Libertarian Party Statement on COVID-19 Outbreak
Across the United States, COVID-19 testing supplies are being rationed, resulting in patients being refused testing or experiencing long delays for test results. The result is that we have a diminished understanding of the extent and characteristics of the current pandemic, an impaired ability to slow the spread of the disease with contact tracing, and delayed diagnosis of the disease.
Because the CDC declared coronavirus to be a public health emergency, regulations were triggered that prevented hospitals and private lab companies from developing their own tests. Then, the CDC botched the rollout of the test that they developed, leaving doctors unable to properly diagnose and treat their patients.
Read moreState of WakeLP
The Libertarian Party of Wake County is in “decent shape” in 2020 and getting better. That was the word from David Ulmer, county chair, to the delegates assembled February 26 for the annual county convention.
“WakeLP is in decent shape,” Ulmer said. “As in 2018, we’re taking a team approach to the 2020 campaign. People from the 2018 campaign are doing the same job in 2020; people who’ve done it before and have the experience.
Our 13 legislative candidates will run on the same issues. This year they are school choice, privatizing the ABC system, and housing affordability.
“These issues are designed to work in Wake County,” Ulmer said. “Wake County is trending left, it’s going blue. Raleigh is deep blue, and maybe there’s a little purple around the edges. So we wanted to appeal to voters with issues that appeal to them.”
We chose these issues based on analysis of polling results.
“Wake candidates will focus on under 40 votes who probably only show up in presidential election cycle,” Ulmer explained. “They show up to vote for president, maybe one or two other candidates, but they are flexible.
The most critical point, he said, is that they’re not hardcore committed to the Democratic or Republican party.
That’s something to consider when interacting on social media, Ulmer observed. “Arguing with ardent Trump or Bernie supporters is not productive, and probably not advancing our cause,” he said.
“The people we’re trying to reach may not tune in until two weeks before the election. We should spend our time focusing on our issues and educating undecided voters.
Ulmer admitted WakeLP is not quite hit the mark recruiting volunteers. He said the party has not brought in many new people with the skills it needs.
“We need to have depth and strength, and not have to depend on one or two people,” he said. The key is to ask more people to participate. If you ask five people and only two say yes, that’s OK, he said.
“The goal is not to ask, ‘What more can I do,’ but, ‘who can I find to do more,’” he concluded.
DiFiore for Governor
The convention also heard from Steve DiFiore, Libertarian candidate for governor. View Steve's comment here.
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New All-Time Record for NC, Wake Libertarians
Another year, another new all-time record for the Libertarian Party of North Carolina. In 2019, while the number of registered voters overall in North Carolina declined by four percent, the number of registered Libertarians edged up three percent to a new all-time high of 39,631.
In contrast, the number of Democrats declined seven percent, Republicans lost four percent, and even the number of “Unaffiliated” voters, the state's name for independents, was down one percent.
The percentage of voters registered as either Democrat or Republican fell to an all-time low of 66.58 percent. That continues a quarter-century decline from 91.87 percent back in 1993.
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