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This page gives some of the criteria that should go into the slogans used, along with some possibilities. Of course, those purchasing the signs (especially the presidential campaign!) have the final say.
The slogans should actually be libertarian. "Enough is Enough" does not hack it! And no "we care about you" or even "Freedom is Good". Remember, that except in the lowest-level races, we are out to motivate our base, not get the borderline undecided voters. The signs should have a bite.
Far better are signs that say something specific like "Legalize Hemp", "End the IRS" and so forth. Such signs turn heads. (I have watched this happen.) They provoke thought. They are memorable. They tell our potential base we are on their side.
Indeed, by running such signs, we become useful to our core constituency even before we get to the point of threatening to win. Plastering a county with "End the Insane War on Drugs" signs is useful to legalization advocates even if the candidate doesn't have enough resources to win the race. Indeed, the running of such signs is useful to those legalization advocates even of said advocates dislike the rest of the Libertarian program.
However, it is worth keeping in mind that signs can only provide a very limited message. Thus, they are a poor forum for explaining the finer points of natural rights theory. The signs should indicate the direction we are heading, not the final destination. The latter requires a considerably more intense communication. There are two approaches available to avoid scaring the ignorant:
| Incremental Ads | Advertise what a candidate will do during the term in question vs. the society the candidate desires. That is, tax cuts or eliminating a particular tax vs. eliminating all taxes. Another example of incrementalism would be cashing in on issues we have won vs. promoting the still-unpopular. For example, pushing marijuana legalization vs. ending the entire drug war. Not all candidates will be comfortable with this latter approach. |
| Calculated Ambiguity | Let people read in what they want to read into a sign. For example, "Legalize Hemp". Does that mean just industrial hemp or marijuana also? This is not dishonest as long as the candidate clarifies via other media -- media with which the candidate has a chance to explain the rationale. Indeed, such ambiguity can provoke curiosity in some voters, drawing them to phone numbers and web sites for more information. |
Note the balance required. If the increments are too small, or the ambiguity too great, then the signs are not memorable, and they fail to energize the base. On the other hand, if the signs are too radical, they tell the world we are a fringe outfit with no chance of winning.
| Legalize Hemp | Nice and short. A calculated ambiguity. Industrial hemp or dope? Go to web site to find out! Or for the non-curious, whichever you wish. |
| End the Income Taxes | That's right, plural on taxes. Simply attacking the IRS or the singular income tax is calling for a massive tax cut for the rich. With the plural we add FICA and Medicare to the mix (for laborers, these are income taxes, and regressive ones at that). Mix all the income taxes together, and you have something close to a flat tax, suitable for replacement with a sales or property tax (and spending cuts). Of course all these details require a web site lookup, but the plural invite this. |
| Sell the Schools | A blatant pitch to the rebellious spirit amongst the youth. Should be part of a larger school privitization campaign. |
| For Prayer in PRIVATE Schools | Use with "Sell the Schools". Gives us a more wholesome image. And after attacking the War on Drugs, we need it. Besides the religious are the vangard in the fight against socialized education. The LP should court us. |
| End the Insane War on Drugs | Tried this one in 1999, since it was used in the Browne campaign. Turned out candidates were hesitant to use it. It is a bit too radical. |
| ABC Stores Instead of Gangsters | Not appropriate for all states. Trying to sell the benefits of legalization to non-dopers. Not a 100% libertarian position, but a non-trivial step in the right direction. |
| Tax Marijuana | Once again, a pitch to non-dopers. Of course, to collect taxes you have to fully legalize, not merely decriminalize. And once government gets addicted to Marijuana taxes, other drug taxes could follow. Look what happened with state lotteries... |
| Tax Dope. Not food. | Another variation on this theme. |
| Social Security Isn't | It's tough coming up with a short slogan on Social Security. "End the Income Taxes" is a back-door approach. This one is a trifle cryptic, but might garner curiosity. |
| End Corporate Welfare | The young and left-leaning are a prime market. Here is one avenue to introduce lsthem to economic issues. |
| Defend the Bill of Rights | Once again, go after the social liberals, but we hit the gun owners at the same time. Warning, this one is a bit fluffy. Will not draw as much attention as some of the more specific signs. But some fluff is good, and this is definitely a libertarian message. |
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