Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 05:58:30 -0000
From: auvenj@mailcity.com
Subject: [lpaz-discuss] Chris Azzaro and the "Libertarian Victory Fund"
To: lpaz-discuss@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: lpaz-discuss@yahoogroups.com


I listened to Mr. Azzaro's pitch about his Libertarian Victory Fund 
(LVF) and asked many questions afterwards.

Mr. Azzaro is a salesman.  He makes no attempt to hide that 
fact...it's just what he does and what he's good at.  The goal of his 
fund is to make the difference beween victory and defeat for 
Libertarians in winnable local races.  Bear that goal in mind for 
perspective on the questions that I'm sure are on everyone's minds.

I asked Mr. Azzaro flat out if the LVF had a position regarding 
candidates accepting tax funds for their campaigns.  He said no, 
there is no policy or "litmus test".  It is not a factor in his 
decisions whether candidates do or do not accept tax funds.  Thus 
far, LVF has supported 6 candidacies (2 of which won) and none of 
them took public funds.  He also told me that he has never been asked 
that question about LVF(!) which no matter how you feel about the 
issue is very surprising, for a national effort with hundreds of 
donors.  Mr. Azzaro did say he would not support any candidate that 
wouldn't promise to never vote for/enact an increase in taxes or 
infringement of freedom.

I also asked Mr. Azzaro since the focus of his fund was "local races" 
what level of candidates he would support, and specifically asked 
about governor level candidates.  He didn't rule it out but said the 
focus right now was on much smaller races because those were more 
winnable, and a gubernatorial candidate would have to present a lot 
of hard evidence that a win was possible before LVF would get 
involved.  He was really big on doing polls and focus groups by 
unbiased commercial firms with your candidate and issues to determine 
if a win is possible before throwing money at a race.

Also bear in mind that the LVF COLLECTS money from individuals around 
the country and SPENDS that money on campaigns and candidates in 
races it considers "winnable".  Campaigns do not send money to LVF.

SOOOOO...the supposition that Mr. Azzaro is somehow planning to "cash 
in" on the Hess campaign seems unwarranted based on how LVF operates 
and Mr. Azzaros stated reluctance to get involved with a governor-
level race.

Someone else asked about the percentage of donations that went to 
candidate support vs. fundraising and overhead.  Mr. Azzaro said 
currently 62% goes to candidate support.  His goal is 70% and the 
reason it's below that percentage now are one-time costs associated 
with starting up.  He is doing this pretty much full time and so far 
this year the fund has paid him $2000.  There is no other paid 
staff.  He pledged that LVF is and will always operate with the books 
open for all to see.

Now that we have those questions out of the way, I'll pass on a bit 
more about LVF.  I'll try to be as unbiased and straightforward as I 
can; this is NOT how it was pitched of ourse but the net result I 
got after the pitch and the questions were digested.  LVF is a 
Political Action Committee that raises money and spends it on 
candidate education and "UN-coordinated" campaign expenditures (so 
expenditures are not limited by the usual donor limits).  What the 
LVF is doing, quite frankly, is providing a bunch of puff and flashy 
B.S. for our candidates.  Mr. Azzaro said we could get 
every "thinker" in the country on our side, but it will take more 
than 3% to win elections.  What the other 97% respond to isn't issues 
and principles but professionalism, looking good, name recognition, 
being seen in the right photographs, being a nice likeable guy, 
living in the neighborhood, being a member of the Kiwanis club, etc. 
etc.  LVF provides scholarships to non-partisan commercial 
organizations like Campaign's & Elections candidate school so our 
candidates can learn how to puff up and look good and B.S. just like 
the big boys do.  LVF also produces and mails full-color glossy 
mailings, some examples of which were provided.  The ones that listed 
issues at all (many did not) were all very mainstream nonthreatening 
things like "reducing the car tax".

If a candidate's goal is to win, Mr. Azzaro's methods strike me as 
entirely sensible and necessary.  He convinced me that he knew how to 
generate Libertarian electoral victories better than anyone else I've 
ever heard.  That Mr. Azzaro's methods are also sickening to someone 
who cares about principles and issues is not a bad reflecion on Mr. 
Azzaro but rather on the sad state of education and intellectual 
development in this country.

Bottom Line:  If your goal is to see Libertarians elected to office, 
you'll probably really like Mr. Azzaro and see his LVF as an 
organization worth donating to.  If your goal is to change the 
culture and educate folks on libertarian principles...you'll be 
sorely disappointed.

--Jason Auvenshine



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