"The convention would say, 'All right we need to find a candidate for governor. Anybody want to run for governor?'" El Paso County Libertarian activist Steve D'Ippolito remembers.

Now the party doesn't just have candidates; it has spirited races for both its gubernatorial and senatorial nods. And with Republicans and Democrats having only one serious candidate seeking nomination in each race, Libertarians have the only primary action going.

Plus, this year's convention - being held today through Sunday in Leadville - may determine not only which candidates represent their party in the general election, but also which direction the party will take.

One faction of the party believes being outspoken and in-your-face is the way Libertarians need to go to get serious attention. Another group thinks progress will come only with calm, rational expressions of party beliefs.The poster boy for the brash side is U.S. Senate candidate Rick Stanley, who has garnered more pre-nomination attention than any Libertarian in state history. Stanley has campaigned for a year and has challenged Denver's law prohibiting the public carrying of weapons. Both of those moves have garnered kudos from party members.

But he also alienated a number of Libertarians with statements that Republican U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard is a traitor who should be hanged and that the U.S. government, rather than a disgruntled Wisconsin art student suspect, is responsible for planting pipe bombs in mailboxes.

To Stanley, a Denver small business owner, the publicity he's gotten is bold and is opposed only by the "politically correct light wing" of the party.

But to D'Ippolito, the Colorado Springs computer programmer running against him, the statements have strained the party's credibility. D'Ippolito's issues are similar - legalization of marijuana, elimination of gun-control laws - but his style is far different.

"In the short run, I'm afraid too many people will associate us with his views on Allard and many of the other extreme things he's said," D'Ippolito said.

The issue separating the governor's race is whether Libertarian philosophies should be implemented incrementally or espoused without conditions.

Ralph Shnelvar, a Boulder small-business owner, believes immediate legalization of pot and repeal of limits on gun ownership are needed. These strong stances are what separates Libertarians and could win them surprising support in the general election, he said.

But his opponent, Littleton consultant Jim Vance, believes small changes within the system are the only way party members will get things done. Vance, who picked up Stanley's endorsement, wants to start by passing a concealed-carry law for guns and by legalizing hemp. He said he's reaching out to more than just the 4,800 registered Libertarians in the state.

"You say 'Libertarian' and a lot of people will look at you as one of those gun-toting, pot-smoking freaks," Vance said. "I want to show that's not the case."