Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jul 2001
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA)
Copyright: 2001 Richmond Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www.timesdispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/365
Author: Gerhard S Schoenthal

LIBERTARIANS CLAIM CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

In his column, "The Other Candidate: Sisyphus Has Got Nothing on This 
Redpath Guy," A. Barton Hinkle writes, "Spend much time around Libertarians 
and you get the sense some of them are a trifle - well, nuts." After 
reading this column I would say that if I spent much time around Hinkle I 
would get the sense he is a trifle - well, pompous.

The Libertarian Party is America's largest and most successful third party. 
The party fielded candidates for 255 of the 435 seats in the U.S. House as 
well as 25 of the 33 Senate seats up for election in 2000 - the first time 
since the Socialist Party of the early 20th Century that any third party 
has contested a majority of the seats in Congress. David Broder of The 
Washington Post has been quoted as saying, "The party to watch in the 21st 
Century may well turn out to be the Libertarians." Because they are in 
reality one of the two big-government parties, Republicans across the 
country are losing votes - and because of that a Senate seat in Washington 
state - to Libertarians.

For Hinkle to dismiss the Libertarian Party and its candidates out of hand 
is not only shortsighted, but also juvenile. William Redpath and Gary Reams 
offer the voters of Virginia a new, refreshing alternative to the tired, 
government-will-save-you Republicrats. Redpath offers a viable system to 
reinvigorate the electoral process and Reams is the banner holder for the 
repeal of marijuana prohibition - a movement that is certain to succeed 
within the early part of this century. I would encourage Hinkle to 
eliminate the jargon from his writing and wake up to the fact that in 
Virginia - and nationally - the Libertarian Party is for real.

Gerhard S. Schoenthal

Charlottesville
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens