The recent special election in NY's 23rd Congressional District while seemingly a success of Doug Hoffman as a Conservative Party candidate, it simply wasn't the case. In NY a special election of this sort requires the county chairs to pick a candidate. Most likely the Dede Scozzafava appointment had the more disgruntled conservative faction in the NY GOP, scrambling for what they considered a better choice. It was effectively a primary after the disaster that was a certain diminutive Schenectady resident, in the 20th District special election last spring. By pumping national money into Republican enrolled Hoffman's Conservative campaign, they outflanked the weaker intra-Republican party opponent with another ballot line. Reader's might note that my own campaign in the 20th was not received well by Conservatives who bumped me off with a hand picked judge in Poughkeepsie in full cooperation with the Republicans, no doubt. 
That being said, I am urging Libertarians in New York not to select a convenience candidate next year for governor. While our lot may very well be a Sisyphus like plodding towards a damned eternity of electoral nothingness (I prefer to keep this mantle to myself), we should not sell our souls to a luke warm promise of success in a statist universe. If our little cabal actually became that ballot qualified party it might only a matter of months before it is sucked into the Borg that is New York State politics. It's not to say that protections on a bylaw and legal level wouldn't hold up to a constant deluge of attempts to colonize a newly qualified party, but would the party simply become an appendage to the bigger apparatus which tends to reward it participants with pork and privilege. Is that not our opposite purpose ?
Now it may be that a popular figure who has great libertarian credentials will pop up sometime before next April when our convention is held. Whether or not they go the route of Al Damato's poker buddy Howard Stern or is the blue blooded cold feet of a tall red headed former governor of Massachusetts spuriously quoting Hayek and Nozick, that choice will be subject to the circumstances of the moment. Drew Carey ? Penn Jillette ? We need you guys. Please apply and get a NY address soon if you're interested. It was good enough for Hillary. It could only help get you more gigs.
All that being said, we shouldn't denigrate or make light of any Libertarian Party stalwart who comes forward and issues their intent to seek or get that nomination. It's what the big parties do. When John Faso stepped aside to make room for Herb London's 1994 quest for comptroller he wasn't simply thrown aside for the dustbin of history. He got his chance in 2006 against the gorilla opponent Spitzer, who's expectation from the media and public far exceeded his ability to deliver anything but the current occupant of the office. Likewise, Bob Dole in 1996.
No matter what happens or how, our fellow Libertarians who run for office deserve credit for that alone. Harpies from hip publications or naysayer's of the institutional class don't have the guts to try, even knowing that its futile. Candidates sacrifice their time and treasure for the possibility that the public at large might be smitten with a sudden bout of freedom. They deserve our gratitude regardless of results, especially when their core points are liberty. The William Weld nomination and subsequent gutless withdrawal, made the LPNY look like chumps in the eyes of the other parties. Why shouldn't any Libertarian look at our history and not see the success of resistance and perseverance? While other third parties consign themselves to political serfdom with their willingness to compromise ideals for the benefits of a few manipulative hacks, Libertarians are right to stand in defiance, proudly and independently.
Coming Soon: My intentions for 2010 - Part III
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