So…what are you doing on September 18-21, 2008?
If your answer is “nothing, why?” then may I suggest that you attend the 2008 Conservative Leadership Conference at the Tuscany Suites Resort in Las Vegas? The event is being co-hosted by Citizen Outreach and Americans for Tax Reform. The Honorary Conference Chairman is Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona.
CLC is a yearly gathering of conservatives and libertarians focused on bridging differences and finding common ground in their mutual desire to limit government – as well as discussing the best political means of achieving that goal.
Your truly (yes, E!!) has been asked to be the Press Liason so I will be hanging around assisting the media (and anyone else in need) all weekend. I’d love to meet any/all of you so please stop by and say Hello if you can.
Confirmed speakers for CLC ’08 include (to name just a few):
* Bob Barr, Libertarian Party candidate for President
* Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Party candidate for President
* Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform
* Rich Galen of Mullings.com
* John Fund of the Wall Street Journal
* Richard Viguerie, author of “Conservatives Betrayed”
* Pat Toomey of the Club for Growth
* Talk-show host Roger Hedgecock
* David Keene of the American Conservative Union
* Ward Connerly of the American Civil Rights Institute
* Paul Jacob of the Sam Adams Alliance
* Former Congressman and talk-show host J.D. Hayworth
* Chris Simcox of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps
* Erick Erickson of RedState.org
* Matt Sheffield of Newsbusters.org
* Danny Vargas or the Republican National Hispanic Assembly
* Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute
Over the course of the weekend there will be an Exhibit Hall featuring a variety of conservative organizations and vendors, various policy panels and workshops, book-signings, “live” radio broadcasts, awards, keynote addresses, luncheons, BBQs, banquets, raffles, etc.
Saturday night’s gala banquet will be held at the Venetian and will feature the annual “State of the Conservative Union” address by a major conservative figure. (I know who they’ve invited and if he says Yes, you will Definitely want to be there!)
To find out more and/or register, click HERE or call (202) 558-7162.
Tags: 2008, Baldwin, Barr, CLC, Connerly, Conservative Leadership Conference, Fund, Galen, Hayworth, Hedgcock, info, Jacob, Keene, Las Vegas, Norquist, register, Shadegg, Sheffield, Simcox, Tanner, Toomey, Vargas, Viguerie
PragmaticallyPolitical writes in re: to the election quandary:
It’s not a sacrifice of values to recognize that Barr (or any other 3rd party candidate) won’t win. However, if you want to make a political statement, DON’T DO IT IN A SWING STATE! Libertarians for Barr are far less detrimental in Illinois or Utah than in Ohio or Nevada.
Tags: 2008 Elections, Blogs of Nevada, Libertarians, Ohio, Politics, Swing States
In re: to my comments and questions about voting Independent/Libertarian vs. Republican this fall, reader Nicky Cheese made these comments:
I’ve never bought into that “spoiler” rhetoric. More choices are better than less, no?
Individuals ought to vote for the candidate they believe best represents them. A vote is a reflection of one’s values. Utilize the full range of potential choices in order to affirm what is closest to your values.
Movements are long-term.
More choices are better than less. But is it really a “choice” when we don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of actually getting what we chose? If a vote for Barr or Paul still gets us McCain or Obama, as we all know it does, what good was our principled selection?
And is the spoiler argument really just rhetoric? In the Bush/Gore contest, Gore lost Florida (and the whole enchilada) because of the votes that went to Nader. No doubt the Naderites were “voting their values.” But what about the prudence of picking what’s better when you can’t have what’s Best? I’d sure like to ask those Nader voters what they’d choose if they had a Do-Over.
The argument that gives me greater pause – i.e. that I think is more compelling – is that of long-term vs. short-term thinking. As we consider the coming decades, what will best stop our slide to the Left and the disturbing hyper-expansion of the State?
Do we stand on principle and vote ultra-conservative or libertarian every two years, win or lose, with the hope of steering the GOP to the right and/or bolstering what might someday become a viable Third Party? And if we don’t, what will compel anyone to consider our cause?
Please chime in and pass along this post so we can hear from more folks. I’ll post the best remarks up front to spark further discussion!
Tags: Barr, Conservative, GOP, Independent, Libertarian, McCain, Obama, Paul, Spoiler, Third Party
