'crushing our economy' under the weight of unaccountable bureaucracy, instead of debating the issues."

Read more: https://www.rt.com/usa/342845-libertarian-presidential-debate-live/   'via Blog this'

Marc Allan Feldman: Beyond white Libertarianism

Beyond White Libertarianism | Marc Allan Feldman | The Blogs | The Times of Israel:

November 3, 2015 - "I am an American, but I am not a Democrat  or a Republican.  I am a Libertarian, a member of the largest national third party in the US.  We are believers in liberty, individual freedom, and limited government.  We support marriage equality for same-sex couples, gun rights, and ending the drug wars.  We oppose international military and economic intervention and aid.  I am a strong supporter of Israel and I am a friend of the IDF.  I support Israel with my credit card and my checkbook, through trade, tourism, education, and philanthropy, but I believe the correct amount of U.S. government aid should be zero.  I am a Life Member of the Libertarian Party,  I serve on the Libertarian National Committee, and I am a candidate for the Libertarian nomination for President of the United States....

"It was in 2009 that I learned about the Libertarian Party, the party of principle. The center of the philosophy was the non-aggression principle or NAP, expressed in the Libertarian pledge: 'I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals.' This is the message of fiscal responsibility, smaller government, lower taxes, and social tolerance, ending the drug wars and military interventions around the world, supporting the second amendment, and assuring marriage equality.

"Legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage have led people to ask if we are experiencing a 'Libertarian moment.' But the Libertarian Party remains very small, and Rand Paul, the most libertarian-ish of the Republicans, has gone from being 'the most interesting politician in America' to nearly an afterthought. I found it strange to go to Libertarian meetings and see a group nearly completely composed of idealistic white men. Why would a movement of freedom be composed of one of the least oppressed groups? This has always been a puzzle to me....

"The Libertarian Party must embrace, not only gay rights, but also women’s liberation, black civil rights, the Hispanic fight for quality education.... This will not happen by giving more power to government or giving more power to corporations that control our government. Laws do not empower the individual. Laws take power away from individuals and give it to government to enforce those laws. It must be through effective private, voluntary, action of empowered individuals.

"We must remain dedicated to the ethical principle of non-aggression. At the same time we need a new political principle, a pro-empowerment principle. 'Act to maximize the power of all individuals, (white, black, Latino, LGBTQ, Christian, Jew, Muslim, atheist, etc.) to make decisions to control themselves, their property, and their environment, as long as they are not infringing on the rights of others.' We cannot remain simply the party of Gays, Guns, and Ganja. We must also become the party of women’s liberation, Hispanic education, religious rights and civil rights, and #BlackLivesMatter.

"Call me an intersectional Libertarian populist, or just call me a New Libertarian."

Read more: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/beyond-white-libertarianism/
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Shouting match at Texas Libertarian debate

by George J. Dance

April 11, 2016 - The April 8 Libertarian Party of Texas presidential candidates' debate briefly turned into a shouting match, after Libertarian Republic website owner Austin Petersen called former Governor Gary Johnson a "defeatist" and warned the delegates: "Do not nominate this man."

Petersen, Johnson, and the other candidates were responding to a question about the nationally televised presidential debates in the fall, which the Republicans and Democrats monopolize through their bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.

Petersen used his reply to assail the Libertarian Party of Colorado, which had refused to officially invite him to its debate due to his opposition to the party's Statement of Principles: "When the state of Colorado decided that they would not invite me to their forum, specifically because they were afraid of what I had to say in their forum, we drove 18 hours that night, straight to Colorado, to give them a piece of our mind, to tell them about liberty and free speech, and to say what that really means.

"So, if you think that, when the presidential debates come around, that I'm going to slink away, even if they don't invite us, even if we don't make the high percentage, you've got another think coming: I will be there. I will be there," he added, to applause.

Petersen went on to say: "Governor Johnson has stated that there is no way a Libertarian wins the White House unless they get into the debates. What kind of attitude is that?" Johnson interrupted, "It's true!", but Petersen continued: "We've got to be champions. Listen: Why not drop out if you don't get into the debates? Because they're not going to let you in, Governor! You need a champion. I'm the Freedom Ninja, and I will fight for liberty, just like I have every day for ten years!"

After more applause, Petersen summed up: "This is a defeatist attitude: He is a defeatist. Do not nominate this man. Nominate the man who will fight for you till the very end.... Do not give in to defeatism: Fight! Do not give in!"

