We lost a fine gentleman
Harry Browne 1933-2006
Sadly, Harry Browne, twice presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party, died Wednesday night, March 1st, 2006.
I can remember my initial impression of Harry Browne. I first met him, and his wife Pamela, at a reception at the 1996 Libertarian Party convention, before he won the nomination of the party. Tall and white-haired, Browne could have easily been a cold, aloof and imposing figure, but any fear of that was gone in a flash, replaced by my unspoken thought "pleasant gentleman". Our chat was made easy because both Harry and Pamela seemed honestly interested in meeting me and learning more about me. I was completely charmed by them.
Lest you believe I was bewitched by normal political charm... I later had occasions to spend more time with them, and my first impression was not even slightly wrong. Harry was, along with many other good attributes, a charming, gracious man, and always easily accessible.
I was the organizer for the Minnesota state conventions for several years, and had Browne as a speaker twice. In 1998, between campaigns, his theme was "It's a great time to be a Libertarian". After his keynote speech and question period, he spontaneously stayed on stage and held a fundraising drive for our state party. Pamela accompanied Harry on many of his campaign trips. When I checked the room list of speakers rooms, I noticed that Harry had reserved a smoking room, even though he was a non-smoker. While chatting with them, I asked him why. Very quickly, he responded that they liked to burn incense during lovemaking. Pamela blushed intensely. I know that the real reason was that he wanted guests of theirs to have the choice of whether or not to smoke.
In April of 2000, during the period leading up to the 2000 national convention, Harry was able, at the last minute, to attend our state convention, joining two other candidates for the nomination, Gary Nolan and Barry Hess. With a full program of 8 speakers already, I scheduled Browne to speak at the luncheon on day two. One of our members was to meet Harry at the airport arrival gate and drive him to the convention site at Mystic Lake, just in time to speak. I was waiting impatiently for the two of them to arrive. Many people had traveled to our convention just to hear Browne, and our schedule was packed, with no time to spare.
Just about the time I was beginning to tear hair, in walked our transportation man... without Harry Browne. They had completely missed each other in the airport. Amidst our confused madness, about 10 minutes into trying to rework the schedule, in walked Harry. He had grabbed a cab and gotten there on his own, and was ready to speak. Not even slightly shaken, he said he had a good chat with the Somali cab driver, then proceeded on to delight our luncheon audience.
A presidential campaign is a grueling affair, and extremely so for a candidate whose party has limited resources with which to help. Harry posted web notes during his campaigns (it would now be a blog) and I was astounded at the schedule and pace of his effort. His notes were always interesting, including self-criticism about how he wished he had responded to a particular question. I watched his campaigns carefully, and it was truly amazing how quickly he became able to succinctly and professionally answer questions, and to even control hostile interviews. He became the darling of radio talk shows with his witty, informed and always respectful discussion.
Harry Browne was a splendid representative of the Libertarian Party. He influenced many people, both outside and inside the party. It was a privilege to have known him, and his loss leaves a very large vacant space within the libertarian movement.
Libertarian Party Mourns the Loss of Beloved Candidate, Author, and Friend
Harry Browne, R.I.P.
Radio-Show Excerpts, Speeches, & Interviews by Harry Browne
I can remember my initial impression of Harry Browne. I first met him, and his wife Pamela, at a reception at the 1996 Libertarian Party convention, before he won the nomination of the party. Tall and white-haired, Browne could have easily been a cold, aloof and imposing figure, but any fear of that was gone in a flash, replaced by my unspoken thought "pleasant gentleman". Our chat was made easy because both Harry and Pamela seemed honestly interested in meeting me and learning more about me. I was completely charmed by them.
Lest you believe I was bewitched by normal political charm... I later had occasions to spend more time with them, and my first impression was not even slightly wrong. Harry was, along with many other good attributes, a charming, gracious man, and always easily accessible.
I was the organizer for the Minnesota state conventions for several years, and had Browne as a speaker twice. In 1998, between campaigns, his theme was "It's a great time to be a Libertarian". After his keynote speech and question period, he spontaneously stayed on stage and held a fundraising drive for our state party. Pamela accompanied Harry on many of his campaign trips. When I checked the room list of speakers rooms, I noticed that Harry had reserved a smoking room, even though he was a non-smoker. While chatting with them, I asked him why. Very quickly, he responded that they liked to burn incense during lovemaking. Pamela blushed intensely. I know that the real reason was that he wanted guests of theirs to have the choice of whether or not to smoke.
In April of 2000, during the period leading up to the 2000 national convention, Harry was able, at the last minute, to attend our state convention, joining two other candidates for the nomination, Gary Nolan and Barry Hess. With a full program of 8 speakers already, I scheduled Browne to speak at the luncheon on day two. One of our members was to meet Harry at the airport arrival gate and drive him to the convention site at Mystic Lake, just in time to speak. I was waiting impatiently for the two of them to arrive. Many people had traveled to our convention just to hear Browne, and our schedule was packed, with no time to spare.
Just about the time I was beginning to tear hair, in walked our transportation man... without Harry Browne. They had completely missed each other in the airport. Amidst our confused madness, about 10 minutes into trying to rework the schedule, in walked Harry. He had grabbed a cab and gotten there on his own, and was ready to speak. Not even slightly shaken, he said he had a good chat with the Somali cab driver, then proceeded on to delight our luncheon audience.
A presidential campaign is a grueling affair, and extremely so for a candidate whose party has limited resources with which to help. Harry posted web notes during his campaigns (it would now be a blog) and I was astounded at the schedule and pace of his effort. His notes were always interesting, including self-criticism about how he wished he had responded to a particular question. I watched his campaigns carefully, and it was truly amazing how quickly he became able to succinctly and professionally answer questions, and to even control hostile interviews. He became the darling of radio talk shows with his witty, informed and always respectful discussion.
Harry Browne was a splendid representative of the Libertarian Party. He influenced many people, both outside and inside the party. It was a privilege to have known him, and his loss leaves a very large vacant space within the libertarian movement.
Libertarian Party Mourns the Loss of Beloved Candidate, Author, and Friend
Harry Browne, R.I.P.
Radio-Show Excerpts, Speeches, & Interviews by Harry Browne
posted by Robert Ronald Smith at 8:04 PM
Permalink
Post
to freedomSLUT
<< Home