Lawson for Congress

After much consideration with family and friends, I have decided not to run against David Price again in 2010.

I remain grateful to the support of over 4,500 donors across the country, giving on average over $100 and helping us wage a surprisingly vigorous campaign against our twenty-two year incumbent. I remain grateful to over 200 grassroots volunteers who helped us staff every polling place from early voting until election day, and our out-of-state volunteers who called thousands of voters.

Our campaign would have been nothing without you, and thanks to your contributions we were noted for running a strong campaign in a district where gerrymandering gives Republicans a base of 26%.

I’m a big fan of return on investment, however, and while I was curious and passionate enough to run once, 37% is a long way from winning. Ultimately, I can’t justify spending my time and your money in North Carolina’s 4th District* at this time.

Instead, my attention will be focused on principled challengers like Dr. Rand Paul (KY-Senate), Peter Schiff (CT-Senate), Dr. Mike Vasovski (SC-03), and my friend Adam Kokesh (NM-03). I hope you will join me in supporting them, and other candidates we discover who have the courage to fight our slide into corporate fascism disguised as Keynesian neoliberalism**.

Additionally, we in North Carolina need to elect more principled Republicans to state legislature in 2010 so our next redistricting can empower voters to choose their politicians, instead of vice versa. We must also eliminate our state’s tyrannical involuntary municipal annexation laws, and stop our Californicating state budget… but who’s counting?

While our governments’ insanity is overwhelming, ultimately, there is strength in numbers. If you haven’t already, please join DownsizeDC.org so we can apply continued, transpartisan pressure to vulnerable legislators (well, at least those who haven’t been gerrymandered into eternity). I also look forward to staying in touch with you through the Campaign for Liberty and Republican Liberty Caucus.

Finally, please don’t get too focused on politicking that you forget to prepare yourself and your family for the challenges ahead. While we strive for change through the ballot box, recent reports suggest that our nation is sliding dangerously close to economic and social limits:

• The FDIC has failed to close down several large insolvent banks, thus leading to informed speculation that it is bankrupt.
• Alabama’s most populous county anticipates calling the National Guard for law enforcement as a result of its pending bankruptcy.
• The Army National Guard is advertising for Internment/Resettlement Specialists to assist with supervision and management of confinement and detention operations. Probably not related :-).
• Healthcare “reform” driven by established special interests further reduces doctor and patient freedoms and, as a special bonus, features a government mandate to encourage “death with dignity“.
• Just last week, Congress passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, which grants the FDA the authority to regulate how crops are raised and harvested, to quarantine a geographic area, to make warrantless searches of business records, and to establish a national food tracing system. Great news for Monsanto, bad news for your local foodshed.
• Goldman Sachs revealed yesterday that its trading operations achieved a new record of 46 days (out of a possible 65) of greater than $100 million in profit. Yes, that’s trading profits of $100 million per day on 46 separate days. It appears they’re really good at trading, despite only being in business thanks to the U.S. taxpayer — or perhaps your growing distrust of our capital markets is justified.
• I’m not even going to comment on the continued sequelae of our endless bailouts and corporate welfare in the real, wealth-producing economy. As eminent economist and humanitarian Dick Cheney said, “deficits don’t matter” — and we’re about to find out.

If you’re looking for a thoughtful community of people working to increase self-sufficiency in this hostile environment, keep an eye on Chris Martenson’s excellent Web site.

In liberty,
BJ

* There is another Republican candidate who has declared his intent to contest Price in NC-04. While he was kind enough to seek my endorsement, we fundamentally disagree on the value of the Federal Reserve and its communist, debt-based money. Plank 5 of the Communist Manifesto details how we have been turned us into Wall Street’s debt slaves, and until we correctly diagnose our underlying economic illness, the mad scientists in Washington and on Wall Street are simply making things worse. His defense of this unsustainable system is understandable, as he is a currency trader previously employed by Societe Generale — the French bank that profited handsomely from your (and my) bailing out AIG. Caveat emptor.

** This comment should not be construed as respect for, or endorsement of, equally dangerous neoconservatism. Un-American partisan ideologies on both sides (of the same coin) have been consolidating power, sacrificing our sovereignty, reducing individual liberties, and advancing corporate fascism at an accelerating pace.

