Former Reagan official joins Kubby campaign
In a blog entry posted this morning, economist Joe Cobb announced his endorsement of Libertarian Steve Kubby for President of the United States—and his intention to join Kubby’s campaign as economic advisor.
“I know Steve personally,” writes Cobb, who served in the Reagan administration’s White House and State Department, “and I plan to work very hard for his success in getting the LP nomination in Denver, Memorial Day weekend.”
Cobb served as Deputy Director of the Reagan administration’s Office of Policy Information, and as Economic Advisor to the US State Department’s mission to the Organization of American states. Later he also worked as Chief Economist for the US Senate’s Republican Policy Committee, Staff Director and Senior Economist for the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, and Economist for the US House of Representatives’ Banking Committee. He earned a BA and an MBA from the University of Chicago, and is a former Senior Fellow of the Heritage Foundation and the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Kubby is, undoubtedly, the frontrunner in the LP. Him and (sigh) WAR.
January 24th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
The LP needs to draft Gary Johnson. He is the best guy to pick up the mantle from RP and unite the factions. He can actually get votes. Heck, even Dondero claims (or claimed to like him).
January 24th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Enough with the drafting people who aren’t interested.
Just nominate Kubby.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Yeah, and let Kubby go down in flames with .25. of the vote just becase he is “interested” in being a big fish in a small pond. The LP has been running people like that for decades.
Gary Johnson sent a pretty clear signal by endorsing RP that he wants to be a player. It was a brave endorsement. He is superb on the issues including the war (where Kubby is weak). Johnson will get noticed by the media and he can tout his executive experience, which McCain and Hillary can’t. The LP needs to run a strong antiwar candidate or it is toast.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Yeah, and let Kubby go down in flames with .25.
How do you know?
The LP has been running people like that for decades.
Au contraire. They’ve never run anyone like him.
Gary Johnson sent a pretty clear signal by endorsing RP that he wants to be a player.
Nope. I have endorsed both Kubby and Ron Paul too. Doesn’t mean I’m interested in running for anything myself. I’m not. Neither is Gary Johnson.
He is superb on the issues including the war (where Kubby is weak).
Huh? How is Kubby weak on the war? It would help if you had any idea what you were talking about before saying it.
Johnson will get noticed by the media
Maybe. Then again maybe so will Kubby. But the key difference is that Gary Johnson is not interested in running.
If you think you can persuade him, go for it.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
The LP needs to run a strong antiwar candidate or it is toast.
I agree. That would be Kubby, unless Ron Paul becomes interested, which is highly unlikely.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I’m sure someone like Gary Johnson would be able to figure out how to join the Libertarian Party if he really wants to. I’m not sure if the LNC will want to urge anyone to seek Office as a Libertarian after the storm of urging Ron Paul to seek the LP nomination.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Actually, Gary Johnson has been an LP member before.
He says after studying LP views he is not really 100% on board, but fairly close. He is also not interested in running for office. He had enough of that when he was Governor. That is why he did not seek re-election or run for president in the past.
January 24th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Over the past couple of years, my recollection is that I’ve heard from at least two people who have personally approached Johnson about running for president, and that both of them got some variant of “not only no, but fuck no” in response.
If a candidate is sufficiently good (and Johnson certainly ranks high on the whole “credibility and electability” scale), I can see a draft effort even in the face of coquettishness. But my impression is that Johnson is a firm “no” not an “I’m gonna play hard to get until you show me there’s a real draft sentiment.”
As to how well Kubby does in the general election, there are a lot of factors that go into that, and by no means all of them under his, or any other particular individual’s control.
First he has to get the nomination. I’m reasonably sure that’s going to happen, but I’ve been reasonably sure and WRONG before.
Secondly, he has to reach the voters. That’s largely a function of money, and that money has to be voluntarily contributed. He can’t just conjure it out of the air (although he can, of course, more effectively solicit it, which is something his campaign is working fervently on).
Thirdly, the voters have to like his message, and like it enough to get out and vote for him in preference to voting for another candidate or to not voting at all. That’s partially up to him (to present a persuasive message) and partially up to them (to buy into that message or not). Assuming that Ron Paul is not in the general election race, and in large part due to the attention Paul has drawn to the freedom movement with his GOP campaign, I believe that Kubby can scoop up a LOT more votes than previous LP candidates have.
Personally, I’m of the opinion that if Paul is not in the race, the only way the LP could AVOID breaking a million votes this year would be to nominate someone other than Kubby.
January 24th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Paulie:
“Nope.” ? How do you know what Johnson thinks in Janaury 2008? Did you anticipate that he would endorse Paul? I didn’t. Johnson is being portrayed here as some sort of coy Hamlet who wants others to to take the initiative. The fact that he endorsed RP shows that he is a man who is will to take some risks. BTW, I doubt anyone even asked Johnson.
Unless you’re someone prominent like Johnson, the comparison to your endorsement to his is laughable. His endorsement is significant and may well be signal that he is interested in picking up RP’s mantel…..especially coming from an experienced politician like him.
January 24th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Dodsworth,
This is pretty simply resolved: Contact him and ASK him.
Maybe he’ll say yes. If so, then you can talk that up and help get a campaign together around him.
Maybe he’ll say no in a way that seems to leave room for a draft. If so, then you can try to get one going that will convince him.
Maybe he’ll say no, and impress upon you that that’s his final answer. If so, then at least you won’t be wasting any further time wondering.
Note the use of the word “you.” If it’s going to get done, someone is going to have to do it. You’re the one who wants it, so why don’t you go get it instead of seemingly expecting others to do so for you?
January 24th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Did you anticipate that he would endorse Paul?
I’m certainly not surprised.
