Posted on 12/31/2004 12:18:54 PM PST by freepatriot32
After being elected twice as a Republican to the position of county attorney in Anderson County, Kan., Fred Campbell decided following the Nov. 2 elections to drop his Republican Party affiliation in favor of the Libertarian Party, saying the GOP has abandoned the idea of minimal government.
Campbell was re-elected in November with no opposition. He has been a Republican for years, primarily because he's "always been in favor of less government rather than more," he said.
"I've always thought that the Republican Party was the major party that went along with that philosophy," Campbell explained. "But in the last four years, I've seen no evidence of that. For the last four years, we've had a Republican majority on the national and local level. But even though the Republicans had the majority in the national arena, I haven't seen a reining in of bureaucracy; I don't see anything getting smaller; I don't see government getting out of my life.
"Government is way too big, and too involved in every facet of our lives. After the election, I thought, 'Why do I maintain support for this Republican Party that is not doing anything to change the way things are?' So I decided to change my affiliation to something that more accurately represents what I believe."
He followed that decision with action, heading down to his county clerk's office to fill out a new voter registration form -- thereby making a statement that he wants to see changes in government.
He didn't expect his statement to be made public, at least not as rapidly as it was.
"Apparently the county clerk was worried about the next election, four years from now, and called the secretary of state's office to see how my leaving the Republican Party would affect me in that race," Campbell said. "And the newspaper picked up on it somehow, and it became news."
Campbell graduated from law school in 1997, and the same year was hired as an assistant county attorney in Anderson County -- a small rural county in east-central Kansas.
The Republican county attorney he was hired to assist never bothered to move to the county, however, and in 1999 Campbell was asked to replace him.
"After that, I ran unopposed in both the 2000 and 2004 elections, as a Republican. Ever since I've been in this position, I've told people that if I am ever opposed in an election, I will lose -- because I don't tell people what they want to hear. I'm not a good politician; I'm actually ashamed to call myself a politician. I'm just here to do what I think is right for the community and what is right for the job.
"The interesting thing about this last election was that, although we are a Republican majority county, almost all Republicans that ran for local office lost to Democrats. In all national and state elections, the county voted Republican, but in local elections, the voters went for the Democrats. I think there's a great deal of frustration with the Republican Party here, and I find that very interesting."
With that in mind, Campbell decided to follow his personal ideals -- which led him to the Libertarian Party.
"I don't remember where I first heard of the Libertarian Party," he said. "I've considered myself basically a Libertarian for years because I think the views that are expressed are very much in line with what I personally believe, including primarily a belief in minimally intrusive government.
"A year or two ago, I read the entire writings of Lincoln, seven or eight volumes of his works. And I decided (while reading what he wrote during the founding of the Republican Party) that in this day and age, Lincoln would be a Libertarian. From what he wrote about the origins of the Republican Party, it sounds much more like he was describing the Libertarian Party than the Republican Party we have now."
One question that remains to be answered is whether Campbell's affiliation will affect the way he goes about his job as a prosecutor for the county; he doesn't think his actions will change.
"It's my job to enforce the laws, whether or not I believe the laws are just and right," he said. "I had this discussion with a judge a few weeks ago, not before the bench but in conversation.
"I was concerned about a charge that I had made: I charged someone with a weapons crime that I disagree with, but the law is on the books. The judge said I have prosecutorial discretion, which essentially means I can decide which laws to prosecute people under.
"But as I told him, if I used my discretion to eliminate [all crimes] I think the government shouldn't have a hand in, the judge would have a very light load. As an elected official, as a county attorney, I'm supposed to do what the law says. But I certainly would like to see some of the laws taken off the books."
Looking at a coffee cup on his desk, Campbell read the following quote: "The best way to get a bad law repealed is to uphold it strictly."
"I've been dealing with this philosophical problem for years," he said. "That's not going to change. There are laws on the books that shouldn't be there."
there are about 1 million laws on the books that shouldnt bethere but always will be becasue the republicans just cant be bothered maybe that will start changing now
libertarian ping for you
if anyone wants on my libertarian ping list let me know
I'll take the ping.
I wish this guy was here in Travis County...
Does this mean he has to become a pot-smoking, blue-skinned hippie?
youve been added to my list
We need more like him.
Thanks! Happy New Year! And... Long live the Republic!
You're not fooling anyone Fred. We all know this is really about the pot and the kiddie porn.
Good. I'm glad he switched. Small government idealists have been marginalized by the Republican party.
