On Membership--For the LPWI

 

For the LPWire

By Tim Krenz

December 13, 2022

On Membership

From the long-term perspective of a Libertarian Party activist in Wisconsin, both as a member and a consultant, the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin has always lacked one critical thing which stymies success so far: Its lack of membership in large numbers. For in the sum of the whole effort to implement the platform in the state, the size of membership means everything. From the membership the Party derives every resource to its existence: Ideas, finance, comradeship, and belief.

From membership, Libertarian campaigns find every ingredient for success: Candidates, staff, volunteers, and supporters (financial and in-kind). In matters of statistical probability, the higher the quantity of membership totals, the more campaigns the Party can support. And in a dinosaur or egg question, the more membership it has, the more the Party will have higher quality efforts—better prepared candidates, higher experienced staff, more enthusiastic volunteers, and far wealthier supporters.

All of this looks obvious, and simple. But there, in that simplicity, has always rested the difficulties. The Party has a market, full of potential customers already subservient to a monopoly, all waiting for a better option. It has the right product in one package, in “more freedom and liberty.” On the other hand, it has a dumb approach to marketing, proven by the fact that it can never sell or even give away something already free. (No value? Or wrong approach?). Finally, the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin has a poor approach to conducting its organizational business. It centralizes and stovepipes somethings—freedom and liberty—which should expand like a gaseous cloud, everywhere and expansively, as the laws of thermodynamics dictate. The Party does not need total anarchy inside itself, but it can refine some things to increase membership, that critical element to success.

The party already exist. People have built it, and torn it down, and rebuilt it again. But not many people have come to stay and make it their political home. Why? Here, it might come down to the laws of attraction. Too often politicians and activist understand problems but err in vocalizing too much and too loudly what they oppose. From experience, that has always—and WILL ALWAYS—turn too many people away. They might decide to stay clear because they see negativity as a fruitless way to improve things. For any solution, in politics especially, you cannot just keep opposing something(s).

Eventually, you have to stand for something, and vocalize and live it as a positive solution; a better idea in the free-minds markets should always generate profitable results. Also, logic expressed with erudition makes people often feel stupid. A parable expressed as common sense usually gets a more favorable hearing. And, finally, aggressive statements and acts get taken at face value. People either submit without commitment to avoid aggression or deter it with escalation. At all costs, promote peace and understanding and avoid conflict and danger. Simple stuff? How often do Libertarian activists fail in these elementary ideas?

Somewhere in this mix of good and bad points, the Party can find solutions for increasing the numbers of members who agree with its freedom and liberty agenda. And the challenges of increasing membership needs to become and stay priority #1 in 2023. Everything in the future of the Party depends on that. In the past 30 years, too much work got wasted dithering over dancing angels (or demons) on pinheads. The key, the focus, the solutions for the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin will come in a larger membership. In reality, membership growth comes only one person at a time. It takes work, patience, persistence, and toleration. Mostly, it takes experience and skill to recruit. Yet, only a smarter effort in all things will achieve anything for the Party we call home.