One On One With Munger

I have invited Dr. Michael Munger to be interviewed by my blog and he accepted. Dr. Munger is the Libertarian Party Candidate for Governor of North Carolina in their upcoming elections in the fall of 2008.

1. What motivated you to run for Governor of North Carolina?

I have been a political scientist for nearly 25 years. I have testified before the U.S. Senate on campaign finance law,I have written books, and many articles about campaigns. But I have never seen a campaign from the inside. Then,once I started the campaign, I became very involved in the ballot access movement here. That is the most important issue, I think. But there are other issues I care about, including ending corporate welfare and ending capital punishment in our state.

2. Why does North Carolina have such restrictive ballot access laws?

It is a way of protecting the Democratic elite in the state. They aren't worried about Libertarians. They just want to keep the Greens off the ballot. The legislative majority is deeply cynical, and duplicitous here, and they are "Democrats" in name only. Their main concern is power.

3. What are your plans for North Carolina as Governor?

North Carolina has long been a leader in education, and in creating new jobs for its people. But we are losing that lead, through government intrusion into private decisions, and attempts by politicians to interfere with the market. We need lower taxes and less regulation, more choice and responsibility in education,and a refocus on communication and transportation infrastructure.

4. What can the Libertarian Party offer North Carolina that the Republicans and Democrats are unable or unwilling to offer?

There is no real difference between the state-sponsored parties. Both depend on the state for their existence, using public financing and the public purse to pay off their supporters. Both the Democrats and Republicans run on slightly different versions of the same platform: "Vote for me, and I'll give you
other peoples' money!" I would cut spending on make-work pork-barrel projects all over the state, increase the restrictive ceiling on charter schools, commute death sentences to life imprisonement without parole, and stop municipal aggression. North Carolina is one of only seven states that allows
involuntary annexation by cities, and that has to be stopped. Cities should not be able to annex country folk against their will.

5. What has been the response of the people of North Carolina to the concepts of the Libertarian Party?

Unfortunately for our nation, this is a great time for the Libertarian party. The reason is that the state-sponsored parties are doing such an awful job of running the country. When people get a chance to hear me, and understand that I want them to have the power to run their OWN lives, and to take responsibility for their OWN choices, most are excited and interested.

Still, we have a long way to go. We have to get our message out, and we have to raise money to do it. It is a shame that we had to waste all our money on the ballot access drive. The point of the law is clearly to ensure that we arrive breathless at the starting line, having dissipated all our resources.

6. Many within the Republican and Democratic Party have considered a vote for the Libertarian Party a wasted vote, what is your response to these critics?

Many voters are worried about "throwing away their vote" on a party that can't win. But I know that
if everyone who supports us privately would just vote for us publicly, we could win! Furthermore, voting for the lesser of two evils is the only way to REALLY waste your vote. There are so many votes that no one voter determines the outcome. So why not vote for your heart?

7. What made you decide to become a Libertarian?

I was registered Republican for a long time. But the Republicans never followed through on their promise to change big government. In fact, the Republicans in Congress, and the Republican President George Bush, have dramatically expanded government in nearly every way. I have always thought of myself as a "small l" libertarian. But the war in Iraq, and the huge spending increases on pork-barrel
projects by the Republican Congress, made me change my mind in 2003. I became a Libertarian after the war started, and the Republicans continued spending like drunken sailors on shore leave.

8. Since North Carolina has restrictive ballot access laws, what have the people of North Carolina done to attempt a change in these laws?

I have worked in court to change the law. I was an expert witness for the ACLU in a suit brought by the Green Party. That suit should be resolved in a week or two.
And we might just win!

9. Has the Munger Campaign or the Libertarian Party of North Carolina received any coverage from the Mainstream Media in your state or from any other media?

Lots! I have been on more than 20 television shows, and more than 40 radio shows. The newspapers in many of the major cities, including Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Durham, and Raleigh have all run lengthy features with pictures and background. I have no complaint about our treatment by the media. They have been quite fair.

10. How does the Munger Campaign feel at the present time?

Strong, and getting stronger. This is a great time to be a Libertarian. We are going places.

I would like to thank you Dr. Munger for taking the time to be interviewed. My Best Wishes for you and your campaign.