The Party of the Year: Libertarian Election Night Celebration

Libertarian Election Night Celebrations are always fun. But for perhaps the first time in Libertarian Party of Massachusetts history, the 2002 Election Night Celebration featured high drama, suspense and anticipation.

As Election Day dawned, Carla Howell's Small Government Act to End the State Income Tax was becoming a category 4 hurricane, while Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Tom Finneran were battening down their big-government hatches. Both men staunchly oppose tax cuts. Both publicly support a $23,000,000,000+ state budget.

Everyone attending the election night celebration had sensed the growing buzz for Carla Howell's End the Income Tax platform. They had seen the satisfied, happy looks on the faces of voters as they emerged from voting booths across Massachusetts.

Their friends, family and co-workers told them they voted for Carla Howell's Question 1. So this crowd of 223 Libertarians and small government advocates wondered: Could this be a close vote, despite what the experts at the Boston Herald and Boston Globe had predicted?

"Regardless of the outcome, this is a defining year for Libertarians," said Libertarian Lt. Governor candidate Rich Aucoin. "Because of Question 1's bold and unmistakable nature, Massachusetts voters will never again need to ask what Libertarians stand for. Thanks to Carla Howell and Question 1, they'll know it's small government and low taxes that we're offering, pure and simple."

The news media converged on Carla Howell the moment she entered the celebration hall. They remained for the entire night, as preliminary election results indicated that a major Libertarian victory was becoming a very real possibility.

"The media didn't stay this late in 2000," said campaign business manager Kay Pirrello. "It's terrific that they finally need to cover a Libertarian election event late into the night."

As Carla Howell took to the stage to address the crowded hall, the excitement spilled over. "This is a stunning result for Ballot Question 1," said Ms. Howell. "The people have spoken and they agree with Libertarians that government is too big and taxes are too high."

Ms. Howell went on to thank the many volunteers who helped her put small government on the ballot for the forgotten taxpayers of Massachusetts. "We couldn't have done this without you," she said. "I thank you all from the bottom of my heart."

Libertarian U.S. Senate Candidate Michael Cloud, who won nearly 20% of the vote despite being blacked out by the major news media, emceed the event.

"The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald can ignore us all they want," said Mr. Cloud. "Our Libertarian message of individual liberty, personal responsibility and small government is breaking through the McCarthy-style, anti-Libertarian bias of Boston's big media. Even they can't un-ring the bell of Question 1."

Ms. Howell and Mr. Cloud ended the high-spirited evening by recognizing the other Libertarian candidates who supported Question 1, several key campaign volunteers and their campaign staff: Kay Pirrello, Celeste Parent and Libertarian State Rep candidate Skip Pacheco.