Ben DeJong for House District 78: A Local Libertarian Race in the Shadow of the Hudson Break

So you've been the Libertarian of Michigan's comms director.

You've been social media for National.

How and what has that shown you how the party reaches people, actual members? Because I think that's still one thing the Libertarians have Since I've been a member, I've been a member since 2010, I never felt like it's been a constant communication, like, hey, the good things that they're doing, things, I'll get the donation letters, you know, hey, give us some money, but sometimes it's nice to know, hey, Michigan is doing a lot of good things.

Texas is doing something good, or Pennsylvania, whoever it may be, you know, what has it taught you? What did you learn? I mean,

the biggest thing is the purity tests.

And that's, I think, is still the number one thing that drives me crazy.

At the state level, at the national level, the purity tests and the backlash if you don't meet that purity test or that perceived purity test.

the viciousness of how libertarians treat each other is disgusting.

It's despicable.

And, you know, even, even recently having, you know, New Hampshire disaffiliated, like there are better ways to handle conflicts and messaging than, than to disenfranchise an entire state.

And, you know, that's not the answer.

You know, there's got to be a better way to address, you know, some of the areas where maybe, you know, even internally, like, you know, the border situation or, you know, abortion or racism.

Like, those are things that, you know, divide us in some ways.

But, you know, if we can't come together and saying, we got to end the war, we got to stabilize our currency, we've got to have a future left for our kids and stop fighting about like gender neutral bathrooms.

And, you know, it's not good enough to be not racist.

You have to be actively anti-racist.

Like, what are we doing? You know, that's exactly what the Republicans and Democrats are like.

Let them fight over that and remain to be irrelevant.

And the fact that we still choose to fight over that kind of stuff is, to me, it's just disgusting.

Oh, yeah.

So how is y'all's recruitment and active up there in Michigan right now, Dee? Is it doing pretty

well? It's okay.

I can speak for my affiliate.

We're actually one of the fastest growing affiliates in the state.

When I started, when I took over as chair, I think we had two or three active members that came to monthly meetings, you know, and now we're up to 15.

So you've been the Libertarian of Michigan's comms director.

You've been social media for National.

How and what has that shown you how the party reaches people, actual members? Because I think that's still one thing the Libertarians have Since I've been a member, I've been a member since 2010, I never felt like it's been a constant communication, like, hey, the good things that they're doing, things, I'll get the donation letters, you know, hey, give us some money, but sometimes it's nice to know, hey, Michigan is doing a lot of good things.

Texas is doing something good, or Pennsylvania, whoever it may be, you know, what has it taught you? What did you learn? I mean,

the biggest thing is the purity tests.

And that's, I think, is still the number one thing that drives me crazy.

At the state level, at the national level, the purity tests and the backlash if you don't meet that purity test or that perceived purity test.

the viciousness of how libertarians treat each other is disgusting.

It's despicable.

And, you know, even, even recently having, you know, New Hampshire disaffiliated, like there are better ways to handle conflicts and messaging than, than to disenfranchise an entire state.

And, you know, that's not the answer.

You know, there's got to be a better way to address, you know, some of the areas where maybe, you know, even internally, like, you know, the border situation or, you know, abortion or racism.

Like, those are things that, you know, divide us in some ways.

But, you know, if we can't come together and saying, we got to end the war, we got to stabilize our currency, we've got to have a future left for our kids and stop fighting about like gender neutral bathrooms.

And, you know, it's not good enough to be not racist.

You have to be actively anti-racist.

Like, what are we doing? You know, that's exactly what the Republicans and Democrats are like.

Let them fight over that and remain to be irrelevant.

And the fact that we still choose to fight over that kind of stuff is, to me, it's just disgusting.

Oh, yeah.

So how is y'all's recruitment and active up there in Michigan right now, Dee? Is it doing pretty

well? It's okay.

I can speak for my affiliate.

We're actually one of the fastest growing affiliates in the state.

When I started, when I took over as chair, I think we had two or three active members that came to monthly meetings, you know, and now we're up to 15.