Next up was Johnson, who responded: "No one works harder than I have, having run for Governor twice and having been the Libertarian nominee in 2012. I will tell you, though, that what experience brings to the table, is: I don't do the things that don't work. I still work as hard, but I don't do the things that didn't work, and that was something that I learned through experience. There is no way that a third party wins if they're not in the presidential debates. I am suing the Presidential Debate Commission to bring that about." That earned a 15-second ovation

"And last week I polled at 11% in a national poll," Johnson continued. "That has never happened before, that my name has been included in this. Now, let me tell you: When it comes to the presidential debates, as the rules now stand, you have to be at 15% to be in the presidential debates. Do you think they're going to state that 'You can't be in the presidential debates' tomorrow, and I'm going to give up? Hell, no! They're going to state that maybe two, three weeks before the election. So this is a No-Give-Up the whole time. And if you think I'm going to give up, then vote for Austin!" More applause.

Petersen began replying, "Let me tell you something–," but was cut off by the moderators, who wished to move on to the next candidate, Shawna Sterling. Several minutes of confusion ensued, with moderator Jax Finkel insisting, "Mr. Petersen, you had your say; thank you very much," Petersen yelling, "No! No! No, no, no!", "Wait a minute, guys!", and "I was pressed! I was addressed!", and Finkel responding, "That's not in our debate rules; thank you." Petersen invoked Ronald Reagan's famous line: "I paid for this microphone." Other candidates then jumped in, with John McAfee telling the moderators, "He was addressed," and Marc Feldman telling Petersen to "show some respect and put down the microphone, and let Shawna speak."

When Sterling finally got to speak, she related her own experience of being excluded from a televised debate in Kentucky and suing, concluding that "the only way to beat them is to beat them in court. Johnson is doing the right thing.... Let them know: we're not going to stop, we're going to fight you, we're not going to let you put us down, and we're going to get ourselves into the debate, however and whatever it's going to take."

Petersen later wrote, on Facebook, that he had wanted to "ask Gary" whether the 2012 nominee would drop out if he were excluded from the debate, or "will you continue to fundraise for your lost cause."

Petersen has been attacking Johnson repeatedly through the state Libertarian debates, accusing the former Governor of "fear-mongering" about Sharia Law, berating him for not standing up for the right of the seriously mentally ill to bear arms, and successfully reframing one debate answer by Johnson, about whether businesses could refuse to serve gays, into a statement that Jewish bakers should be forced to bake Nazi cakes.

Audio only: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCfMhOhUm5s

Pennsylvania Libertarians elect new leadership

Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania elects new leader - News - Republican Herald - Mark Gilger Jr.:

March 31, 2016 - "The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania has elected new leadership last weekend at its annual convention in Philadelphia.

"The new team will continue to advance the LPPA’s mission of smaller government and lower taxes as the commonwealth, and the nation, look to the November presidential election, according to the party’s March 21 announcement.

"Shawn Patrick House, Lancaster County, will serve as chairman of the LPPA while Daniel Richardson, Northampton County, will serve as the party’s eastern vice chairman. Bill Sloan, Cumberland County, Karla Felty, Schuylkill County, and Richard Schwarz, Philadelphia County, were re-elected as western vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer, respectively.

"Shawn Felty, a Cressona borough councilman, had previously served as chairman....

"'Pennsylvania will matter on the national stage, perhaps more than ever, in the 2016 election,' Felty said.... 'I’m excited to see how Shawn’s energy and enthusiasm will help take the LPPA to the next level as he continues our mission to shrink government and respect everyone’s freedoms, all of the time. I’m also particularly pleased to welcome Dan Richardson to the party’s leadership team'....

"The convention held a debate among multiple candidates vying for the nomination of the national Libertarian Party for president. Candidates included former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s 2012 nominee for president, Marc A. Feldman, Darryl W. Perry and Derrick M. Reid. The event was also broadcast live over the Internet for the first time.

"Newly elected chairman House is a candidate for office in the 16th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

'What an exceptional weekend for liberty in the city where our nation was born,” House said....  'The time for change is now. The time for smaller government, lower taxes, and a return to individual liberty is now. Libertarian candidates, such as those who will be running for office across Pennsylvania this fall, aren’t just another choice, they are the choice.'

"The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania is the state affiliate of the third largest political party in the United States and advocates a return to a limited government that respects the rights of all individuals, all of the time. For more information about the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania and a list of party candidates, visit the organization’s website at www.lppa.org."

