2008: the 4th Libertarian US House Race I Cut Short

As you saw from my earlier 3 Libertarian US House races from 2002-2006--the 1st vs Rahm Emanuel and the other 2 vs Marco Rubio mentor, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, in which I nearly won the 3rd race: I thought I was perfectly positioned for a victory on a 4th attempt with Ron Paul, who decided to run for President, as the campaign's "air support" on the ballot. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned for various reasons. A quick personal assessment made me realize I had to abort the plan to go in a completely different direction and location. I abruptly moved away from Miami in July 2008. I still found great satisfaction knowing that the Democrat who wound up challenging the incumbent that year spent 100 times ($1.6 million) what I spent ($16,000) when I earned 41% in 2006. I learned later that for all his troubles and bloated warchest, and name recognition going back decades, he only squeaked out 1% more than I did!

The following images were recorded between March 2007 and March 2008.

The plan was for me to be a "Ron Paul Independent" while Dean Santoro would be a "Ron Paul Republican" to challenge Lincoln Diaz-Balart in the primary. We endorsed each other. If he won the primary, I would step down and we'd know 2 months in advance that we basically won. If he lost, he would endorse my Independent campaign that would make it all the way to the general election. It was clever but it wasn't to be.








Below: Jeff Flake on his visit to Miami's Little Havana to deliver what they considered his "controversial" view of ending travel restrictions to, and "even" the embargo on, Cuba. This was a logical campaign stop that allowed me to elaborate on the libertarian position in favor of free markets and trade in general.



Below: Flake's visit stirred controversy. I was glad to be in the midst of it with the principled libertarian position. I'm the guy on the left holding up a copy of the US Constitution in my left hand with an 8-roll photo album of my 2001 visit to my extended family in Cuba for my 29th birthday under my right arm, asking the debate opposition where he had any philosophical right to tell me I couldn't travel freely.