The Lazy Critics and Our Response

LTE: Asheville Tea Party

Victor Harrin, Arden | Hendersonville News-Times | July 19, 2010

To The Editor: No one who has followed the Asheville Tea Party was surprised by the Times-News’ article on the tea party not endorsing Jeff Miller, after its primary candidate’s defeat. The Asheville Tea Party is led by ideologically pure Libertarians and those who favor legalizing drugs. They have no use for Republicans or anyone else for that matter.

Dan Eichenbaum, who was registered as a Libertarian until last summer, was the only one of the six candidates who ran on the Republican ticket they ever gave any serious consideration to. And now, in a real shocker (not!), as of last month, the new chairwoman of the group is a former Eichenbaum county coordinator who quit the Henderson County Tea Party because it would not endorse her converted Libertarian candidate.

This is why the Asheville Tea Party saw its tax-day protest go from more than 2,000 participants in 2009 to fewer than 200 this year. Its members had thought they had signed on for a genuine grassroots movement, not a front group for one party or one man.

Most Libertarians I know are principled people who understand that it takes a team to get something done. It’s a shame they aren’t in charge of the Asheville group.

LTE: Libertarians seem to control local party, not conservatives

Victor Harrin, Arden | Asheville Citizen-Times | July 20, 2010

No one who has followed the Asheville Tea Party was surprised by the board’s decision not to endorse Republican Jeff Miller, after the Libertarian-leaning primary candidate’s defeat. They aren’t endorsing Richard Burr over Democrat Elaine Marshall for Senate, either, and he was just ranked the ninth-most conservative U.S. senator. The Asheville Tea Party is led by ideologically “pure” Libertarians who have no use for Republicans or any other type of conservative. This is why the ATP saw its Tax Day protest go from 2,000 participants by some estimates in 2009 to fewer than 200 this year. The members had thought they had signed on for a conservative grass-roots movement. The Libertarians I know understand that it takes a team if we are going to stop Pelosi, Reid and Obama. You are either working against Shuler, or you are supporting Pelosi’s majority. You are either working to re-elect Richard Burr, or you are supporting Harry Reid’s filibuster-proof majority.

If you are an ATP member and you were ever asked if you wanted to drop Burr and Miller, please raise your hand. Nope? Me neither.

RESPONSE

The letter “Libertarians seem to control local party, not conservatives” (AC-T, July 20) contained several errors.

The Asheville Tea Party is comprised of Republicans, Democrats, and Unaffiliated. At present, no one in our leadership is affiliated with the Libertarian Party.

The writer misunderstands the difference between a political party and a political philosophy. Among those Republicans, Democrats, and Unaffiliated in the Tea Party Movement, many hold a libertarian political philosophy. In fact, the conservative-libertarian alliance is a defining characteristic. We maintain a firm belief in the rights of the individual as derived from Natural Law; and in Constitutionally-limited government and free markets.

Contrary to the letter writer’s implication that libertarians are fringe characters, those of us who hold libertarian views are in the comfortable company of Thomas Jefferson, a hero of our American Republic.

The writer claims, “Eichenbaum…was the only one…they ever gave any serious consideration to.” This assertion is false. Every candidate was vetted through an open and fair process and given equal opportunity to earn the endorsement of our membership.

Bizarrely, the writer closes by stating “It’s a shame [more principled libertarians] aren’t in charge of the Asheville group.” The writer should really attempt some investigation before making such wild claims. Call me.

Erika Franzi
Weaverville

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Prior to the 20th century, classical liberalism was the dominant political philosophy in the United States. It was the political philosophy of Thomas Jefferson and the signers of the Declaration of Independence and it permeates the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers and many other documents produced by the people who created the American system of government.

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