Hello Lee,   
      
   On Thu 2012-Feb-09 20:42, Lee Lofaso (3:800/432) wrote to Richard Webb:   
      
   >LL>Declared 2012 Libertarian candidates for President -   
      
   >LL> * Roger Gary   
   >LL> * R. J. Harris   
   >LL> * Gary Johnson   
   >LL> * Carl Person   
   >LL> * R. Lee Wrights   
      
   RW>I've liked Gary Johnson since he was a governor.  I could   
   RW>pull the lever for him.   
      
   LL> Then you should do so, as he is a declared presidential candidate.    
      
   i will if he's on the ballot in Tennessee, and I still live   
   here then.  Hopefully I'll be back down your way by then   
   though.   
      
      
   >LL>Elections are not about qualifying for matching funds.   
   >LL>Elections are about winning.   
      
   RW>Right, but that federal funding might help, even though, as   
   RW>staunch libertarians any candidate who accepts it is   
   RW>compromising his own stated principles.   
      
   LL> With the amount of donations that are raised (and spent) by   
   LL> presidential candidates today, federal funding amounts to nothing. I   
   LL> doubt that any major presidential candidate will bother accepting   
   LL> federal funds.  At least in the general election.  As such, how can   
   LL> candidates who choose to run as an independent or third party expect   
   LL> to compete with the nominees of the two major political parties?    
      
   LL> We desperately need real campaign reform.  Not the mockery of what   
   LL> passes as campaign reform today.  Too many loopholes exist, created   
   LL> intentionally by politicians of both political parties.    
      
   LL> Create a level playing field for *all* candidates from *all*   
   LL> political parties (not limited to the Democratic Party and the   
   LL> Republican Party), especially in regards to general elections.    
      
   LL> But we all know that won't happen.   
      
   Indeed, and that's why I've advocated for real campaign   
   finance reform, we need the best people seeking these   
   positions, and those are not necessarily the people with the deepest pockets.   
      
      
   Regards,   
              Richard   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:116/901)