NEW YORK LIBERTARIAN MAYORAL CANDIDATE MAKING NATIONAL NEWS

Friday, July 20, 2001 02:07 PM ======================================================================= CAMPAIGN NEWS from the Libertarian Party 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW Suite 100 Washington DC 20037 ======================================================================= For more information contact: Political Director Ron Crickenberger E-mail: RonCrickenberger@HQ.LP.org Phone 202-333-0008 Ext. 227 Or: Kramer for Mayor Communications Director Joe Naughton E-Mail Joe@Dreamcoat-PR.com Phone 212-532-4884 =======================================================================

NEW YORK LIBERTARIAN MAYORAL CANDIDATE MAKING NATIONAL NEWS =======================================================================

ACTION ITEM! Please forward this message personally to your friends in New York. Kenny Kramer, the inspiration for the "Kramer" character in the television series "Seinfeld," is running as the Libertarian candidate for Mayor of New York, and generating tremendous publicity. For Kramer to participate in all the New York mayoral debates he must raise at least $250,000 from New York residents. Details below. Please check out www.KramerforMayor.com, and then help Kramer to be in the debates by forwarding this message to your friends in New York. =======================================================================

Dear Libertarian,

Haven't you always dreamed of a Libertarian candidate whose name was already a household word? Well now we have one. As the "New York Times" put it,

"Kenny 'the Real' Kramer "must have better name recognition than any other candidate for mayor."

Haven't you always wanted a Libertarian candidate who could make more news than the other candidates? Well Kramer is doing it. Kenny Kramer has done more than 60 interviews in the first 60 days of the campaign -- just on radio!

Kramer's announcement for mayor was covered by the New York Times, The Post, the Daily News, and in dozens of other newspapers across the country. Plus Kenny was featured in Newsweek and on TV from FOX NEWS to Court TV.

On Tuesday, June 25th, ABCNews.com spent the evening with Kramer in the upper deck at Yankee Stadium and witnessed the huge show of support from his fans as hundreds began chanting "KRA-MER! KRA-MER! KRA-MER!" In response Kramer raised his "Vote Libertarian" poster that drew more wild cheers. See the photo and story at www.KramerforMayor.com in the PRESS section.

You can see Kenny's been working really hard for the Libertarian Party. And he's not afraid to take on the tough Libertarian issues that are important to the voters -- from New York's Rockefeller Drug Laws and this country's phony drug war that make criminals out of nonviolent, productive citizens, to the never-ending problems with our schools, police, and draconian laws that control business and our everyday lives.

In short, Kenny Kramer is running a campaign that Libertarians everywhere can be proud of -- dynamic, successful, and serious.

But now comes the campaigns biggest opportunity -- and biggest obstacle. The Debates!

Governor Jesse Ventura credits his appearance in televised debates as the critical factor in winning the gubernatorial election in Minnesota. And just like in Minnesota, participation in the New York City mayoral debates is tied to joining the matching funds program and raising a critical threshold of money.

For Kenny to be in all the debates his campaign must raise $250,000 from at least 1000 New York City residents.

That is why we are asking you to personally forward this message to any friends or family that you have in New York.

The first 1000 NYC residents who contribute at least $250 to Kramer for Mayor will make history by putting Kenny in debates. CSPAN has already said they expect to cover the debates -- which means a national broadcast! And reaching the $250,000 threshold also means the campaign will receive four-to-one matching funds of at least one million dollars to run Libertarian advertising in NYC -- the media capital of the world.

That means a donation of just $250 from a New York City resident will buy $1,250 in hard-hitting Libertarian advertising. Donations from anywhere in the country, and of any size, are accepted, and will help Kenny broadcast the Libertarian message from the media capitol of the world, although they do not count for the debates or the match.

Although Libertarians are rightfully opposed to matching funds programs, if Kenny is to be in all the debates we must, by law, join the matching funds program. To get from Bronx to Brooklyn, you have to take a government-built bridge. For Kenny's Libertarian voice to be in the debates, he has to join the government-built matching program.

Please help Kenny help the Libertarian Party. Check out www.KramerforMayor.com and then forward this message to your friends in New York. Please send the message along with a short personal note so that it will not be considered "spam."