Read more: http://republicanherald.com/news/libertarian-party-of-pennsylvania-elects-new-leader-1.2024730
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Libertarians holding debate and primary in NC

N.C. Libertarian Party to hold presidential debate - Winston-Salem Journal: Local News - Melissa Hall:

"The Libertarian Party of North Carolina will host a presidential debate at 9 p.m. Monday in Raleigh. It will be webcast on Google Hangouts On Air.

"The debate will feature five of the 11 Libertarian candidates who will appear on the March 15 North Carolina primary ballot. The participants will be chosen in an online poll. To vote in the poll visit, http://strawpoll.me/6514672.

"The moderator of the debate will be Barry Smith, the associate editor of the Carolina Journal. The candidates will take part from locations across the country.

"To watch the debate, visit http://bit.ly/libertarian_debate.

"The candidates listed on the primary ballot are: Marc Feldman of Ohio; John Hale of Kentucky; Cecil Ince of Missouri, Gary Johnson of New Mexico; Steven Kerbel of Colorado; Darryl W. Perry of New Hampshire; Austin Petersen of Missouri, Derrick Reid of California; Jack Robinson of South Carolina; Rhett Smith of Texas, and; Joy Waymire of California.

"Presidential and vice presidential candidates will be chosen by delegates to the party's national convention scheduled for May 27 to 30 in Orlando, Fla."

http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/n-c-libertarian-party-to-hold-presidential-debate/article_6f1d420b-c1f7-5c62-8089-39a76bacb9e4.html
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Johnson, Petersen spar over sharia in LP debate

First Libertarian presidential candidate debate for 2016 held in Mississippi | Examiner.com - Karl Dickey:

February 28, 2016 - "The third largest political party in the United States, the Libertarian Party, saw five of its 12 presidential candidates debate last night ...  Dr. Marc Allan Feldman, Gary Johnson, John McAfee, Darryl Perry, and Austin Petersen. This is the first debate ... before the political party's membership votes for their presidential nominee in May 2016 at the Libertarian Party National Convention in Orlando, Florida.

"The debate started with Feldman explaining his campaign strategy of [limiting] his political contributions to $5 per donor ... 'struggling people who can scrape together $5 will be my largest campaign contributor and you always represent your largest campaign contributor.'

John McAfee answered the question as to why he felt he was a viable presidential candidate stating ... 'I have run multi-billion dollar businesses, I am an entrepreneur, I know what it means to have no money and have to meet a payroll which our government does not understand'....

"Johnson, who was the 2012 Libertarian Party presidential nominee said, "I have been an entrepreneur my entire life, growing a business from one person to over 1,000 people. I am an adventurer... I'm a fierce competitor and doing this in 2012 I learned a lot'....

"Austin Petersen ... 'put a Libertarian TV show on Fox that brought more people to the Libertarian movement than you could ever imagine.' Petersen was formerly an associate producer for Judge Andrew Napolitano's show 'Freedom Watch', on the Fox Business Network.

"Darryl Perry opened with, 'What I promise you is not five percent of the vote, not winning the White House, not anything other than as often as possible, as boldly as possible, proclaiming the ideas of liberty'....

"Some fireworks erupted during the debate about Sharia Law between Gary Johnson and Austin Petersen. Though Johnson started with a line about religious freedom he drew the line when it came to Sharia stating, 'Sharia is a system of government, it is politics. We need to distinguish between freedom of religion and the politics of Sharia and all of the extremism is coming from the politics of Sharia.'

"Petersen countered with, 'I am surprised to hear this fear-mongering coming from the Governor because if he read the tenets of Sharia there are actually some very libertarian aspects such as private courts, private adjudication which many of us do agree with. Let's stop with the fear-mongering Governor'....

"Johnson then asked Petersen if he supported Sharia Law and he said he did not, but it seemed the two still have a fundamental difference on the subject which will likely be hashed out in future debates.... Johnson also found himself having to defend himself on his stance on Sharia with candidate Perry.

"According to a straw poll offered at last night's debate, found that Governor Gary Johnson had 38 percent of the vote, John McAfee 26 percent, Austin Petersen at 17 percent, Darryl Perry at 15 percent and Dr. Marc Feldman received 5 percent of the vote total....