Please. That's ridiculous. It's about Constitutional government, not NAMBLA and NORMYL.
Well, at least he isn't burning anymore black churches.
He gets elected as a Republican, then immediately changes his party affiliation. Classy, Mr. Jeffords... er, Campbell. BTW, thanks to the Losertarian party, Washington state has a Dem governor. Ideological purity has a steep price.
Hey, at least there's one way for a Libertarian to hold an elected office. Getting elected just isn't an option.
I suggest to you that principles are never easy and that the "lesser of two evils" philosophy has a much steeper price.
And what does he think of the Libertarians wasting taxpayer dollars in a futile effort to block the inauguration of President Bush next month? Hmmm...
The question is will the Libertarian Party provide enough campaign funds for this guy's re-election. He is going to be heavily targeted by both parties come next election.
I'm sorry, but Libertarians are for the most part "pro-choice" on abortion.
I agree that Libertarian Ruth Bennett tilted the outcome of the Washington state governor's race by receiving 63,416 votes.
However, Bennett is a lesbian in an open relationship with another woman, so I really, really doubt thise 63,414 votes were all going to go to Rossi. Or even a majority of them. It's unlikely those Bennett voters were all your typical bearded, Ayn Rand-quotin', dope smokin', wife swappin', gun totin' Libertarian.
IMO it's much more likely that Bennett tilted the race to Rossi for the first two recounts.
Hey, at least there's one way for a Libertarian to hold an elected office. Getting elected just isn't an option.
Republican Congressman Ron Paul, who was the Libertarian presidential candidate in 1988, received 100% of the vote in the Texas 14th Congressional district this November 2.
William F. Buckley is advocating drug legalizaion and there is no military draft nor is there likely to be one. It's a more libertarian (small "l") country than it was when John Hospers first ran for president in 1972.
Patience! Rome wasn't burnt in a day, after all!
He's too late. The Republicans have never been the party of smaller government. They just want to differently use governmental power.
This guy didn't have the balls to run as a Libertarian on November 2? Yeah, that's showing real courage. </horse pile>
Notice this A hole did not drop the Republican name until AFTER the election.
Had he gone in as a Libertarian, he would have mustered a big loss, and he knows it.
True the GOP has its sorry assed RINO faults--but the big
problem I have with the Libertarians is they -if Boortz is
any example- they seem to have as much problem reading the
US Constitution -as do the Democrats--or the Soviet Communists and Dupes in the Anti-Christian Liars Union.
I cannot join a Party that is led by the ACLU and rejects
Moral law.
Means he knew he couldn't get re-elected as a Libertarian and kept the R for the election.
He's a Libertarian Jumping Jeffords... and could be very well illegally medicated, yes.
Amen.
Sort of like Phil Gramm and Richard Shelby right?
[Had he gone in as a Libertarian, he would have mustered a big loss, and he knows it.]
He wouldn't have received funds by Libertarian donors to mount an effective campaign. Thus he had to rely on GOP donors. The guy is a welfare cheat.
He totally used the funds and voices of the Republicans, then did a jumping Jefforeds deal to Libertarian.
The Republicans should have some fun and recall him.
Uh, no...WRONG. Phil Gramm RESIGNED his seat and re-ran for election as a REPUBLICAN. And Richard Shelby stayed as a Democrat for two years, giving Impeached42, also known at TheBentOne, a chance to prove he was a "New Democrat". As we all know, derSchlickmeister and Hitlery tried to force Socialized Medicine on America. Shelby had had enough, and then he switched parties. But at least he stuck it out for a couple of years.
This guy was even more brazen the Jim Judas Jeffords...at least Jeffords waited about six months before changing parties (or becoming "Independent".) This guy was elected just barely EIGHT WEEKS ago.
I doubt it, it seems like no one really cares about this guy.
Based on the article and what he said, I doubt the republicans and democrats spend more then a second even thinking about going for this guys job.
Just wondering. Have you ever complained about all the Democratic legislators in the South and elsewhere who have switched to the GOP in the last few years? If you have, you deserve credit for consistency. If not, your complaints are merely partisan and deserve to be discounted.
Its pretty tough to lose when you run unopposed, even if you're on the Persistent Vegetative Party ticket.
I know exactly how this guy feels...put me on your ping as well.
I thought you could....
youve been added to my list
Right -- LOL. That whole fiasco shows the Libertarian Party is nothing more than an arm of the Democrat Party. Badnarik openly stated they were trying to help Kerry win, even.