Thank You! Ron Crickenberger Political Director Libertarian Party

=========================================== New Scheme For Kramer: City Hall - From the NEW YORK TIMES, April 27, 2001 By JOHN TIERNEY

UNLESS None of the Above does unexpectedly well, Kenny Kramer should win the mayoral nomination tomorrow at the Libertarian Party's convention in Manhattan. Aside from being the first interesting development in the mayoral race, his candidacy raises profound questions for political scientists and seasoned viewers of "Seinfeld."

Can he win? Well, maybe that's not such a profound question.

Libertarians have historically not been a pivotal factor in mayoral races. But Mr. Kramer can point to one promising precedent.

"If a wrestler can be a governor, I can be a mayor," he said. "I'm very serious about this race. I'll be raising money, and I'm hoping to enlist the help of Doug Friedline, who did so well as Jesse Ventura's campaign manager."

Mr. Kramer lacks the celebrity that Mr. Ventura had as a professional wrestler, but he has a fair bit of local renown as the "real Kramer." His Reality Tour of "Seinfeld" landmarks has been packing buses for five years. And thanks to the television character he inspired, he must have better name recognition than any other candidate for mayor.

But the more profound issue is what this candidacy says about the character on the show. Are we now to conclude that the guy living by himself across the hall from Jerry was a closet Libertarian all along? Does that explain his weirdness? Was he warped by the secret knowledge that he did not fit in this city of liberals?

"Kramer is based on me," the other Kramer replied yesterday, "so if I'm a libertarian, Kramer's a libertarian." He pointed to Kramer's reluctance in one episode to seek government help when a statue is stolen from Jerry's apartment.

"The statue is stolen by Jerry's housekeeper," the mayoral candidate explained, "so Kramer just goes to the housekeeper's home, makes a citizen's arrest and returns the statue to Jerry. He's defending property rights without involving the police or the courts."

Mr. Kramer also cited the Kramer character's defiance of government regulations to pursue free-market activities, as evidenced by his scalping of opera tickets and his trading of Cuban cigars to obtain good tee times. He's a capitalist who invents a cologne called Beach that smells like salt water, a necktie that rolls out like toilet paper and a coffee table book about coffee tables that can be used as a coffee table.

That entrepreneurial spirit was very much based on the real Kramer, who has never been one for regular jobs.

Mr. Kramer, now 57, worked as a stand-up comedian until one of his money-making schemes paid off in the 1970's: manufacturing disco jewelry that lighted up in the dark. He went on to coach karate, manage a rock band, promote a coloring book on substance-abuse prevention and do voice-overs for X-rated CD-ROMS.

"I promise this mayoral campaign that the media will not uncover any personal scandals," Mr. Kramer said. "There are no skeletons in my closet, because it's a walk-in closet, and I admit to everything in it. I've inhaled on more than one occasion. I admit my youthful indiscretions, my middle-age screw-ups and soon my golden-age mistakes."

MR. KRAMER'S mayoral bid has the blessing of Larry David, who was the executive producer of "Seinfeld." He and Mr. Seinfeld wrote the first episode in Mr. David's apartment across the hall from Mr. Kramer's home in Manhattan Plaza, on 43rd Street, and they based the character on the real Mr. Kramer. Mr. David agrees that the Kramer character has libertarian streaks.

"The Kramer character had a live-and-let live philosophy," said Mr. David, now starring in his own series on HBO. "Do what you want as long as you don't hurt anybody. He took a lot of liberties, sexual liberties in particular. He had a sort of unencumbered lifestyle. He wasn't really a taxpayer."

Could Mr. David imagine Mayor Kramer? "Kramer on the show I would not even consider voting for," he said. "But the real Kramer I would. I actually do think he'd be good for New York. He knows every nook and cranny of the city. He can't keep a secret, so he'd have a very open government. He's a very honest person. He's funny. He's actually very sensible about many things."

Mr. Kramer said he would be the only candidate promising less government instead of more, and that he would make drug decriminalization a priority. "If I can just get the marijuana smokers in New York to vote for me, I'll win in a landslide," he said. "Of course, the problem will be getting them to remember to go to the polls." ====================================================================== See more of Kramer's media at www.KramerforMayor.com in the Press section. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Libertarian Party http://www.lp.org/ 2600 Virginia Ave. NW, Suite 100 voice: 202-333-0008 Washington DC 20037 fax: 202-333-0072 -----------------------------------------------------------------------