I want to help the Libertarian party in PA, and am absolutely clueless where to start.  I have some basic ideas, but my knowledge of politics is somewhat limited at this point.  Can someone help me out?



    I do web development as my day job.  I noticed that most of the Libertarians listed as currently in office, as well as most of the candidates currently running, don't have links to personal web sites.  The one that I did click on had a single text page up.  My assumption is that none of them have web sites.  Would it benefit the party if I could write up a nice flashy template, with dynamically generated content for individual office holders?

    Any LP candidate/incumbent could log in with a username/password supplied to them.  Then they could enter their own information for the body of the site using a MS Word-like interface right in their browser.  They could then send people to their site at http://someLPdomain.com/home.cfm?u=NBostaph or something similar.  Perhaps we could even pre-populate the database with standard Libertarian information, so that users without much time could simply modify or 'tweak' the existing data to fit them.

    I run several dedicated servers for my web sites and would be happy to host this on one of those.  In the future we could expand the functionality to allow visitors to put their name on a emailing list the incumbent/candidate could use to send out news, requests for help, etc.- much like the way the Democrats utilized email communication to mobilize their supporters for this past election (the only reason I was even able to vote was because I had a phone number from a MoveOn.org email that I could call when denied at the polls).  What's everyone's reaction to this?



    I also do a fair amount of artwork using Photoshop, Bryce, Poser, and a little 3DS.  Are there areas where the LP could use help in any kind of media design, whether it be animations for TV or static images for flyers/pamphlets/web documents/etc?  Though most of my work is in static imagery (http://NightscapeCreations.com) I have worked with animation before.



    Also, does anyone know where I could get information on the process of running for office?  I'm looking more for basic all-encompassing information, hopefully outlining requirements for a candidate, what positions exist and what the requirements are for each, etc.



    I'd really like to be able to talk to an official in the LP about helping out.  Last time I tried emailing, though, I never got a response.  Does anyone know how I can get in touch with someone who coordinates volunteer efforts?  I listed some other skills I have below.  If anyone has some thoughts on how I can put them to good use, I'd definitely like to know.  Thanks!

• Cold Fusion dynamic database-driven web development
• Database administration for MS Access or MySQL
• Web design using HTML, JavaScript, Flash, and CSS
• Still or animated 3D rendering using Bryce, Poser, or 3DS Max
• Post-Processing in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Premiere
• Some media design experience (designing flyers, emails, pamphlets, etc)
• Relatively good at writing either concise technical documents or persuasive essays (lots of PR experience running my own sites).

No, I haven't been to one of the conventions...and I have the feeling I'm missing a good inside joke in your post because of it.

Actually, my wife and I were thinking of attending the local LP get-together coming up on the 17th.  I was assuming we are just allowed to show up.  I'll probably try to bring this up there.  Perhaps I'll email one or two of the office holders my thoughts, along with a link to this post, like you suggested as well.

You said that organization isn't setup very well in the LP.  Is there anywhere I can get an introduction to how things are run, and how volunteers are supposed to get things done (any standard procedure)?  After I get a handle on all of this, I'd like to write up an introductory/FAQ type site for LP newbies.  I have a feeling that a lot of people are probably turned off by the apparent complexity of it all...as I was for two years.

Thanks for the reply, by the way.

Yeah, I know how you feel; I've never done anything but donate money either, though I've only been a member for a little over 2 years.  Like you I'm enraged (yeah, I'm that upset) over the way things have been going.  Bush's win on Wednesday morning really depressed me, but it also spurred a desire in me to make a difference.  I want to get involved and offer something more than just a few bucks to a party I believe can help make utopia a reality.  Eventually, I'd like to run for office myself, but I've much to learn before that point.

I looked over the resources on the LP national site that you linked to.  Like much I've found online it all seems to assume that you understand the basics of politics.  I was hoping for something that explained how many different levels there are and what they are (national, state, county, etc).  Then I was hoping for a list of all the positions at each level, along with information on what that position is responsible for.  Then I would be in good shape to really start researching and learning.  Know of any resources like that?

I'll drop the names you listed an email in another day or two.  My server is down right now (moving to a new datacenter) and I'd like to wait until it's back up.  After all, I hate to offer web development help if every site I say I've built ends up at a 404 error.

Please do start that other topic.  We need to get some discussion started in here.

You're overestimating my political knowledge.


I mean in the US government.  As in, we have the president, and then the house of representatives and the senate.  From there I'm blurry.  We have state governers, right?  Then there are other offices at the county level if I'm not mistaken.  Doesn't it break down even more than that, like into precincts?  Like I said, I need a real intro crash course.  The last time I talked to someone who knew any of this stuff was in 8th grade social studies.

Thank you, that does help a little.  The reason I asked about an external resource is because I need further information.  For instance, an Attorney General does what?  Lead the army of attorneys (yes, horrible pun I know )?  What is a governer's responsibilities and what is he able to do?  How does he interact with the other officials.  Who has power to overturn what and where?  What positions are full time and which are part time, and what is the compensation for each?

These are extremely basic questions, but ones I need to find the answers to if I want to build a foundation for learning my way through politics.  Perhaps I'm too used to my own field.  If I want to build a cool animated web site, I type "flash tutorial" into google and, after 2 weeks and 120+ hours of learning, I can build a professional Flash website.  If I want to make a rendered movie, I search for Bryce tutorials and learn my way through that.  Simple straightforward factual knowledge presented in a logical arrangement is available to anyone who wants to take the time to learn it.  Government isn't setup like that.  I spent over 2 hours with probably 20+ different search terms yesterday just looking for answers to any one of my questions above...I came up with nothing.

I really think the LP party should have a politics 101 course on their site that addresses some of these basic issues.  I could be wrong, but I think that most of our potential members are those with about as much knowledge as myself.  If we can reach and educate these people, optimistic dreamers with a belief that there still may be good out there in the world of politics, we could dramatically increase the size and strength of the party.  If I can find the answers to my questions, I definitely intend to build my own site and try.

Nicholas and Thomas what Counties do you live in?

Probably the best way to get connected with the activists in your area is to use the lppa.org website to find the contact person in your county.

I'm the Cumberland County contact and can be reached at rocket1g@earthlink.net or 717-243-5708.

Help of any kind is very much appreciated.

Thanks - Ron Goodman

A couple weeks of intensive study will give you the technical knowlege of how to use the tools. As you know however, it takes more than that to be able to build a "good" website. It's not really so different with politics.


Whether this kind of basic education is properly the role of a political party is debatable. That a site such as you are proposing might be of  independant value - and that a more educated base would be a positive thing - is pretty clear though.

A few places you might find answers to your questions:
United States Constitution
US Government Manual
Pennsylvania Constitution
PA Government Guide
Since your profile here says you're from Pittsburgh:
Allegheny County Home Rule Charter
Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter

Chris Collins
A fellow web developer

Right. Registered and logged in might help.