"The first nationally televised debate of Libertarian Party presidential candidates will happen on the Fox Business Network in March 2016, date and time to be announced soon."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/first-libertarian-presidential-candidate-debate-for-2016-held-mississippi
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11 seek Libertarian presidential nomination (video)

America's Libertarians promise a wild, wide-ranging debate in Biloxi | Biloxi Sun Herald - Paul Hampton:

February 24, 2016 - "Voters who think the Republicans and Democrats have put up eclectic fields of candidates probably haven't been paying attention to the Libertarian presidential hopefuls.... The 11-person race ... will be on full display at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in a debate at the Beau Rivage....

"John McAfee, who made a fortune with the Internet security company McAfee Associates, hasn't had much trouble getting press.... He was back in the news last week when he offered to decrypt an iPhone that had belonged to the San Bernardino terrorist killers after Apple refused to help the feds.... McAfee has said he ideas align with Libertarians, especially his belief government is too big and welfare is one of its biggest problems.

"Probably better known in political circles is Gary Johnson, who served as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 and ran as a Libertarian for president in 2012. He receive a little less than 1 percent of the vote.

"Austin Peterson ... was ... a producer on Fox News and runs the news magazine Libertarian Republic. He adheres to standard Libertarian ideals, but also favors issuing Letters of Marque and Reprisal, the long-abandoned practice of letting privateers fight a country's battles on the high seas.

"Steve Kerbel's campaign site describes him as a businessman [who] wrote Take 'Everyman' Down: A 12-Step Program to Servitude of the American Populace and Destruction of the American Dream. He would eliminate punishment for victimless crimes, do away with the Federal Reserve and end the income tax in favor of a 'procurement tax.'

"Darryl W. Perry of Birmingham, Ala., is the fellow who wants Bitcoin. He calls for voluntary funding of the government and abolishing the IRS and "all forms of coercive taxation."

"Cecil Ince ran for Missouri secretary of state in 2004 under the name Christopher Davis. He, too, wants to get rid of the IRS and 'the economic parasite' Federal Reserve and implement a free-market economy with limited federal restrictions. States would run Medicare and Social Security.

"Marc Allan Feldman, a native of Washington, D.C., was an anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore. He would balance the budget, audit all federal agencies and laws, show the effectiveness of charitable organizations and exempt with a tax rebate all donations to 'certified effective charities.'

"Shawna 'Pastor Shawna' Sterling of Long Beach, Calif., wants to put ice cream back in schools because 'our founding fathers loved ice cream.' And she loves the 2nd Amendment.

"Derrick Reid of Laguna Beach, Calif., tells potential donors, 'If you cannot afford $2,500, please, keep it for yourself.' He wants to restore 'Americana Greatness' using the knowledge he's gleaned from reading financial and bullion market pundits for 15 years.

"Jack Robinson Jr. of Spartanburg, S.C., is the unity candidate. He says he blends the best ideas of all our political parties. He wants a political culture "that rewards solutions and shuns the divisive tactics of wedge-issue politicians." He would end poverty, provide universal health care, equalize income and end world hunger.

"Rhett Smith of Eastland County, Texas, is the relative newcomer to the Libertarians. He has been a candidate for office since 2004 and has taken 'a pro-peace movement approach but it has been marginally effective.'"

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/news/politics-government/article62362472.html#storylink=cpy
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Libertarian presidential candidates debate Feb 27

WTVA.com | Mississippi and Alabama Libertarian Parties host presidential debate - Zac Carlisle:

February 12, 2016 - "On February 27, 2016, between 10:00 AM and 2:30 PM, the Libertarian Parties of Alabama and Mississippi will host the Gulf Coast Business and Entrepreneurship Seminar in the Magnolia Ballroom at the Beau Rivage Casino & Resort ... with keynote speakers Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico and John McAfee, creator of McAfee Virus Scan.

"Tickets to the Seminar will be available at the door for only $5.00.

"At 7:30 PM, eleven candidates for President will take the stage to lay out their campaign platform and why they would be the best option for President. Candidates will include John McAfee, Gary Johnson, Austin Petersen, Steve Kerbel, Darryl Perry, Cecil Ince, Marc Allan Feldman, Derrick Reid, Jack Robinson, Jr., Rhett Smith, and Shawna Starling.

"Debate tickets only are $25.00 and are available online as well as at the door.

"The Libertarian Parties of Alabama and Mississippi welcome everyone to attend to learn more about what the Libertarian Party stands for and what are our plans for the future.

"Tickets and more information are available online at http://www.mslp.org."

Read more: http://www.wtva.com/news/Mississippi_and_Alabama_Libertarian_Parties_host_presidential_debate.html
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