 [63] TALK.POLITICS.DRUGS (1:375/48)  TALK.POLITICS.DRUGS 
 Msg  : #3858 [267]                                                             
 From : M.G. Devour                         1:2613/335      Wed 17 Aug 94 14:46 
 To   : (crosspost 2) All                                                       
 Subj : Libertarianism, Electability, and Drugs                                 

From: mdevour@msen.com (M.G. Devour)
Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, MI (account info: +1 313 998-4562)

I'd like to invite your comments or questions. Please set
followups appropriately, as this is cross-posted to four groups.
-------------------------
Libertarianism, Electability, and Drugs;
Jon Coon on the Bill Thomas Show

Sunday evening, August 7, during envelope stuffing for the post-
primary newsletter, a supporter called Headquarters to alert
Jon Coon to an invitation to call from talk-radio host Bill
Thomas (WXYT-AM). Jon called and was soon on the air...

Thomas: On the line with us we have the Libertarian candidate
  for [U.S.] Senate, Mr. Jon Coon. Jon thanks for being on the
  show...

Coon: Well thanks for having me on...

Thomas: Obviously you heard we were talking about you yesterday.

Coon: Well we have a *whole* lot of supporters who listen to
  WXYT all the time.

Thomas: Well I appreciate it.

  Listen, ...people...were so incensed with the way it turned
  into that mudslinging the last nine days that they were
  considering going outside the party. A number of callers
  called back and said "You're biting off your nose to spite
  your face. Jon Coon is unelectable because he's outside the
  two party mainstream."

Coon: That usually comes from Republicans and I've heard that very
  same comment quite a bit during the course of this campaign. And
  the fact of the matter is if we are to have any chance of winning
  this election--and we believe we do--we have to pull just as many
  Democratic votes as we pull Republican votes. And make no mistake
  about it we are in this campaign to win it, and from day one
  we've targeted Democratic votes.

  The Democratic party in the state of Michigan just did the best
  thing on earth they could have possibly done for this campaign.
  They elected the weakest candidate in the field--they gave us
  Bob Carr.

  And, really, the Republican party did the same thing, quite
  frankly. I think the people of this state would have been better
  served with Ronna Romney. That's not what they gave us to choose
  from, they gave us Spencer Abraham.

  And I don't want to get into the mudslinging game with my
  opponents either, but I think to a lot of the people in this
  state it's coming down to a race between a beltway politician,
  a beltway politician, and a Libertarian.

Thomas: For the people who don't know, explain the Libertarian
  Party.

Coon: Well, the Libertarian Party believes in freedom--and that's
  usually where the press quits talking about us. They like to give
  people the impression that that's all we believe in--is having
  people running around free to do anything that they want.

  Well that's not true. The Libertarian Party understands what
  freedom is about, what it really means, and *that* means that
  we believe in the responsibility that goes along with it.

  We want the government to be out of your economic life and out
  of your personal life. We want you left free, pretty much to run
  your own affairs. And we want you to accept responsibility for
  your decisions. That's pretty much what you're going to find
  written in a little book I carry around with me all the time
  called the Constitution of the United States.

Thomas: Well it sounds like a whole lot of what the people who call
  me day in and day out say they're looking for in a candidate.
  ...
  How 'bout individual rights? One of the things that people throw
  up to the Libertarian party once in a while is "Oh, you're for
  legalization of drugs."

Coon: Well, I'll tell you what I want, Bill. I want to see a
  situation develop in this country where we no longer make it
  possible for drug dealers to profit by pushing drugs.

  The reason why we have such a drug problem in our schools today
  is because of the fact we've made it extremely profitable to do
  so. The reason we have a drug problem in our schools is because
  the kid five lockers down from your kid is making a hundred bucks
  a day selling the stuff, and that's the only reason it's there.

  You know, it's become a situation here where I'm not the only one
  that feels that way. I'm in real good company on this issue--from
  William F. Buckley Jr., to the Mayor of Baltimore, to Thomas Bray
  right here in Detroit--all the way down the line to sixty federal
  court judges. Theres a whole lot of people out there who
  understand that our current approach is not working.

  Now, does that mean we have to go out there whole-hog and change
  everything we're doing overnight? Of course not! And we're not
  going to do that in a six year Senate term from one Senator
  either. But, I'll tell you this, I'm going to be looking at
  solutions that make some sense rather than what we're doing today.

Thomas: ...If people wanted to find out more about you and your
  campaign, where would they get in touch with you?

Coon: Well, for those who aren't already familiar with us--and
  I've got to tell you it's a shrinking number...

Thomas: Yea, I would agree that it is a shrinking number...

Coon: They can call 800 J-O-N C-O-O-N. And that'll ring right into
  my campaign headquarters and we will get you *everything* you want
  to know.

Thomas: Jon, I would like to...have you on the show, talk about
  the issues with you, have...you take some calls about this.
  Would you make yourself available?

Coon: Oh I'd love to do it. That's the only way to do it. Give us
  an hour to chat and we'll come out real well.

Thomas: Jon, thanks for calling.

Coon: Thank you.
--------------------
For more information about Jon Coon, Libertarian candidate for
U.S. Senate from Michigan, E-mail mdevour@msen.com or call
1-800-JON-COON (in Michigan) or (810) 399-9177.


[Mike Devour, Citizen, Patriot, Libertarian]
[mdevour@msen.com                          ]
[Speaking only for myself...               ]

---
 * Origin: COBRUS - Usenet-to-Fidonet Distribution System (1:2613/335.0)

