The Libertarian Party of Ohio’s 2012 Convention will be held on March 30th, 31st, and April 1st at the Holiday Inn in Worthington (Columbus) Ohio. The LPO holds a convention once every two years for the purposes of:

• conducting party business such as constitutional and bylaw amendments (limited to 45 minutes of the business session)
• gathering our members and supporters of liberty from throughout the state to share ideas and network, and to learn about politics, campaigning, and candidates
• reporting to the members on the progress and activities of the LPO

For more information about the 2012 LPO Convention, please contact the Co-Chairs of the Convention, Jillian Mack and Bob Bridges at Convention@LPO.org.

Hotel reservations at a special rate of $78/night plus taxes may be made by calling the hotel and mentioning the "LPO" through March 9, 2012.  Hotel reservations made after March 9, 2012 may be subject to the standard room charge.  If you are booking after March 9th, ask to speak with Daniel Nelson and he may be kind enough to extend the discount LPO pricing if rooms are still available!

Holiday Inn, Worthington, Ohio
7007 North High Street
Worthington, OH 43085
United States
(614) 436-0700

Events and Schedule

Friday, March 30

Registration, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Pick up your convention materials and badge.

Friday evening fundraiser for Rupert Boneham of the TV show Survivor and Libertarian Party candidate for Governor of Indiana, 7:00 PM - ?

Join us starting at 7:00 PM to meet Rupert and socialize with other Convention attendees. Beverages and light food will be provided.  This is a free public event, but if you register on the next page, you will receive a personalized autographed photo from Rupert when you attend!

Saturday, March 31

Registration, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Pick up your convention materials and badge.  If you arrive after 6:00 PM and registration is closed during the banquet, please contact Bob Bridges directly at 614-599-9492.

Business Session & LNC Panel, 9:00 am to 11:45 am

Business Session, 9:00 am to 10:35 am

If you are a member of the Libertarian Party of Ohio, please attend the free business session Saturday morning to vote on LPO Constitution and Bylaw changes, and hear reports from our Chair and Division Directors. This event is open to the public, but only registered members of the LPO may vote.

Note: Per the Libertarian Party of Ohio’s constitution, all proposals for changes to the Bylaws or Constitution must be made available to all members by reasonable and common methods no less than 30 days before the convention. Constitution amendments must be sponsored by at least 3 delegates at the convention to be eligible for a vote. Prosposed Constitution and Bylaw changes to be discussed at convention (time permitting) are available for review here.

Meet the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) Candidates, 10:45 am to 11:45 am

Many of the candidates for seats on the LNC will participate this panel to introduce themselves and answer questions about why they are seeking office on the LNC, and what they plan to do to grow the Libertarian Party once elected.

Confirmed panelists:

Mark Rutherford (IN), current LNC Vice Chair, candidate for LNC Chair
Bill Redpath (VA), current LNC Treasurer, candidate for LNC Vice Chair 
Kevin Knedler (OH), current LNC At-Large Representative, candidate for the same
Brett Pojunis (NV), current LNC At-Large Representative, candidate for the same 
Rebecca Sink-Burris (IN), current LNC At-Large Representative, candidate for the same
Andy Wolf (IN), current LNC Region 3 Representative, candidate for the same

Luncheon Fundraiser - Candidate Contest, 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm

Please show your support for our candidates by joining us as we watch our most promising candidates be vetted by a panel of experts, with the single best candidate being the recipient of a portion of the proceeds raised from the luncheon ticket sales!  Please note that this event is not included in any other convention package - it must be purchased separately on the next page.

Candidates should email 2012 Convention Chairs  Jillian Mack and Bob Bridges at Convention@LPO.org to express an interest in entering the contest and to receive more details about how to qualify for the contest.

Afternoon Seminars, 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm

Track A - General Seminars

Session A-1, 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Dr. Robert Wagner, economist and investment portfolio manager, presents the documentary, "The Changing Climate of Global Warming," a dialog which provides a balance to Al Gore's monologue. The documentary explores all sides of the global warming issue, not just the side of the Green Lobby and Radical Environmentalists. 

Session A-2, 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm

Jim Babka, President of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. & Downsize DC Foundation speaks on "How to Withdraw Consent from The State."  "Big government harms you, hurts your family, damages your industry, and destroys your community -- it even kills people. We must Downsize DC for Human Progress."

Session A-3, 4:00 to 5:00 pm

Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch of Reason speak on Why Democrat vs. Republican is the wrong way to understand the 2012 election.  Reason's Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch are the co-authors of "The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America" (Public Affairs), which has been called "the up-to-date statement of libertarianism" (Marginal Revolution) and "an inspiring vision for how we might move beyond the shackles of government control in many areas of our lives… a rollicking tale" (Barron's).

