Thursday, December 2, 2010

Libertarian Party Selects Las Vegas As The Host City For Its 2012 National Convention

The Libertarian Party's National Committee voted on November 21, 2010 to hold the Libertarian Party's next National Convention from May 4-6, 2012 at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa is located 11 miles from the Las Vegas Strip at 11011 West Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada 89135. The Hotel provides free shuttle service to and from McCarran International Airport (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) and to and from the Hotel and the Fashion Show Mall just off the Las Vegas Strip (11:40 a.m. to 9:40 p.m.). The shuttles run every two hours although the hotel has promised to increase the frequency of its shuttle to and from the airport during the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nominating Convention. If you choose to take a taxi to or from the airport, the ride will cost you approximately $60.00 not including tip. The hotel has a pool that is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. The negotiated discounted price for the hotel rooms have not yet been announced.

A number of individuals have expressed their happiness with the selection of Las Vegas as the site of the next LPUS National Convention but felt the hotel selected should have been on or just off the Las Vegas Strip so delegates could take full advantage of the buffets and entertainment Las Vegas has to offer. In response, Aaron Starr, the former Treasurer of the Libertarian Party, wrote:

Members of the LNC toured both the Paris and Bally’s hotels in Las Vegas back in July. I attended those tours. There was one location where the ceiling was too low (you want it to be at least 20 feet). It would have been bad for folks at the back of the room (the jumbo screens in front wouldn’t fit) and it would be less than ideal from the view of the media’s camera lens. There was also the sense that these hotels were actually too large for us to be a significant presence and our ability to negotiate a good package would be diminished.

The really nice hotels are not at all willing to deal. The price for our delegates would have been outrageous. Others inquiries were made with other hotels a year earlier and many were not willing to deal with us because our size was insignificant.

Alden Link, a contender for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination in 2008, said:

I agree with Dr. Tom Stevens, Founder of Libertarian Patriots and former two-term LPUS Judicial Committee Member (2006-2010), that the host hotel for the Libertarian Party's 2012 National Convention should have been on or just off the Las Vegas Strip. I do not doubt some effort was made to find a hotel on the Strip that could accommodate our needs. However, I believe the LNC gave up too soon. There are scores of hotels located on or just off the Las Vegas Strip that host conventions of our size every day. I am confident an appropriate venue could have been found that would have allowed attending convention delegates to wander out onto the Strip during breaks for food and fun. 

The Libertarian Party will select its Presidential Candidate during the upcoming May 4-6, 2012 National Convention. Listed here are former Libertarian Party Presidential Candidates together with the year they ran, their popular vote total and the percentage of the total vote they garnered:

1972 John Hospers (3,674) <0.1% 

1976 Roger MacBride (172,553) 0.21% 

1980 Ed Clark (921,128) 1.1% 

1984 David Bergland (228,111) 0.3% 

1988 Ron Paul (431,750) 0.5% 

1992 Andre Marrou (290,087) 0.3% 

1996 Harry Browne (485,759) 0.5% 

2000 Harry Browne (384,431) 0.4% 

2004 Michael Badnarik (397,265) 0.32% 

2008 Bob Barr (523,686) 0.4%

The Libertarian Party was formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado in the home of David Nolan on December 11, 1971.

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