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Libertarian candidate joins 6th district race

Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:02 pm
Posted by Tigerlaff
FIGHTING out of the Carencro Sonic
Member since Jan 2010
21172 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:02 pm
LINK

quote:

Libertarian Rufus Craig announced his candidacy for the Baton Rouge-based c ongressional 6th District seat.

“If you are satisfied with the results of the Democrats and Republicans in Congress, then by all means, keep them,” Craig said in prepared statement. “I am ready to bring real solutions to the people of Louisiana and America.”

Craig is a Baton Rouge lawyer who has run for the congressional seat as a Libertarian Party candidate in 2004 and 2012.

He said he is concerned that neither Democrats or Republicans seem willing to tackle what he calls “out of control spending and the Byzantine tax code.”

“Without a profound shift in policy in Washington, our nation faces certain financial collapse. It is important to provide an alternative to the two major parties for people to know there are solutions which are not being addressed by either,” Craig stated.

Craig argues the two traditional parties give out too many tax credits and bailouts to big businesses that make bad decisions.

He said Libertarians also oppose foreign wars and argues that terrorists should be treated as criminals. “We need to end our policies of foreign interventionism now, stop the drone attacks, and bring our troops home,” he stated.

He also favors ending the war on drugs.

Louisiana has a vacant congressional seat because Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, is running for the U.S. Senate, challenging incumbent Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu.

Craig joins a race that already has many candidates.

They include former Gov. Edwin W. Edwards, who lives in Ascension Parish, and is running as a Democrat along with LaPlace real estate broker Richard Dean Lieberman; several Baton Rouge-area Republicans, including: the Jindal administration’s former point man on coastal restoration, Garret Graves; small-business owner Craig McCulloch; educator Charles “Trey” Thomas; tax lawyer Cassie Felder; state Sen. Dan Claitor; business owner Paul Dietzel II; and Robert Bell, a retired U.S. Navy Reserve officer and Tea Party of Louisiana columnist who calls himself Captain Bob.

Based in south Baton Rouge, the 6th District also includes all or part of Ascension, Assumption, East Feliciana, Iberville, Lafourche, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. John the Baptist, Terrebonne and West Baton Rouge parishes. The district also is shaped to lean more conservative than it did before.

“Without a profound shift in policy in Washington, our nation faces certain financial collapse. It is important to provide an alternative to the two major parties for people to know there are solutions which are not being addressed by either.” Rufus Craig, L ibertarian
The district, with 358,555 registered voters, is 74 percent white and 33 percent Republican, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Posted by kingbob
Sorrento, LA
Member since Nov 2010
67777 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:05 pm to
He's got my vote in the primary
Posted by Sentrius
Fort Rozz
Member since Jun 2011
64757 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:06 pm to
Is he really sincere with this or sinister behind the scenes shite going down here to pull a Ross Perot?

I'm libertarian and really wary of this.
Posted by kingbob
Sorrento, LA
Member since Nov 2010
67777 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:11 pm to
It's not like he could sabotage the GOP to get Edwin elected. All it might do is slightly effect which GOP candidate makes the runoff. In a race in a state with a different primary system, I could see this being a problem, but not in Louisiana.
Posted by ragincajun03
Member since Nov 2007
22915 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:14 pm to
quote:

Is he really sincere with this or sinister behind the scenes shite going down here to pull a Ross Perot?


When people ask questions like this, it leads me to believe they don't understand Louisiana laws and elections. (Not trying to single you out, but just something I see brought up quite a bit).

Louisiana has open primaries. The GOP/conservative voters tend to complain about the structure and would rather go back to closed primaries, and there's certainly some merit to that argument.

However, one of the things about LA open primaries is that someone like this Libertarian candidate can jump into the race, and if he doesn't make it into the Top 2, he's gone. No vote-splitting in the runoff. Just EWE vs GOP candidate. One or the other.