Gillespie and Welch chart the growing power of political independents, who now comprise the single-largest bloc of voters, and discuss the tools that citizens are using to successfully demand the same sort of personalization and customization in politics as they take for granted in their personal, cultural, and work lives.  Copies will be made available for purchase and autograph after the seminar.

Track B - Candidate Training

Session B-1, 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Campaigning 101: 15 years and 50 states

Learn the boots on the ground political strategies that Evan McMahon has used for Libertarians, Republicans, and Democrats during his extensive political consulting career.

Session B-2, 2:45 pm to 3:15 pm

Using Social Media to Extend Your Campaign Reach

Learn from the Social Media guru, Brett Pojunis of New Media Plus and LP Nevada, on how to use all the latest social media tools to enhance your campaign.  

Session B-3, 3:15 pm to 3:45 pm

Q&A for our Campaign and Social Media experts, Evan McMahon and Brett Pojunis

Cocktail Reception, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Mingle with convention attendees, VIPs, and our vendors in the vendor hall.  This will be your opportunity to get your picture taken with your favorite candidate(s), record your "I am a Libertarian" video for the contest, get books autographed by the authors, and bid on all the great silent auction items. A cash bar will be available.

Banquet, Auction, Awards Ceremony, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Events during the banquet will include speeches by presidential candidates Bill Still and Governor Gary Johnson, a live auction, a key note speech by Rupert Boneham of the TV Show Survivor and Libertarian Party candidate for Governor of Indiana, and an awards ceremony for the most selfless and dedicated members of the LPO!

Hospitality Room, 9:30 pm - ???

Discuss various topics and network with fellow Libertarians and VIPs into the night in the Hospitality Room after the banquet. 

Sunday, April 1

Registration, 8:00 am - 9:15 am

Pick up your convention materials and badge.

Hot Breakfast Buffet & "I am Libertarian..." Video Contest, 8:00 am - 9:15 am

Enjoy scrambled sggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit display, assorted pastries & muffins with assorted jellies while you watch all the entries to the "I am Libertarian..." video contest and vote on your favorite!

Presidential Candidates Debate, 9:30 am - 10:30 am

One of these Candidates is likely to be the Libertarian Party Presidential nominee, and will subsequently be on the ballot in all 50 states! Sit back with a cup of coffee and submit your questions to the media panel: Columbus AM610 talk radio host Chuck Douglas and Columbus Dispatch City Hall Reporter, Doug Caruso. Listen to what the candidates have to say as they vie for your Straw Poll vote at the LPO Convention, and potentially your Delegate vote at the National LP Convention in Las Vegas, May 2 - May 6!  

Straw Poll & Closing Remarks, 10:30 am - 11:00 am

Cast your vote for your choice for the Libertarian Party Presidential candidate!  This is just a Straw Poll, but if you'd like to be considered as an official Ohio Delegate at the National LP Convention, email your interest to our Ohio State Chair, Kevin Knedler, at Chair@LPO.org to find out what you need to do to qualify as a National Delegate for Ohio.

 

Speaker Bios

Rupert Boneham, Keynote Speaker at Saturday Banquet, Survivor TV Star, and Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Indiana

Boneham came into the national spotlight through his appearances on Survivor. During the first "Heroes and Villains" season, out of 38 million votes, 34 million viewers selected Boneham as their favorite survivor, and awarded him a check for one million dollars. This remains the highest vote total ever in a modern American TV reality show competition.

After winning his million dollars, Boneham made good on his promise to donate a large portion to create Rupert's Kids, the culmination of 20-plus years of work with at-risk youth. The organization's goal is to mentor at-risk youth. Their stated mission is to help, "those that have become too old for the youth social service system, but are not old enough for the adult social service system. We teach these youth valuable skills and trades, while also empowering them to discover their inner strengths, passions, and interests."

Rupert's Kids, in partnership with the City of Indianapolis, created The Park Adoption Program. The program has saved taxpayers $150,000.00 in the past years and continues to provide a safe, enjoyable work environment for Rupert's Kids. Rupert's Kids does not receive federal or state funds. Boneham continues to raise funds and awareness for Rupert's Kids through a campaign of nationwide appearances and speaking engagements.

Boneham owns and operates several small businesses including Tournament Towers, which has 10 crews on the road during football season. The company transports and sets up support gear for high-profile clients such as NBC Sunday Night Football, ESPN, and The NFL Network to name a few.

Boneham was born on January 27, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in Kokomo, Indiana which considers Rupert their most famous native son. Boneham has resided in Indianapolis, Indiana for the past 21 years. He has been married to his wife Laura for 14 years. They have one daughter, Raya.

 

Nick Gillespie, co-author with Matt Welch of "The Declaration of Independents:  How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America"

Nick Gillespie is editor in chief of Reason.tv and Reason.com and almost certainly the only journalist who has interviewed rock stars such as Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Rotten, and Slash along with Nobel prize-winning economists such as Milton Friedman, Gary Becker, and Vernon Smith.

