We have been in receipt of a message said to be from LPNH Chair Weir. We sent emails to LNC members, asking for comment. We indeed received one response, correcting one minor detail in the report, but confirming its reality. The message from Ben Weir reads:
“Make no mistake: any member of the LNC who votes in favor of this resolution will be treated as an enemy to the cause for Liberty. You will face the full and unapologetic wrath of both myself and the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire. We are not backing down, and we will not accept unjust interference from any members of the National Committee that are working against our success here in the Granite State.”
In particular, we contacted Mr. Weir, LNC Chair Nekhaila, and LNC Treasurer Redpath (who put forth the motions referenced here) but received no response from any of them.
Getting threats when you are an LNC member is nothing new. That has been going on for decades, probably from the start of the party.
I didn’t realize until it was just mentioned that the person making these threats is a member of the LNC. Unless things have changed since I was on the committee, threatening the committee as a member of the committee could be grounds for removal.
I read the threat several times, but it does not appear to include anything stronger than using the word wrath. Wrath does not necessarily mean violence or physical harm to someone, so in this case, I don’t believe it would apply for consideration of removal unless he makes additional statements and physically threatens other members.
He’s a regional appointee, so the entire LNC is unable to remove him.
Based on the recent example of L.p. Hawai’i state chair Austin Martin, issuing public written threats that can be interpreted as being to verbally pester and harangue the LNC members who don’t do as told all the way to being threats of physical violence … is a resume builder to also serve on the LNC yourself within a few months. Elephants aren’t supposed to forget, but I forgot whether Weir already is it was on the LNC. If not, this probably will put him in pole position to be sometime later this year when something opens up.
Already on. Region 6 (New England New neighbors) alternate.
Promotion, then.
Censure is the correct step. That at least gives the state affiliate a chance to correct the situation by removing their leadership and replacing them.
Is it likely to happen? Of course not. But you have to at least give them a chance to wake up and realize the mistake they’ve made by electing these whack-a-doodles.
Disaffiliation is the nuclear option. It should not be used until there is no other solution remaining.
I like the friendly offer to self-disaffiliate. They have repeatedly stated that they do not share the same objectives as the National Party, and they don’t seem interested in running candidates. What benefits do they get from their status as an affiliate?
They get the ability to call themselves a libertarian party. The national party trademarked the name many years ago.
Some states could possibly win a legal case over it’s use, but they would need to be one of the original state affiliates formed when the national party was started, and before any of the trademarks were submitted.
There’s no way to know who will win a trademark case until it works its way through the courts. If I was them (that is, if I understand them correctly), I’d play it for maximum attention, get disaffiliated or self disaffiliate, work it through courts and appeals , ignore any negative rulings that can’t be appealed, tie the national party in knots and cost it money as much as possible, and bank social media attention and notoriety to the maximum extent I can. Rinse, lather, repeat…
Benjamin Weir was a Libertarian Party candidate for Sheriff in New Hampshire in 2022. He won a ballot access fight to be listed on the ballot. He won in the NH Election Law Commission. He did a very good job in that fight.
So what?
Endorsing Trump, in violation of LNC bylaws, and then threatening LNC when there is a motion to censure LPNH for violating bylaws, is enough to disaffiliate.
Is LP the third largest political party in USA or a clown show?
Rhetorical.
OK, that’s enough. Change the motion from censure to disaffiliation. Threatening the LNC with violence is a step too far.
Who cares what Weir or Kauffman or Coverdale or anyone else from LPNH threaten.
Tell them to go jump in a lake.
LPNH violated the by-laws by endorsing Trump.
That’s not debatable.
LPNH should be disaffiliated and let another group who will follow the by-laws petition for affiliation with LP.
For years, LPNH’s “bold messaging” strategy, including racist, homophobic, sophomoric tweets, has driven away many liberty minded people from other state affiliates and National.
LPNH should have been censured or disaffiliated for the McCain “Happy Holiday” tweet(s).
This is a big test for Nekhalia to get LP back on track.
Do the right thing….or bow to threats.
I agree, Joseph. While I’ve personally found Ben Weir to be friendly and someone I can talk with, I think a lot of what the LPNH has posted, as well as of course the Trump endorsement, is indefensible. They should repudiate them or disaffiliate.
“You will face the full and unapologetic wrath of both myself and the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire. ”
Which is the point. “Unapologetic wrath” (which just boils down to using harsh language) is pretty much the only move they’ve got.
Unapologetic wrath could be many things.