While we haven’t broken down the results by precinct, we do have some county-based comparisons based upon Obama’s sweep of the district, and the last presidential election. Here goes:

I did some empirical research. B.J. did a pretty miraculous job. Consider that:

• In Wake County, Obama beat McCain by 15 points. We only lost to Price by 3 points in Wake. To put this in historical perspective, in 2004, Bush beat Kerry by 2 points in Wake, while Price beat Batchelor by 4. So despite a 17 point swing in Wake County, we did better there than Batchelor did in 2004.
• In Orange County, Obama beat McCain by 45 points, whereas we lost by 43 points. In 2004, Kerry beat Bush by 35 points, while Price beat Batchelor by 48 points. So despite a 10 point swing for Obama, we did better than Batchelor did in 2004.
• In Durham County, Obama beat McCain by 42 points, whereas we lost by 44. In 2004, Kerry beat Bush by 36 points, while Price beat Batchelor by 42 points. While we did worse than Batchelor did in 2004, Obama turned out close to 28,000 more votes than did Kerry in 2004.

Obama turned out:

• 78,000 more votes in Wake than did Kerry in 2004. Price gained about 19,000 votes in Wake.
• Almost 11,000 more votes in Orange than did Kerry in 2004
• Almost 28,000 more votes in Durham than did Kerry in 2004

This adds up to 57,755 votes. We lost by just over 111,000 votes, whereas Batchelor lost by 95,724 (but got a lower percentage than we did). On top of this, we had 30,000 more votes this year than Batchelor did in 2004. We had 19,109 more votes in Wake, 4,214 more votes in Orange, and 4,460 votes more in Durham.

This is while McCain was stagnant in Orange and Durham counties from Bush’s totals in 2004. I’ll put good money on our gains coming from split Obama tickets, not newly registered Republicans.

You take away those 57,755 new Obama votes, and this is a 58-42 race.

Given all of the circumstances, you really knocked this one out of the park for a Republican.

We’ll post some pictures from last night’s event so everyone can enjoy the real success of this race. I guarantee there was not another victory party in the District with such a wide spectrum of people genuinely excited about liberty, freedom from corporate socialism, and a government that serves the people instead of corporate interests.

Our country remains at a delicate place, and those serving in Congress in the next two years will be challenged to meet the high expectations for change given our current economic predicament. Ultimately, however, the work to save our country must start locally — within our community.

I’ve been so busy with the campaign that I’ve neglected to write about our continued economic challenges. Our national debt now stands at over $10.5 trillion, and suffice it to say that fulfilling the promises made during this election while attempting to prop up our banking system will test the patience of our international lenders:

So how much has our financial catastrophe cost taxpayers? Even leaving aside the damage to investment portfolios, job losses, home foreclosures and diminished business prospects, the financial depression of 2008 has been immensely costly for taxpayers. The Treasury Department has had to issue more than three times as much debt than it anticipated even as late as last July. [Emphasis mine.]

Why has borrowing skyrocketed? You already know the answers. The government is spending money hand over fist to prop up the financial system at the same time it collects less from depressed taxpayers.

The government also expects to borrow $368 billion in the first quarter of next year. Let’s hope the government is getting better at these estimates. If it’s as bad at estimating future borrowings as it was in July, we’re looking at a government that might need to borrow more than $2.5 trillion over the next two quarters, which would mean that the Treasury would be borrowing more than one-third of total Gross Domestic Product.

I imagine that many folks who appreciate the gravity of this situation will start playing a new game: how can I maximize my standard of living for things that really matter — time with family, enjoying healthy, locally-grown food, working with and supporting those who create real value in our community — while minimizing my need for and dependence upon the usurious, war-mongering debt money known as Federal Reserve Notes?

It is time for creativity, and finding new ways to advance sustainable local economies. We must learn how to prosper through equity-based, cooperative capitalism instead of continuing to hook ourselves to the yoke of debt-based competitive capitalism that changes a world of natural abundance into a world of artificial scarcity and injustice.