The 2011 book Gillespie co-authored with his colleague Matt Welch, The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What’s Wrong With America (Public Affairs), has been widely praised as “an enthusiastic, entertaining libertarian critique” (Kirkus), “uplifting, optimistic, and full of energy” (Forbes), and “the up- to-date statement of libertarianism (The New York Times’ Tyler Cowen). “These incurably upbeat journalists,” wrote George Will in the Washington Post, “believe that not even government, try as it will, can prevent onrushing social improvement.” A paperback edition, featuring new material, will be published in June 2012.

Gillespie is a two-finalist for digital National Magazine Awards and one of the "Top 25 Journalists on The Right" according to the Daily Beast, which enthuses "the clear-headed, brainy Gillespie is among the foremost libertarians in America [who is] as often at odds with conservative mules as he is with liberals." He is one of the 10 “D.C. Journalists With the Most Klout” (a Twitter-based ranking) and Business Insider’s “50 Most Influential Political Pundits Covering the 2012 Election.” He is the subject of a chapter-long profile in the new book Making It In the Political Blogosphere: The World’s Top Political Bloggers Share the Secrets to Success.

Brooklyn-born and raised in New Jersey, Gillespie appears regularly on radio and TV shows such as Real Time With Bill Maher, Fox News’ Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld, CNN’s Outfront with Erin Burnett, Fox Business’ Stossel, NPR’s On the Media, C-SPAN, and Fox Business’ Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano. His written work appears in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and many other publications.

Gillespie served as editor in chief of Reason magazine from 2000 to 2008, creating its award-winning blog Hit & Run (praised by Playboy, the Washington Post, the Village Voice, and others) and making history by publishing the first mass-personalized magazine cover for more than 40,000 Reason subscribers in June 2004.

Prior to descending into the ring of hell known as political journalism, he was a staffer for publications such as Teen Machine (where his duties included ghost-writing an advice column for Alyssa Milano), Smash Hits, and Metallix: It'll Rock You to Shreds!. Gillespie was a regular contributor to the pioneering satire site, Suck.com, where he wrote under the nom de plume Mr. Mxyzptlk.

Educated at Rutgers (B.A.) and Temple (M.A. in English and creative writing), Gillespie also has a Ph.D. in American literature from State University of New York at Buffalo and edited the 2004 anthology Choice: The Best of Reason, lauded for its "kick-ass, no-holds-barred political" material (The New York Post) and "sharp writing and sensible political discourse for those weary of the screams from the left and the right" (Joe Garden, The Onion).

Gillespie has two sons and splits his time between Washington, D.C. and Oxford, Ohio, which is better-known as home to Miami University. He can be reached at gillespie @reason.com and his online archive can be accessed here.

 

Matt Welch, co-author with Nick Gillespie of "The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America"

Matt Welch is editor in chief of Reason, the libertarian magazine of "Free Minds and Free Markets." He is co-author, along with Nick Gillespie, of the 2011 book The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America, which Tyler Cowen called "the up-to-date statement of libertarianism." Welch also wrote the 2007 book McCain: The Myth of a Maverick. Reason has been a Western Publications Association magazine of the year finalist every year under Welch's leadership, winning three total first-place Maggie awards, as well as another six first-place notices from the Greater Los Angeles Press Club. Welch himself has won a half-dozen first-place L.A. Press Club awards over the years, for work ranging from coverage of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, to reportage on Cuban baseball players, to essays of and about media criticism.

 

Jim Babka, Co-Founder and President of the Downsize DC Foundation

Jim Babka is the co-founder and President of the Downsize DC Foundation and DownsizeDC.org, Inc. Most business days, he and his team mobilize an army of more than 32,000 concerned citizens, many of whom, in turn, instruct their employees on Capitol Hill on how they want to be represented.

Jim Babka regularly guest-hosts Straight Talk w/Jerry Hughes on the Accent Radio Network. For nearly four years he hosted The Downsize DC Conference Call on the Genesis Communications Network. He’s authored or co-authored reports including:

• The Downsize DC Vision
• How to Persuade Your Friends & Family Guns Save Lives & Reduce Crime
• How the FDA Helped Kill My Dad
• Liberty for Citizens, or Only for Politicians? (report on campaign finance reform)

Jim Babka has served at several levels in the Libertarian Party and in some of its campaigns, including as the former Chair of the LPO.

Previously, Jim Babka was President of RealCampaignReform.org which took a lawsuit challenging the campaign finance laws all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

He and his first wife Susie are the proud, home-schooling parents of three children.

