These are excerpts from my book Finding Liberty (http://3mpub.com for the ebook). Readers are welcome to circulate either the excerpts or copies of the complete ebook as a free book.
Along the same lines, in Fall 1996 Browne had committed for a major speaking tour of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Libertarians invested major efforts in preparing for the tour, which would have supported many Libertarian candidates. At the last moment, Browne cancelled his tour. The work of dozens of Pennsylvania Libertarians went up in smoke. Browne made no effort to make up to Pennsylvania Libertarians for his cancellation. In 2000 Browne was de facto repaid for his inaction. Thanks to its emphasis on local organization and self-reliance, Pennsylvania had at the time one of the strongest state parties in the country. According to several of my sources, including one of the Party’s major candidates and his campaign manager, Pennsylvania Libertarians sat on their hands rather than supporting Browne’s ballot access petitions. Some of my other sources, also distinguished Pennsylvania activists, say that they vigorously supported Browne’s campaign. I spent substantial time trying to work out what happened, and conclude that all sources are telling the truth as best they know it. As a practical matter, the State Party did limited petitioning. The National Party inherited a ballot access emergency that cost $68,000 to solve. Come November 2000, Browne’s vote count in Pennsylvania fell 60% relative to 1996, one of his worst outcomes in the United States.
In 1998, Browne had involved himself in Party internal politics. He campaigned vigorously to install David Bergland as National Chair, with the promise of installing Steve Dasbach as National Director and retaining Bill Winter as editor of LP News. Bergland faced vigorous opposition from Gene Cisewski and his Grassroots Libertarianism approach. Instead of reaching out after the convention to Cisewski and supporters, by offering them at least token support, the Browne-Bergland team simply ignored them. Come 2000, it was said with only moderate exaggeration that some of these people supported ‘ABB’— ‘Anybody But Browne’. This slogan resurfaced at the 2002 National Convention, with some leading activists from another camp circulating ‘ABE’—’Anybody But Eli’—buttons. (I asked my supporters not to wear them.)
Browne’s treatment of New Hampshire and Pennsylvania Libertarians is consistent with his more recent actions. In 2000-2001 Tennessee Libertarians organized a campaign against efforts of the high-tax Republican Party to bring an income tax to Tennessee. The state Capital Building in Knoxville was physically besieged by outraged taxpayers, people incited by the Tennessee Libertarian Party and local radio talk show hosts. Browne was repeatedly invited, privately and publicly, to drive the hour from his home to join a peaceful demonstration. He never went to Knoxville.
Where did these failures leave the Browne campaign? Where did these failures leave the Libertarian Party’s membership? They left us at the start of Election Year 2000…
