Want to run an effective and successful Operation Politically Homeless (OPH) booth? If so, you need to remember this one rule: Don't get bogged down arguing or debating.

At the OPH booth, you don't ever want to debate people. The purpose of the OPH booth is to gather names of prospective libertarians. Every minute you waste arguing with a non-libertarian is one less minute you have to find new libertarians.

But sometimes, people will loiter around your OPH booth and try to debate, argue, or discuss. Fortunately, there are several effective techniques to deal with this problem...

How do I get people to leave?

Once you have evaluated a person's political positions, and placed their colored stick-on dot on the Diamond Chart, you thank the person for stopping by, and you turn to the next person. At this time, most individuals will turn and walk away from you.

However, once in a while, some conservative or liberal wants to stand there and argue with you. In these situations, you must not get drawn into a debate. As soon as you do this, you will scare everyone else away from your table. And I guarantee you, 100% of the time, you will not convince the person who is arguing with you that you are correct.

So the best solution is to avoid the argument in the first place. If someone asks, "How can you even ask whether we should repeal all drug laws!?" -- simply smile and say, "I'm just conducting a survey."

When they insist that we should have a mandatory military service, just smile and say, "And that's why you disagreed with that particular statement on the Quiz."

The purpose of the booth is not to convince people that liberty is right; it is to identify people who already believe that liberty is right, but don't know that they are libertarians.

If a person asks you where you stand on the issues, don't hide anything. Feel free to point to your own colored spot on the Diamond Chart.

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But if the person is not a libertarian, or did not score on the border with libertarianism, there is no point in explaining the further implications of your position.

If the person is already mostly a libertarian, but has questions about one or two individual issues, suggest that he or she come to the next meeting of your group and ask the question there, where people will be ready, willing, and able to discuss all issues and answer any questions the person may have.

If a liberal or conservative insists on hanging around and bugging you about some topic, that is a good time for a restroom break.

That's right, break off, mention to your OPH coworkers that you are taking a pit stop, and head for the restroom. Usually, the person who is bugging you will not follow you to the restroom, and is also unlikely to try to pick up the debate with the other people working the table.

It is also possible, of course, to plan for these kinds of people by having a separate booth. Often, I do OPH in conjunction with a separate booth located next to or across the aisle from the OPH booth. Staff that booth with the people from your organization who are able to handle questions in a non-argumentative way. Then, when people have questions, send them to the other booth, away from your OPH, to do their discussing.

Remember, the purpose of the OPH booth is to gather names of prospective libertarians. It is not to argue with every conservative or liberal who comes along and wants to pick a fight.

If you want to do that, you don't need an OPH booth; you merely need a sign that says: "Libertarian wants to argue with Liberals and Conservatives. Step up and give me your best shot!" You will have all the argument you need, and you won't have to go to the effort of putting up an OPH booth.

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SUGGESTION: To download a PDF copy of the Maxi-Manual For Operating An OPH Booth or the OPH Mini Manual, click here. The Advocates also offers for sale the Operation Politically Homeless Kit, and a how-to audiotape speech from Carole Ann Rand, "Make Your OPH a Success."