 

Dr. Robert Wagner, Economist, Investment Portfolio Manager, and Documentarian

Dr. Wagner appeared in and was a major contributor to the documentary "The Changing Climate of Global Warming," which is a dialog that provides a balance to Al Gore's monologue. The documentary explores all sides of the global warming issue, not just the side of the Green Lobby and Radical Environmentalists.

The documentary explores the views of the pro and con scientists, and the economics and the politics of the issue. Instead of telling the viewer what to think, the film provides the viewer with the information they need so they can reach their own informed conclusions.

The film features world renowned scientists such as Dr. Jason Box from the OSU Byrd Polar Research Center, Dr. Willy Soon from Harvard Smithsonian and Dr. Roy Spencer from UAH/NASA.

This is a must see documentary if you want to understand all sides of the Global Warming issue. It will provide you with the data and arguments so that you can speak intelligently and rationally on this issue with friends, neighbors and elected officials. 

Dr. Wagner is the founder of the Conservative Cavalry and Conservative Lecture Series.  He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Miami University with a B.S. in Business with Majors in Finance/Econ/Pre-Optometry, and then earned his O.D. from The Ohio State University College of Optometry.

He attended the University of Oklahoma and earned a M.A. in Economics w/Managerial and International Emphasis with a 4.0 GPA.  He was awarded CFA charter in 2001 (Chartered Financial Analyst).

He served 8 years in the US Navy, promoted to rank of LCDR and received Navy Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service.

His past work includes Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio manager, Equity and Fixed Income Analyst at one of Columbus' largest private money management firms, where he managed a family of mutual funds.  He taught Micro Economics at OSU, Micro/Macro and International Economics for Stalla/DeVry CFA Review, and Finance at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Currently, Dr. Wagner works as a portfolio manager at a local money management firm, co-managing over $300 million in assets. 

 

Evan McMahon, Executive Director of Atlas Liberty

Evan McMahon has 15 years of experience in organizing winning political campaigns. He brings his expertise in running Libertarian, Republican, and Democratic campaigns to our candidate training session - don't miss this seminar if you want to learn how to execute a winning campaign!

 

 

 

 

 

Vendors and Sponsors

For information regarding vendors’ tables or sponsorship of an event, please contact Kevin Knedler at chair@lpo.org or (740) 815- 2566.

 

 

VIP Sponsor Speakers

Governor Gary Johnson, Presidential Candidate for the Libertarian Party

Governor Gary Johnson is seeking the Libertarian Party nomination for President of the United States.

Governor Johnson, who has been referred to as the ‘most fiscally conservative Governor’ in the country, was the Republican Governor of New Mexico from 1994-2003.

A successful businessman before running for office in 1994, Gov. Johnson started a door-to-door handyman business to help pay his way through college. Twenty years later, he had grown the firm into one of the largest construction companies in New Mexico with over 1,000 employees. Not surprisingly, Governor Johnson brings a distinctly business-like mentality to governing, believing that decisions should be made based on cost-benefit analysis rather than strict ideology.

Johnson is best known for his veto record, which includes over 750 vetoes during his time in office, more than all other governors combined and his use of the veto pen has since earned him the nickname “Governor Veto.” He cut taxes 14 times while never raising them; when he left office, New Mexico was one of only four states in the country with a balanced budget.

Term-limited, Johnson retired from public office in 2003. An avid skier, adventurer, and bicyclist, he has currently reached four of the highest peaks on all seven continents, including Mt. Everest.

In 2009, after becoming increasingly concerned with the country’s out-of-control national debt and precarious financial situation, the Governor formed the OUR America Initiative, a 501c(4) non-profit that promotes fiscal responsibility, civil liberties, and rational public policy. He traveled to more than 30 states and spoke to over 150 conservative and libertarian groups during his time as Honorary Chairman.

He has two grown children--a daughter Seah and a son Erik--and currently resides in a house he built himself in Taos, New Mexico.

Campaign Contact in Ohio is Debbie Dean DebbieDean@GaryJohnson2012.com 440-336-3721

The campaign is actively looking for volunteers in many positions, please contact Debbie if interested.

 

Bill Still, Presidential Candidate for the Libertarian Party

Bill Still is a former newspaper editor and publisher, best-selling author and award-winning documentary writer/director. He has written for USA Today, The Saturday Evening Post, the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, OMNI magazine, and produced the first syndicated radio “shorts” program, Health News. He has written 20 books, including his latest, No More National Debt, and three feature-length documentaries, including The Money Masters (1995), the 15th-most-watched film on the Internet in history; and The Secret of Oz (2010), winner of Best Documentary of 2010 at the Beloit International Film Festival. 

Bill Still is a dues paying member of the National Libertarian Party. Still 2012 PCC is registered with the FEC and provides quarterly financial statements. 

Campaign manager for Still 2012 PCC is Matthew Ervin Matt.ervin@gmail.com (217) 257-7112