'By Our Fruits, You'll Know Us': The Mises Caucus Mastermind
"[Libertarians] need to push forward our own culture, our own vision, our own language, our own narrative" and change "the way people think," says Mises Caucus founder Michael Heise.
"The foundation of our strategy is nullification and decentralization," says Michael Heise, founder of the Mises Caucus and the leading strategist behind the group's takeover of the Libertarian Party at its 2022 convention in Reno, Nevada.
The caucus fashions itself as the Ron Paul movement 2.0, with a message focused on ending wars, ending the Federal Reserve, and ending what it calls the "COVID regime."
Heise formed the Mises Caucus after the 2016 presidential run of former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.
"Gary Johnson: 4.3 million votes, highest vote total ever. [But he created] no lasting movement, no return on investment on those votes," says Heise.
Heise won the backing of influential libertarian podcasters Tom Woods and Dave Smith and began the methodical work of getting his allies into leadership positions in the majority of Libertarian Party state affiliates. By 2022, the Mises Caucus controlled 37 state delegations. With that control, Mises Caucus–endorsed candidates swept the national party's entire leadership slate at the convention, which means that big changes are coming to the Libertarian Party.
Reason sat down with Heise to talk about the party's new strategy, how to measure success, and his response to critics who say that the Mises Caucus is damaging the party and the wider libertarian movement.
Produced by Nick Gillespie and Zach Weissmueller; edited by Adam Czarnecki; sound editing by John Osterhoudt; additional graphics by Regan Taylor