cmaronchick

I love this idea. I have hated the lottery for years and think it should die because it exploits the poor and uneducated.

Where do you think you can make the biggest impact in terms gaining adoption, particularly among those who need to prioritize saving?

Thank you for responding. I had an office in downtown Seattle where there were a lot of folks living in poverty, and I think about how there were lottery ads in a bunch of storefront windows. How can you combat that kind of marketing?

Because they're not doing enough at the grassroots.

Start winning at the local level and begin building up your credentials and coalitions from there.

A state with a plurality or majority of Libertarians (for example) in the State Assembly and the Governor's Mansion gives credence to the party platform.

The media is a reflection of us. Media don't care to show 3rd party candidates because our society writ large doesn't care. Get more people to care and the media will respond in kind.

Argue all you want, if a party can't make inroads at the city, county, or state level, it will not be able to build support nationally. That there have been governors like Gary Johnson and Jesse Ventura show that it's possible, but it takes time and energy to build on it.

And yes, the media is a reflection of ourselves. Millions of Americans may make up 1 or 2 percentage points of the population but that's still a pittance. The media cares about the meat of the bell curve, not the fringes. Make inroads into the meat of the bell curve and you'll see the media change accordingly.

And don't get me wrong. I think there is a lot to like about the Libertarian platform. The problem is that I came to appreciate it only after extended discussions with a Libertarian friend of mine who took the time to explain the position thoughtfully. Personally, I think if Libertarians did that at the grassroots level they would make far more progress than being included in a single Presidential debate.