The fact that he endorsed RP shows that he is a man who is will to take some risks.
Oh, what risks are those? He is a former Governor who is out of politics, has no interest in being in politics again, and is a pariah in his party because he is against the drug war. He’s endorsed another member of his party who is running for president, who is also against the drug war. What’s the risk?
How do you go from that to assuming that he wants to spend the next ten months running around the country and putting his life on hold to run for president?
BTW, I doubt anyone even asked Johnson.
I doubt they haven’t. But what are you waiting for? No one’s stopping you.
January 24th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
The Libertarian Party has been running candidates for President since 1972. I have voted for almost all of them. But not a single LP candidate for President has been a factor in the election. and our opponents always point to the low vote totals for our Presidential ticket as a sign that the LP is a failure.
Even our badly run campaigns for Congress & state legislature get higher percentages than our Presidential candidate. Why should we encourage Libertarians to waste time, energy and money on a campaign that will only bring disrespect to our party. And nominating a candidate with no credentials and questionable business background totally undermines any criticism we may make of the Democrat & Republican candidates.
If not NOTA, When? to paraphrase Rabbi Hillel.
January 24th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Gene,
Color me confused. Both Paul and Johnson are well-credentialed, and while Paul certainly has a questionable business background—peddling race-porn to Know-Nothings and peckerwoods—Johnson’s looks pretty solid.
Then, of course, we have Steve Kubby, who:
– Developed what was at the time the #1 rated in the world (by, I believe, National Geographic) summer youth camp, Earth Camp One.
– Started, built to profitability, and sold Homestar, a property management company which remains in business to this day.
– Published Ski West magazine, for five years the #1 selling ski magazine on newsstands.
– Created Men’s Wearhouse’s online presence.
Kubby does lag Paul and Johnson in credentials vis a vis having previously held public elective office, but he excels any of his currently declared competitors in political accomplishment.
Was the “questionable business background” remark aimed at Wayne Root?
Regards,
Tom Knapp
January 24th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Q: Why should we encourage Libertarians to waste time, energy and money on a campaign that will only bring disrespect to our party.
A: http://www.harrybrowne.org/2000/WasItWorthIt.htm
January 24th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
You keep stating with absolute certainty apparently that Johnson feels the same way about running for prez as he did in 2004. Please provide a source for this absolute claim. A lot can happen in four years. Paul aslo refused to run in 2004. People change their minds…..or do you think Johnson is exempt from that rule.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Well, what are you waiting for? Go ask him already.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I’d be happy to ask him…..though as a courtesy would appreciate an answer to my question. Let me repeat it for the second time: you are absolutely, 100 percent certain (based on what you sad) that Johnson is “not interested” and holds exactly the same view on running that he did in 2004. What source do you have for this iron-clad information?
January 24th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Gary Johnson is far better credentialed than Ron Paul. Governor is an executive position. Congressman is not. Neither is being an independent professional (doctor, computer programmer, etc.)
POTUS is first and foremost an executive position.
Johnson has solid economic conservative and anti-drug-warrior credentials. Don’t know where he stands on abortion, immigration, or foreign policy. Also don’t know if he has any military experience.
Gary Johnson would be by an order of magnitude the strongest candidate the LP has ever run if he runs.
But he shouldn’t. He is too reasonable for the LP.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Using advanced astral psychic telepathy projection techniques as taught by the great master Ellis D. Tripp, I have determined that Gary Johnson will not run for president in 2008 unless dodsworth persuades him to do so before January 25th.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Seems to me this Cobb endorsement is bass ackwards: Should be Joe Cobb for President, and Steve Kubby his Advisor on Marijuana Policy.
Look at the resumes. Not even a close call.
Shitcan Kubby, and recruit Cobb. The LP would be in much, much better shape.
And if Cobb doesn’t want to do it, recruit Gary Johnson!
January 24th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Eric:
We agree on Gary Johnson…...but I wonder why support him given his support for RP and his strong praise of RP’s antiwar views? In fact, you once said that you broke with Paul because of the very foreign policy views that Johnson now praises!
January 24th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Please note that Eric Dondero will not address the fact that the guy he likes (Gary Johnson) also likes Ron Paul. He seems unable to answer tough, direct questions. I’m beginning to think that he wrote some of those racist newsletters. He certainly had no problem working for Paul when they were published.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
“BTW, I doubt anyone even asked Johnson.
I doubt they haven’t. But what are you waiting for? No one’s stopping you.”
I know that Gary Johnson was asked to seek the LP Presidential nomination in 2004 and he turned it down.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:45 am
No, I just don’t spend every hour of my working day hanging out at TPW, as much as I like this site.
I didn’t catch Johnson’s remarks. If that’s what he said, it would certainly sour me on the guy.
But in the end it probably doesn’t matter. Romney is pulling ahead of the GOP field. If he wins Florida, he’ll win the nomination. Thus, I’ll have my candidate for 2008.
January 25th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Dondero,
You could start “Libertarians for Romney!” and it’d be just as laughable as “Libertarians for Lieberman!”, and maybe next we could do “Libertarians for more Government!”
January 25th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Eric:
You didn’t read Johnson’s remarks…..just like you didn’t read the racist newsletters and continued to work for Paul…eh?
Finally, some good news. Dondero is for Romney! Romney was promising everything but the kitchen sink in terms of government programs last night and proudly stood up for gun control. Of course, that won’t stop Dondero from praising Romney as a “libertarian.”
January 25th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
“But in the end it probably doesn’t matter. Romney is pulling ahead of the GOP field. If he wins Florida, he’ll win the nomination. Thus, I’ll have my candidate for 2008.”
Dondero’s candidate? Giuliani, then Thompson, then Romney.