https://www.lewrockwell.com/2024/05/no_author/a-tale-of-two-conventions/

A Tale of Two Conventions

By Grant M. Dahl & Jason Greene

It is hard to imagine a starker contrast in outcome than what unfolded at two major political party roundups over the 2024 Memorial Day weekend. The national Libertarian party met in Washington D.C. to choose their party leadership as well as their candidates for president and vice-president of the United States, kicking off their federal election campaign for 2024. Meanwhile, halfway across the nation in San Antonio, Texas, the local Republican Party of Texas held their state convention to choose local party leadership, finalize the local party platform, and kick off their state-level election campaigning. The outcome and message of the two conventions were dramatically different; as widely divergent as national ambitions and local responses have been in the last few months. The party stage at every level is set to showcase the contrast between elitist dream-world and local, real world. It was these two conventions that seemed most likely to sign their names to the coveted titles: “best imagination” or “best turnaround story.” Voters can sign in to decide who won soon.

The Libertarian convention was an unmitigated disaster (this is not the suspense/thriller section so no spoiler alert needed). Public image disasters, shady backroom dealings, and possible Deep State interference left the party looking like they took a wrong turn and missed the circus. Supporters of small government, natural law, and Austrian economics, who had hopes of building up the party Murray Rothbard helped to establish, were short changed and robbed at the concessions stand. In other words, the results left them feeling grossly unrepresented. One of the convention’s major players, presidential candidate and Austrian scholar Michael Rectenwald, later summed it up with: “The lack of integrity amongst these people… I’m stunned.” ......