-Caveat Lector- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- ======================================= NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100 Washington DC 20037 World Wide Web: http://www.lp.org/ ======================================= For release: October 26, 1999 ======================================= For additional information: George Getz, Press Secretary Phone: (202) 333-0008 Ext. 222 E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ======================================= Buchanan: Good news for 3rd parties, but Reform Party's death sentence? WASHINGTON, DC -- The announcement by Pat Buchanan that he will seek the Reform Party's presidential nomination is good news for third parties in general -- but will be disastrous news for the Reform Party, the Libertarian Party predicted today. "Libertarians welcome Mr. Buchanan because a rising tide of well-known candidates lifts all third-party boats," said Steve Dasbach, the party's national director. "But Buchanan's controversial candidacy will probably be the U-boat torpedo that sinks the Reform Party's ship. "With Buchanan in the race, Reform Party members face a stark choice: Whether to support their party's traditional fuzzy libertarianism and generic reform impulses, or take a hard right turn towards Mr. Buchanan's scary xenophobic, authoritarian nationalism," he said. "The fuse has been lit. We're now going to see a struggle for the Reform Party's soul -- and it's going to be an ugly battle that may shatter the fledgling party to pieces." On Monday, Buchanan formally announced that he was leaving the Republican Party to go the Reform Party route. The pugnacious TV commentator may now face off against Donald Trump -- the billionaire New York developer famous for his out-sized ego, gaudy buildings, and beautiful girlfriends -- for the Reform's presidential nomination. And that high-profile nomination battle will be good for the Libertarian Party because it will direct attention away from the two older parties, said Dasbach. "The celebrity death-match between Trump and Buchanan will be catnip for journalists -- and guarantees that the spotlight will shine more brightly on all third parties," he said. "America could be entering a new era of politics, where the traditional two-party chokehold may be broken once and for all. "In such an environment, the Libertarian Party will thrive, because we're the only third party that is nationally organized, has elected hundreds of members to public office, and has a proven track record of getting our candidates on all 50 state ballots." Interestingly, it probably won't matter to the success of the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in 2000 whether Buchanan or Trump gets the Reform Party nomination, said Dasbach. "Both Buchanan and Trump are big-government politicians, albeit slightly unorthodox ones," he noted. "Buchanan wants to restrict free trade, declare a government war on abortion, close the borders, impose traditional cultural values -- and has said Adolf Hitler was a 'genius.' Trump wants to restrict free trade, close the borders, keep Social Security from being privatized -- and said he might declare war on North Korea. "Then, look at who the Republicans and Democrats will run in 2000: George W. Bush, a big-government 'compassionate conservative.' Al Gore, a big-government New Democrat-style liberal, who will offer an endless barrage of micro-initiatives. Or Bill Bradley, a big-government, old-style liberal who's running to the left of Warren Beatty. "The bottom line: Whoever the Libertarian Party nominates for president, he will be the only candidate genuinely in favor of a smaller, less expensive, less intrusive federal government. There's a demand for that kind of positive, principled position -- which won't be met by the two older parties, or by Pat Buchanan and his politics of protectionism and fear." -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBOBTbjtCSe1KnQG7RAQGtMAQArm6EKTw0Kotv8Um3tyMy D7N9Mz4hpfcs G83E7Wj+f4txeyFjHQPR5f1YS+PNkTPNaoUIZQWEgKWEm3lDeDt19x 14j1+I+Gle zTShZ7zTLw0yCVX81CrSX5JZyb8dq0rdMHR8oBYKgJICmEoe3Drv0yN4 RIYHuoif x+1tiAcjbtM= =HYX3 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- The Libertarian Party http://www.lp.org/ 2600 Virginia Ave. NW, Suite 100 voice: 202-333-0008 Washington DC 20037 fax: 202-333-0072 For subscription changes, please mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> with the word "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" in the subject line -- or use the WWW form. ------- End of forwarded message ------- -- Kathleen "A lawyer's answer, so close to the truth it could hide in its shadow." DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. 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