Sunday, April 3, 2016

How Donald Trump & Hillary Clinton Have Made the Libertarian Party Relevant

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the likely presidential nominees of America’s two major political parties, would be among the best-known and most-disliked candidates in history. What better time for the Libertarian Party (LP), the only third party that will be on all 50 states’ ballots, to make its move into the mainstream?

Reason spoke with a number of senior LP officials, party supporters, and philosphical fellow travelers about the unique opportunity presented by the 2016 election. Though all agreed the LP was in a great position to present a distinct political platform through a legitimately viable candidate, some were more optimistic than others about the prospects for success, or even by what measure success could be determined.

Is the goal the White House, or just altering the national conversation by getting on the main debate stage? The LP knows voters want an alternative, but the party continues to struggle with its sales pitch and structural realities of a two-party system that marginalizes alternative choices.

The LP’s three most prominent candidates, Gary Johnson Wants YOU to vote LP
Gage Skidmore including former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (who served two terms as a Republican and was the LP’s presidential nominee in 2012), squared off in a debate-style forum hosted by Fox Business Network’s John Stossel, which airs tonight at 9 P.M. ET. As the distant third-place finisher in 2012, Johnson scored about 1 percent of the popular vote and set an LP record of more than 1 million votes.

http://reason.com/blog/2016/04/01/libertarian-party-2016-presidential

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