I doubt that he will be re-elected again.
The Nebraska Republican party started reclaiming the state about 25 years ago. They banned several politicians who would continue the fight after the primary elections -- thus splitting the Republican vote and giving the victory to Demoncrats. Some of the banned Republicans switched to Independent. Several lost the next election, a few won. One I remember switched to Libertarian. Although he ran several times before as a Republican and was elected several times, he never won another election.
"Patience! Rome wasn't burnt in a day, after all!"
AND...the sovereign republic of America has transmuted in daily increments by subverting politicians.
You started out by trying to use Phil Gramm and Richard Shelby as examples of blatant turncoats. You were proven wrong, so now you're trying to make me the issue? I won't bite...the fact is this clown ran as a Republican, and a mere eight weeks later, quit the party. That reeks of cowardice.
He gets elected as a Republican, then immediately changes his party affiliation. Classy, Mr. Jeffords... er, Campbell. BTW, thanks to the Losertarian party, Washington state has a Dem governor. Ideological purity has a steep price.
It's the old trojan horse routine. Libertarians have decided they can't get elected as a "Libertarian" so they've started infiltrating the Republican party then switch back to Libertarian when they figure the coast is clear. Then there's the whole scientology cult infiltrating the Libertarian party. What a mess. Druggies suck, pedophiles suck, so on and so forth. The Republican party needs to police itself and get its act together!
It's unlikely those Bennett voters were all your typical bearded, Ayn Rand-quotin', dope smokin', wife swappin', gun totin' Libertarian
lol why is it the nerdiest of nerds wind up being libertarians? They're such social freaks trying desperately to be hip or Ricco Suave a la Steve Martins Wild n Crazy Guy
"Its pretty tough to lose when you run unopposed, even if you're on the Persistent Vegetative Party ticket"
Now there's an idea, for all those Libertarians who really want to get elected to something, rather than just F* up the works like most of them do...fill all those local posts that nobody else cares about.
Who knows what careers could be launched.
I think you misspelled "thanks to the Republican party not having a backbone"
"Then there's the whole scientology cult infiltrating the Libertarian party."
Hah! Really? I wasn't aware of this little development. Too funny. maybe the scientologists can help out that guy who turned blue.
I voted for Bush but it just bothers me where he stands on some major issues like border security and the patriot act. I hope to see more Americans investigating the Libertarian and the Constitution parties. I think Repub and Demo have become two sides of the same coin. Graft and pork seem to rule the day with both of them.
maybe the scientologists can help out that guy who turned blue.
And who would that be?
Here's one winky linky to an example of what happens
http://www.austinreview.com/articles/98.html
"A typical error mode of Libertarian activism is to trumpet the virtues of anyone involved in legal action against government, regardless of how ridiculous or fraudulent the individual is. In the case of Hulda Clark, the Libertarian Party of Kentucky is billing her as an “..awarding-winning research scientist whose many health discoveries have brought new hope to people all over the world.” Of course something is very wrong with the LPoK. Somehow the LPoK missed the elementary point that the author of a book called The Cure for All Cancer is a quack.
But that is not surprising. The Libertarian Party has two types of members: realists and dreamers. The realists understand that the world is tough and government should not be there to make decisions for you. Realist Libertarians say, “If you want to zapp invisible, self-constructed parasites, go for it. If you die, maybe someone later on will figure out that the idea was not so good. Maybe not”. Realist Libertarians basically believe that the fundamental imperfections of human beings make any sort of force-wielding government very suspicious. If a few dummies must be allowed to kill themselves in order to prevent totalitarian statism, so be it. In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, realist Libertarians want a minimalist government. Realists also understand that a transition to a more Jeffersonian society must be slow and controlled.
Unfortunately the lion’s share of party members are dreamers. These individuals think that Utopia lies just around the corner if only government would get out of the way. Libertarian dreamers believe that the FDA is keeping miracle cures off the market because of special interest manipulation. Libertarian dreamers believe that if it weren’t for NASA, private companies would have already colonized Mars. Libertarian dreamers believe that entire wars can be prosecuted by clever assassinations with private contract hit-men hired by private insurance companies. Libertarian dreamers easily fall prey to any simple anti-establishment version of reality. Dreamers believe that all Libertarian notions should be implemented immediately, and when the chips fall, the world will be a better place. These dreamers throw the Party’s support behind frauds like Hulda Clark."
He's not alone.
Libertarian poll-watcher.
Religeous nut jobs inspire me.
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