<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">Dave Ketchum Wrote<BR>
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I am inclined to rank Libertarians in the middle - wanting government to<BR>
do less of what the Republicans promote, AND less of what the Democrats<BR>
promote <BR>
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Point agreed. As a result of my posting I was helpfully sent an E-mail by a list member directing me to the Libertarian web site. The Libertarians cannot be easily positioned on a single left-right dimension. The mix of ideas that constitute the Libertarian platform simply wouldn't 'hang together' in a British context and some of the ideas wouldn't hang at all.<BR>
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Dave also wrote<BR>
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You seem to assume more purity of candidates obeying party platforms than<BR>
exists here. Anyone can be a member of whatever party they choose, get to<BR>
primary election via petition (or whatever the law says in their state),<BR>
and win the primary if they convince enough voters. Not always essential<BR>
to be a member of a party to do the above and become the party's candidate.<BR>
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Again point agreed. In Britain if an MP fails to follow the party line ( within broad boundaries) or behaves in a manner perceived to be contrary to the party's interests that member can be suspended from the party ( withdrawl of the whip), expelled by the party or deselected by the constituency association.<BR>
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An MP who has been expelled or deselected cannot stand as the official party candidate. If s/he wishes to retain the seat s/he will have to fight as an independent against the official candidate.<BR>
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Candidate selection procedures vary from party to party but are completely different to the American primary system. The definition of party member is tighter in Britain than America you don't just register as Democrat, Republican or Independent. Candidate selection is considered an internal matter for the party and its members - national or local laws relating to candidate selection procedure basically don't exist and wouldn't be considered appropriate. <B>For all British parties that I can think of an essential prerequisite to being a party's candidate is being a member of that party.</B><BR>
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David Gamble<BR>
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