I’ll close by quoting an email that was mistakenly sent to me from a Price supporter. Turns out this Price supporter working early voting with me in Morrisville was forwarding my emails to Price’s campaign. In this case, however, instead of hitting “forward”, he hit “reply”:

BTW, BJ’s spiel was essentially “I’m BJ Lawson.  I’m running for Congress.  We have a 20-year incumbent who isn’t serving our interests.”

BJ is an odd combination of progressive and Libertarian, as well as being attractive and young.  People who are attracted to part of him are able to deny the part they don’t like.  He won’t go away after next week.  Expect a rematch.

I don’t think BJ goes to the same site regularly, but I can tell you there were a lot of voters from 11 am on.  They came in groups, and they wore badges, so this was the crowd that lives somewhere else and works in and near RTP.  The parkng lot was jammed the entire time I was there.  Might be the place for David Fri. (if BJ isn’t there).

Our educational challenge is reflected by this gentleman’s characterizing Constitutionalism as “odd.” It’s refreshing, however, to see him recognize that Constitutionalism is both progressive and libertarian.

Here’s to continued progress in the fight for liberty, and thanks to everyone for your support.

It seems that my opponent has been claiming at the polls that I am distorting his record.

Perhaps that claim might work with people lacking access to the Internet, but we have worked to run a fact-based campaign focused on the issues, and documenting assertions.

This campaign is not personal, nor is it personally directed against our incumbent. It is based upon the issues, and his voting record that tends to serve the corporations who fund his campaigns as opposed to the people.

Bankruptcy reform? He voted for the banks. Repeal of Glass-Steagall? He voted for the banks. Bailout? He voted for the banks. Distortionary agricultural subsidies? He voted for big agriculture. NBAF? He votes for government contractors. Civil liberties? The harshest criticism of H.R. 1955 is from his colleague Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

The above facts are well-documented.

So if my opponent must resort to distortions in defense, it should come as no surprise that he might distort on offense.

One of his favorites is that I want to cut veterans’ benefits.

Why on earth would I want to do that?

One of our great disgraces over the past eight years is the rampant privatization of our military. This privatization has affected not just soldiers on active duty, but families living in base housing, as well as the way we treat our veterans.

I have no intention of cutting veterans’ benefits, and am committed to honoring those who have served our country. Especially in healthcare — I’m more than a bit familiar with the VA system, and while they have a relatively advanced computer system, there is great room for improvement.

I’m off to vote, and work the polls. To paraphrase Gandhi, it’s time to be the change we want to see in our community, and by extension the world.

Here are turnout numbers for Early Voting in the Fourth District:

Democrats (46%)
Voted: 147,440 (54%)
Not Voted: 125,712 (46%)
Total: 273,152

Republicans (27%)
Voted: 64,316 (40%)
Not Voted: 92,648 (60%)
Total: 156,964

Unaffiliated (27%)
Voted: 65,226 (41%)
Not Voted: 92,235 (59%)
Total: 157,461

Total Early Voting Turnout: 277,092 / 587,793 (47%)

How can you help us win? Three ways:

1. Get a Republican out to vote on Tuesday
2. Tell a Democrat or Unaffiliated about the need for principled change with Lawson for Congress
3. Help us with our Outreach Program then call the office today (919-481-1177) and volunteer to work a polling place

In the immortal words of Bill Galloway, weight training and football coach at Lakeland High School: “Always finish hard.”

This simple credo from high school weight training accurately sums up the efforts of our fantastic team during the weeks of early voting. Thanks to a dedicated team, we staffed every allowable early voting station, and as the lines grew, so did our enthusiasm.

Not all the works was done during the daytime, however. Folks worked the night shift to prepare materials and sift through data to prioritize our efforts, as well:

Throughout early voting, we worked hard, played fair, and talked with thousands of voters. My favorite footage came from driving around the district and capturing video earlier in the week:

Getting to the end of the week, a final batch of 10,000 Constitutions disappeared in three days — voter after voter thanked us for acknowledging the deeply-held concern that something is wrong with our government, and expressed gratitude for reawakening the vision of what is possible if we indeed “follow the rules” with a government that serves the people.

