So, my campaign has started. Tonight at our Wake LP business meeting those of us in the room who were running for office were asked to speak and answer questions. I was happy to do so, and I was grateful for the support of those in attendance.
As my campaign is in its infancy, and as I carefully word my positions before posting them at goliberty.net, NC is being bombarded by all the Democrats (and a few Republicans) in our state pouring campaign money into colorful glossy mailings, hundreds of yard signs littering the roadsides of Raleigh, and TV ads that air every 5 minutes. We have primaries on Tuesday, May 6th… well, I say “we” as a registered voter, not as a candidate, as Libertarians in NC are not part of this state-funded primary process. For me personally, I grow frustrated at the campaigning of Democrats who sell so many socialist ideas as “the right thing to do” for North Carolina, and I hope to convert that frustration into thought-provoking prose for my own campaign that helps to fix this misleading message.
I don’t know why I should be bothered by the media barrage and primary mayhem, though, when I know we can rest for a while after next Wednesday. It could just be residual frustration over the struggle the Libertarians and libertarian supporters have had to get on NC ballots to start with. Then again, maybe it is just leftover irritation at the State Board of Elections that insists that the Wake LP, of which I’m currently Treasurer, file detailed paperwork on its modest donations and spending every six months despite our lack of access to the ballot.
While the Dems/Reps concentrate on primaries, though, the Libertarians in NC, who have already made their party nominations, can concentrate on the ballot access lawsuit which goes to trial Monday and Tuesday. I hope that the attendance is as good if not better than the hearing, both from the Libertarians and from the NC Green Party which, despite differing political views, shares in the third party efforts to lower ballot access restrictions. If the judge sides for lower restrictions, there is sure to be an appeal from the state, but in the meantime the judicial system would be checking bad legislation from the past three decades and reducing state spending required to validate so many thousands of petition signatures.
Mike Munger once said that one problem we have as Libertarians in North Carolina is that because we spend so much time and money to get on the ballot to start with, we arrive at the starting line of a race out of breath. For me, I’m definitely out of breath, but probably more because of venting frustrations such as those I have taken time to vent here. 
Thanks to colleagues, friends, family, and blog readers for letting me vent over the last couple of years, and apologies for occasionally testing your patience in the process. 
The venting is over now, though… it is time to look ahead with confidence that people are hearing the Libertarian message and starting to remember what it means to have liberty for all.
