by Ian | Oct 5, 2010 |
Innocent oversight or calculated tactic? The Sentinel refused to publish a letter from liberty-oriented candidate Andrew Carroll prior to the primary election. From Andrew’s website:
This was an unpublished letter to the editor I sent to the Sentinel shortly before the 2010 Democratic primary. It is unfortunate that they did not publish it, as the letter cleared my name of the wrongly attributed Free Keene stigma – a stigma which, though false, cost me many votes in the election. I provide it here, now, in hopes that those who visit my site may still find value in it. Thank you.
Let’s Talk About the Issues
My name is Andrew Carroll and I am running for State Representative right here in Keene. There are many important issues facing voters this September 14, and I have done my best to address some of them here and on my campaign website: Carroll4NH.com
But first, let me clear up some confusion:
I am not a Free Keene member. I do not condone the controversial tactics of some Free Keene members. I find some of the behavior to be disruptive and I do not believe it is an appropriate way to proceed. I believe that we can do good things, and work to make positive contributions to this community, by working together within the democratic process. (more…)
by Ian | Sep 15, 2010 |
The detractors in the liberty movement said the civil disobedience in Keene “poisoned the well”. They point to the angry anonymous posts on the Sentinel articles and upset local politicos as evidence of their claim. No doubt, there are haters in Keene. Of course there are – Keene activism is dangerous to the status quo, gets attention and so local awareness means no one is “slipping under the radar” as some other activists are around the state. As a result of the haters, rumors fly around town about Free Keene and the liberty activists here. It sounds like a dire situation, doesn’t it?
Could things be done better? Sure. But since no one is in charge, the only way to accomplish that is persuasion. Otherwise, outreach is an important part of correcting misconceptions about activists in Keene. Andrew Carroll’s campaign for state house is one method of outreach. His responses on door-to-door visits were overwhelmingly positive and his voter turnout set a record for highest percentage of votes for a liberty activist in Keene!
That’s right, despite the multiple hit pieces published in the paper, the emails that went around to democrats, and the calls to local talk radio all with the intention to paint Andrew as an impostor and not a “real” democrat, Andrew Carroll received a higher percentage of the vote than did previous campaigns by liberty activists. Andrew received votes, at minimum, from 28% of all democratic voters. Julia Miranda got about 21% in 2007 and NH native Nick Ryder garnered about 24% in 2009, if I recall correctly. That 28% number comes from receiving 464 votes out of 1649 democrats voting! Please note, that in 2007 the anti-free-stater fervor had barely begun, so after years of civil disobedience, noncooperation, and outside-the-system activism, the results from inside the system are better than ever!
Congratulations, Andrew! Some say that political success isn’t possible in Keene for liberty activists here, and you may just prove them wrong the next time around. Very few candidates win their first time out.
by Ian | Sep 13, 2010 |
Just days after Andrew Carroll’s opponent for state house, Cynthia Chase, posted a letter “outing” Andrew, another letter appears, written by Scott Chase. Scott desperately attempts to paint the mild-mannered Andrew Carroll as a scoundrel and a man of disrepute, because he’s one of “those people”:
The United States Constitution guarantees the right of citizens to vote for their elected officials, be they Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Free Staters, the Green Party, or any other.
I find it appalling that during this midterm election campaign there are Free Staters and Libertarians running for office in New Hampshire who are so ashamed of their political convictions that they are masquerading as Republicans or Democrats.
Their objective is to fool the voters, get themselves elected, and pursue their own agenda.
It should be obvious that anyone unwilling to stand up for his or her own convictions is up to no good. (more…)
by Ian | Sep 13, 2010 |
How can you counteract the Andrew Carroll haters during tomorrow’s primary election? If you vote in Keene and are a Democrat, cast your ballot for Andrew Carroll and no one else. (Unless you really like one of the other Democrat candidates.) This will allow Andrew to accumulate votes without the others accumulating votes. There are 8 candidates running for 7 seats, so all Andrew has to do to make it to the general election is beat one of his seven competitors. Voters are allowed to vote for seven candidates, but you don’t have to. Not voting for the others will avoid inflating their totals, making it harder for them to beat Andrew.
Remember, if you are an Undeclared voter, you can declare as a Democrat for this vote, and then go back to Undeclared when you leave. If you are not registered to vote, you can do so the day-of the election. Go here to find out where your ward is, and then visit the ward tomorrow to get registered and vote.
Good luck Andrew – the establishment is scared to death that you might just make it past the primary. They’ve been calling local talk radio, writing letters to the editor, and emailing to discourage people from voting for Andrew. They are desperate!
by Ian | Sep 13, 2010 |
Here’s a positive letter regarding Andrew Carroll’s run for office that was printed in Sunday’s Sentinel:
Have you met the fine young man Andrew Carroll?
If you don’t like the wars we are involved in and would like our troops to come home and out of harms way, no one will get them home faster or endorse polices to make that happen more than Andrew Carroll.
Vote for Andrew Carroll for representative in Tuesday’s primary vote. (more…)
by Ian | Sep 11, 2010 |
Due to human error, (I forgot to turn on the receiver before bed), only the last 45 mins of “Talkback” on WKBK was recorded today. Here are two highlighted calls – one is my thoughts on talk radio and dumbing down and the other is a desperate statist trying to attack liberty activists (she even claims *we* bully the police!) and “out” Andrew Carroll AGAIN! Doesn’t it sound like she’s reading a prepared statement? Interesting how none of the people who attack Andrew ever identify themselves…
Grab the archive.
Please join us for our weekly chat and calling sessions on Saturday mornings from 9a-12p. If you’re in the Keene area you can tune in to WKBK 1290 AM or 104.1 FM. The Talkback discussion thread is here on the Free Keene Forum.
