ow come just about everyone who ever said to me, ''I'm a Libertarian'' seemed bright, well mannered, at least reasonably well dressed - and yet their party goes nowhere at election time?
Intelligent, well-informed, articulate, knowledgeable about history and the workings of government, the Libertarians of my acquaintance have been generally upstanding citizens. So why can't they elect anybody to anything significant?
It's the two-party system, they say; the indifferent or twisted media; the laziness of the voters; fear of trying something new on the menu. These are the type excuses you hear.
This fall the Massachusetts ballot will have some Libertarian races, including president and US Senate. The theme is always the same: cut down on big government, cut loose most of the laws restraining individual behavior; basically, don't tread on us.
Doing away with most of what we consider to be government is an idea that appeals to most Americans at one time or another, most often around tax time. So it may be no accident that the Massachusetts Libertarians will toss their convention on April 15, the traditional IRS deadline day (though because April 15 is a Saturday, this year's deadline moves to Monday, April 17).
The Libertarians say they hope 350 or more will show up at the Newton Marriott Hotel gathering to hear speeches by Harry Browne, the party's presidential candidate, civil rights figure Roy Innis, and Ashland Selectman Craig Mathias, as well as Carla Howell, a management consultant from Wayland who is running this year for the US Senate seat that Ted Kennedy holds.
Two years ago, Howell got 6 percent of the vote for state auditor, 102,198 votes, the high water mark of her political experience to date. Her motto is ''small government is beautiful,'' a slogan that, in her campaign literature, is marked with a small ''sm,'' which she describes as ''a service mark'' that she believes entitles her to sole use of that phrase, just in case any rival politician tries to poach.
Her chances of ousting Kennedy? Nil, if you're talking about actually getting elected. But if Howell, 44, managed to wangle an invitation to any kind of Senate race debate, she might cop some attention.
The unveiling to the voters of the Republican candidate in the field, Jack E. Robinson, late of Connecticut, was a PR debacle of the first water. Robinson's introduction to the body politic was a head-banging, toe-stubbing pratfall in which he was clobbered virtually as he announced his intentions.
A restraining order by one female acquaintance, a verbal blast from another who accused him of being a groper, a charge of plagiarism in a book deal, and then being sideswiped in a multi-car crash while being interviewed on a cell phone - and then reportedly leaving the scene till chased down, all that combined to make ''Jack the Tongue'' virtually a household name in the political community within 24 hours.
When politicians talk of ''building name recognition'' with the voters, they do not mean doing it that way. Robinson vows to hang in there against Kennedy, despite Governor Paul Cellucci's public sawing-off of the shaky tree limb from which the Robinson candidacy was hanging.
Any of Kennedy's foes would have to be disheartened if they turned up Monday at the Chamber of Commerce lunch where Teddy was hailed by Chamber chief Paul Guzzi as a mighty fountain of federal largesse. And MIT President Charles Vest underscored Kennedy's clout in no uncertain terms: ''No one - no one - has been a better friend or a more stalwart advocate'' when it comes to yanking federal research and development loot for Massachusetts and our 180,000 high-salaried research jobs.
Like Mount Rushmore, Mount Kennedy is not going to get toppled this fall. But the Libertarians keep trying.
Browne has qualified for federal matching funds two presidential campaigns running - but refused to take the money on principle. He claims the Libertarians outnumber the Reform Party crowd that gets more ink. With 168 Libertarians in public office - ''more than all other minor parties combined'' - they think they have traction.
Howell said she has an undergraduate degree from Bethany College in West Virginia and a master's from Babson. Her family has roots in Massachusetts, but she grew up in Pittsburgh and Detroit. ''We moved a lot, but we always considered Boston a second home.'' Her background, she said, is in engineering, ''strategy,'' and now ''high tech and health policy.'' She said she'll raise ''more than $600,000,'' which is less than one-tenth of what Kennedy could command.
She believes all gun laws should be repealed, as well as laws prohibiting drugs, and she'd wipe out much of the government and the tax structure.
''I'm for repealing the antigun laws that do no good, make us less safe, and infringe on the safety and liberty of peaceful, responsible gun owners,'' she said. But do you see why Kennedy would be for stricter gun controls?
''I've heard that rationale from antigun folks like Ted Kennedy. I believe it is based on fear and ignorance and not what works.'' Could it also be based on memories of two dead brothers, I inquired? Howell replied with an anecdote about a woman who'd forgotten to put her gun in her purse when her parents were shot and killed by a gunman.
If the US were to legalize drugs, she continued, that would ''dramatically reduce violence involving children.''
Do you own a gun, or carry a gun? ''I don't disclose that,'' she replied. ''But if someone wants to come break into my house, they'll find out.'' So I left that line of questioning there. On the trials of her GOP opponent, Mr. Robinson, she said, ''I don't have much of an opinion.''
She'll demand to be included in any senatorial debates, which I don't envision Kennedy attending with any frequency. Howell said she was not included in the Boston Herald debate for state auditor last election, ''but then the Herald later endorsed me.'' If she gets to debate, ''I'm ready to go.''
Just my hunch, but if they ask everyone to go through security, she may not make it past the metal detector.
David Nyhan is a Globe columnist.