The last day of early voting really summed it up. After rotating between popular polling stations earlier in the week, I focused all of my efforts at Cedar Creek in Morrisville on Saturday. I arrived before the polls opened at 10am, and found the closest parking about a quarter mile away in the adjoining neighborhood.

The line was about an hour and forty minutes when voting started. The day was a blur, but I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing the end of the line at about 5:30 as the last folks rounded the corner. Over seven hours of talking, listening, and shaking hands — with lots of pleasant surprises along the way.

We’re closing in on election day, and I’d like to thank everyone who has taken our campaign to this point. Special thanks to everyone who has donated to make the campaign possible, volunteered to work the polls during early voting, and those who will be working again on Tuesday.

We have the right message, at the right time. While other campaigns seek to divide the electorate and pit us against each other in the quest for 50% plus one vote, we seek to unite our District with a government that serves the people instead of corporate interests. While other campaigns hide behind personal attacks and divisive partisan rhetoric, we recognize that we are all Americans, and all on the same team to the extent we embrace the freedom and responsibility provided by our Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

This election is critical, and our job as citizens does not end on November 4th. We are not electing a king on election day. We are electing a president to head our Executive Branch, and Representatives and Senators to serve us in our Legislative Branch. Regardless of the results, this election must be about accountability. It is time to remind our elected representatives that our government derives its power by consent of the governed. Our leaders must be held accountable for their actions, and judged by their ability to advance a federal government that follows the Constitution and serves the people instead of corporate interests.

Ultimately, we must work to take back our country by taking back our District. We will be working tirelessly through this election to carry this message of principled change, and we’ll leave everything on the field on Tuesday.

Just getting back from the office — someone left us a gift on our front porch:

Awesome. Whoever that was, thanks!

Just wanted to share some great photos from supporters who have been helping us get the word out.

So we thought about sponsoring a NASCAR team, but I couldn’t find a racing team powered by sustainable fuels… until I found a supporter Chad Wylie who races Pinewood Derby:

Simply awesome.

We also had some help getting the word out at the State Fair, although we’ve been focusing official resources solely on the polling places:

Here we are talking with a different kind of Price supporter — that’s Ray Price Harley Davidson

Finally, helpful hints on how to raise awareness even when you’re just parking:

I watch little live television, although I did watch some Olympics coverage — mostly to follow Michael Phelps. One thing I learned from watching Phelps race is that it’s never a good idea to coast into the wall, and that every kick and stroke makes a difference.

So we have one more week of early voting before election day, and yesterday morning I sent out an impassioned request for one more wave of donations so we can take this campaign full throttle all the way to next Tuesday.

Briefly, we spent a lot of money on direct mail, radio, print, and TV advertisements, and underbudgeted for our GOTV and efforts at the polls — which are proving amazingly effective. Here’s a video snapshot outlining the success we’ve had reaching voters with our message of principled change, accountability, and following the Constitution:

Needless to say, the Constitution is much more effective than a trite “Working for Us” handout provided by a 20-year incumbent who works for his corporate donors. Can you help us order more Constitutions for election day?

We also have been addressing the issue of voting for a “Republican” head on. Specifically, voting Lawson for Congress is important not just to elect a principled voice of reason to Congress, but to provide a principled voice of reason to an out-of-touch Republican establishment. The party is killing itself, but even worse, it’s killing our country. We can’t run from the challenge to take back our country, or our political parties. So why re-elect a corporate establishment Democrat, who answers to Nancy Pelosi and saddles all of us with David’s Price?

Speaking of the establishment, we have a quick interview with Theresa Sanders about her experience having someone “relieve her” on the first day of early voting:

Help us win this race the right way. Wherever you are, you can join us by participating in our user-friendly Voter Outreach program — one couple raised over $750 and garnered many votes yesterday alone just by calling local voters!

Finally, here’s a video snapshot of this evening’s activities:

Thank you again for your support.

Throughout this campaign I’ve responded to numerous candidate questionnaires. One recent questionnaire was from WTVD, Durham’s ABC affiliate. Here’s how their Web site renders my questions and answers with inline advertising:

If you missed the fine print, I didn’t say that McDonald’s is the biggest problem facing America today — you can read my response here. But I bet McDonald’s is thrilled with their ad placement.