So I welcome his candidacy. I just hope his campaign and supporters don't huff and puff and sit home if he's not on the ballot in the final round. Unless they'd turn-coat and vote for the felon. Then they ought to find something better to do on the runoff election day.
Posted by kingbob
Sorrento, LA
Member since Nov 2010
67777 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:18 pm to
quote:

When people ask questions like this, it leads me to believe they don't understand Louisiana laws and elections. (Not trying to single you out, but just something I see brought up quite a bit).

Louisiana has open primaries. The GOP/conservative voters tend to complain about the structure and would rather go back to closed primaries, and there's certainly some merit to that argument.

However, one of the things about LA open primaries is that someone like this Libertarian candidate can jump into the race, and if he doesn't make it into the Top 2, he's gone. No vote-splitting in the runoff. Just EWE vs GOP candidate. One or the other.

So I welcome his candidacy. I just hope his campaign and supporters don't huff and puff and sit home if he's not on the ballot in the final round. Unless they'd turn-coat and vote for the felon. Then they ought to find something better to do on the runoff election da


This. It allows me to vote my conscience in the first round and then vote for the lesser of two evils in the second round. It's like having your cake and eating it too. I think the open primary system is the most fair election system out there.

Also, having a libertarian in the race seals any chance for Edwards to win this thing in the primary due to the number of young voters who hate voting for the GOP, but who don't necessarily identify with the democrats and don't know Edwin's past. This HELPS the GOP, but it could hurt individual GOP candidates allowing a more establishment candidate like Graves to get an edge over "outsider" Dietzel. Claitor would be the wild card in all of this, but every single one of these candidates are nuts enough to be wild.
This post was edited on 3/25/14 at 12:22 pm
Posted by ragincajun03
Member since Nov 2007
22915 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:22 pm to
quote:

I think the open primary system is the most fair election system out there.



This. Though the LA GOP and their closest followers would disagree with you. Louisiana has become so red that in some races (5th Congressional District, 3rd Congressional District), you end up with two Republicans in the run-off, which at that point, I supposed the Democrat base could go help the more moderate one get elected.

However, I would say that sounds like a good problem to have. Means they're kicking the shite out of the Democrats, which are becoming even more of a stigma in Louisiana with their backing and promotion of that stupid "green army".
This post was edited on 3/25/14 at 12:25 pm
Posted by Sentrius
Fort Rozz
Member since Jun 2011
64757 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:22 pm to
quote:

ragincajun03


Thanks for the explanation. I appreciate it.

New candidate will definitely be getting my vote now.
Posted by kingbob
Sorrento, LA
Member since Nov 2010
67777 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:32 pm to
I'm suprised you didn't know that about the OPen Primary system already
Posted by Sentrius
Fort Rozz
Member since Jun 2011
64757 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:38 pm to
quote:

I'm suprised you didn't know that about the OPen Primary system already


I'm surprised I didn't know about it either. I did awesome in civics and poli-sci classes and either I forgot about it or I just glossed over it. Oh well. This was a good refresher.
Posted by SpartyGator
Detroit Lions fan
Member since Oct 2011
77443 posts
Posted on 3/25/14 at 12:56 pm to
Not a local, but glad to see a (L) try to do something

quote:

“If you are satisfied with the results of the Democrats and Republicans in Congress, then by all means, keep them


unfortunately, too many people are happy with the status quo

quote:

He said he is concerned that neither Democrats or Republicans seem willing to tackle what he calls “out of control spending and the Byzantine tax code.”


good

quote:

He said Libertarians also oppose foreign wars and argues that terrorists should be treated as criminals. “We need to end our policies of foreign interventionism now, stop the drone attacks, and bring our troops home,” he stated.



quote:

“Without a profound shift in policy in Washington, our nation faces certain financial collapse. It is important to provide an alternative to the two major parties for people to know there are solutions which are not being addressed by either.”


at least someone gets it
This post was edited on 3/25/14 at 12:57 pm
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