Richard Mack Moderates Libertarian-Sponsored Candidate Debate in Nevada
Part of shtick has always been seeming normal. Even as he spouts far-right conspiracies about the New World Order, his suit-and-tie demeanor and slick authoritativeness give him an aura of credibility that many right-leaning audiences find compelling, if not persuasive.
Perhaps it鈥檚 no wonder, then, that last weekend Mack was invited to moderate a debate in the Clark County sheriff鈥檚 race in Las Vegas, sponsored by the Libertarian Party of Nevada. And it certainly isn鈥檛 any surprise, given the fact that Mack is the leader of , that he used that respectable-seeming podium to steer the conversation far to the right.
Mack asked a number of conspiracy-minded questions with anti-government 鈥淧atriot鈥� movement leanings, opening with: 鈥淲hen government becomes venal and oppressive and out of control, can the people of Clark County count on you for peace, safety and protection?鈥� He later asked the candidates: 鈥淚s forcing a law-abiding citizen to register their firearm unconstitutional, and will you take action to abolish the handgun registration process?鈥�
The candidates' answers all sturdily affirmed their opposition to such laws. One candidate, former Detective Gordon Martines, denounced the state's gun-registration laws: 鈥淢y neighbors, my friends and my family are not going to get carted off to some federal institution because of some pretend legislation. Over my dead body.鈥�
Fortunately, for the people of Clark County, the candidates have had more grounded conversations elsewhere. At a later sponsored by the county's three largest labor unions, the conversation focused on questions about sales taxes, 鈥渢heir leadership qualities and department morale.鈥�
