Why the Libertarian Party of Minnesota is closing the Liberty Center

Within the next month or so, the Libertarian Party of Minnesota will close our storefront Liberty Center at 799 Raymond Ave. in St. Paul. It’s a big change that deserves some explanation.

Almost nine years ago, when I was State Chair, I convinced the LPMN that we should have a storefront office in order to grow and become more successful. The party was 29 years old then, and had always operated without an office, with a brief exception in the 70’s. During the years prior to 2001, the party had relied on a series of strong and very committed leaders and a small cadre of activists who spent excessive amounts of their time on party work. We operated with a post office box number rather than an address, and phone calls were taken at home by the Chair or Vice Chair.

Computer work was done from our homes. Meetings were held in a variety of locations. That mode of operation was very limiting, and didn’t create a very professional impression.

Opening the first Liberty Center, at 42nd and Nicollet S. caused a high point in party activity. Membership grew, volunteers at last had a place to work, and we had a public image on a busy street. Then the 9/11 attack happened, and the political focus of the nation changed. Some people began to believe that political competition was less important than supporting the President. Dissent became unwelcome… and we were all about dissent.

Party membership began to drop here and on a national level too, reducing income and activism. The change was gradual, and there were internal causes as well. We went through several years when party officers were not able to spend the great amount of time needed to keep an all-volunteer party moving forward. We suffered through a major theft and a break-in that cost us dearly.

As is always true, trying to maintain an all-volunteer political party is never easy. Turnover of activists and members is high. Activists (and contributors) help for quite emotional reasons, and because we are always fighting a steep uphill battle against the two entrenched and powerful parties, disppointment is a way of life. Successes are small, and defeats can make it seem as if progress is impossible. Emotional burnout is frequent.

The relationship between a small political party and campaigns for office is a strange one. Everyone expects a political party to run candidates, but the usual effect of campaigns actually makes it more difficult to keep the party moving and growing. Campaigns are exciting and fun. When we had active campaigns, all of the extra time and money of party supporters shifted to the campaigns and away from the party itself. When a campaign ends in defeat… no matter how successful a defeat… some of those who poured themselves into the campaign drift away, to again reconcentrate their efforts on their personal lives. Some will be dissillusioned and avoid politics again. While campaigns will bring a few new people to the party, very few stay after the elections, and the party struggles to get moving again.

This past election year was no exception, even though LPMN ran no partisan candidates. The Ron Paul campaign drew many of our most active party members to it, and they made their contributions to that campaign rather than to the party. Without question, Ron Paul has awakened many people to libertarian ideas, but he has done it as a Republican, and pulled many back into that party. Like many other Libertarians, I attended the Republican caucus, and even read Ron Paul’s statement to the group. The Liberty Center was Ron Paul headquarters before they opened a separate office, and we distributed a lot of Paul materials from there. As it became obvious that Paul would not get the nomination, I went back to working for the LPMN. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Ron Paul movement did not end with the election, and the negative effect on the LPMN continues.

If and when the Ron Paul Revolution peters out, I do not expect that many of those who have invested time and money in it will turn to the LPMN or other state LP groups. Some will have damaged their personal lives enough, or become too disillusioned to continue political activism. It is ironic and sad that, in a time when libertarian ideas are more prevalent than ever, support for the party that has kept those ideas alive for 37 years, has decreased. LPMN, the 50 other affiliates, and the LP itself, were the core of support for new and successful movements such as the Ron Paul Revolution and the Free State Project (several of our most active members moved to New Hampshire to be part of the FSP), but the very success of those movements has left the party struggling.

LPMN has always been viewed as a much larger organization than it actually is. We have had a presence, and influence, that is much greater than our numbers should allow. We have operated with a few extremely dedicated individuals who are willing to fight the long fight to keep libertarian ideas in front of the public. While it is easy to get emotionally involved for a short time, it requires a serious committment to liberty to keep the fires burning when the bonfires go out. LPMN will continue, and you are certainly welcome to join and help.