Freedom to choose: Missouri Libertarian embraces Blunt, GOP
Ferguson
Senate hopeful Roy Blunt and his Republican colleagues have scored a supporter from across the party lines.
A converted Democrat?
Try Mike Ferguson, one of the state’s most outspoken Libertarian voices.
Ferguson, an alderman in the suburban Kansas City burg of Grandview, was the Missouri Libertarian Party’s 2003 “Champion of Freedom.” A year later, he was the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor. In 2008, Ferguson worked on the campaign of Libertarian Presidential nominee Bob Barr.
But today, Ferguson announced he has changed his party affiliation to Republican. Blunt’s campaign issued a release trumpeting an endorsement from Ferguson and welcoming him to the GOP.
“My principles and beliefs have not changed. I am pro-life. I am a believer in the common-sense truth that protecting personal freedom should be the goal of government at all levels,” Ferguson said in a statement sent out by the Blunt campaign. “This is also why I am supporting Roy Blunt for the United States Senate. Roy Blunt reached out to me and he has been listening and reaching out to people in all parties. Roy believes in conservative principles and am looking forward to helping him win this campaign.”
Ferguson’s switch is not likely to reap a bounty of Libertarian votes for Blunt. If nothing else, however, the nod could bolster Blunt’s credentials as a fiscal conservative which will be nominally tackled by State Sen. Chuck Purgason, who, as Virginia Young wrote in today’s ink edition, intends to challenge Blunt in the GOP primary.
Holy hell - now even libertarians are jumping on board with Blunt? Wow… pretty telling that he’s attracting such a diverse set of supporters.
And Purgason is running, why? Even the Ron Paul people are now lining up behind Blunt - and that was pretty much that guy’s only hope. Game. Set. Match.
The headline should’ve been “Blunt hunt nabs Ferguson, cripples Purgason”
Give me a headline-writing job and I’ll turn this paper around in no time!
The only Republican in the state of Missouri (besides Purgason) who has not endorsed Blunt is Sarah Steelman…where did you run off to, Sarah?
Mike Ferguson has been an invaluable asset to the Libertarian Party at the local, state and national levels, and we’re certainly sorry to see him go.
His defection to the GOP and support for Roy Blunt should not, however, be taken as evidence that “libertarians are jumping on board with Blunt.”
Mr. Ferguson is one individual. He has always leaned toward the conservative side of the libertarian movement, and he has a personal history with the Blunt family. As the Libertarian Party’s 2004 nominee for lieutenant governor, he endorsed Matt Blunt (who, as Secretary of State, had appointed him to the Missouri State Plan Committee in 2003) for governor versus the top of his own ticket.
As nice as it would be to continue to have Mr. Ferguson’s skills and abilities at the disposal of the Libertarian Party, the GOP is probably just a better fit for him. As a matter of fact, it probably always has been.
The Libertarian Party will, as it always does, offer Missourians a better choice than Roy Blunt or Robin Carnahan for US Senate next year. Hopefully more Missourians will opt for that choice than is usually the case. The definition of political insanity is choosing the same two failed parties over and over and expecting different results.
Best regards,
Tom Knapp
Chair
St. Louis County Libertarian Central Committee
What does a man’s spine go for these days in the free market, Mike?
HOW ABOUT SOME SUPPORT FOR CITIZENS WHO WANT TO KEEP THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE OVER THIER HEALTH. HOW ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WANT PROPERTY RIGHTS. HOW ABOUT A CHOICE IN “SMOKING BANS”. CHOOSE KIRKWOOD, AND OUR CAUSE WILL JOIN WITH THOSE WHO WANT REAL CITIZEN CHOICE.
Well, that’s great news. Now, if Blunt can get Libertarian Presidential candidate Bob Barr’s endorsement, we can go to lunch with Tom Delay, Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist, and stop by Cumberland Federal Prison to say hello to Jack.
He is pro-life but wants to protect personal freedom? The boy is moderately confused.