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Who are the Libertarians?
May 15, 2008
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| Click to listen to interview |
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Who will succeed George W. Bush? It's a question the whole world wants to know. Only 6 months from now, and millions of Americans go to the polls to vote. We all know that Arizona Senator John McCain will be the Republican nominee. And now it's inevitable that Illinois Senator Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee, but don't tell that to New York Senator Hillary Clinton. She doesn't seem to get the message. Obama has the numerical advantage in pledged delegates to the nominating convention and now so called super -delegates are lining up behind him to clinch the nomination.
And now Obama is aiming his criticism at McCain more, Clinton less, indicating he's already positioning himself for the general election and staking out his claim to the nomination. So a 46 year old African American whose mantra is, “change the way Washington” works to a 72 year old Vietnam War hero who would continue many of Bush's policies and keep things the way they are. Change versus Experience. It will be an interesting choice.
In public opinion polls, Obama beats McCain and McCain beats Obama. At this stage, still some uncertainty in the body politic. Obama has agreed to a series of debates with McCain which should illuminate the options.
But wait a minute. There is a third option this time. No, I'm not talking about Ralph Nader who is threatening to become a spoiler like he did in 2000 handing, say critics, the election to Bush. The Green Party and Ralph
Nader apparently are not going to do it again, pressured heavily by Democrats. The third option is the third largest American political party, a dwarf compared to the Republicans and Democrats, but still with many elected officials at the local level, and now a Presidential Candidate named Bob Barr.
The party is the Libertarian Party of the United States. It has over a quarter million registered voters in 48 of the 50 states, lists nearly 200 Libertarian elected officials at the city and county level in half of the states, and like every year since its founding in 1971 to present an alternative to the Democrats and Republicans, it's fielding a presidential candidate this year, Mr Barr. Barr, a former Republican congressman, held a news conference the other day to announce he's running for the White House. He is a Libertarian. What is that?
Libertarians believe deeply in the freedom of the individual, very limited government, lower taxes, a somewhat isolationistic foreign policy, in other words no overseas military adventures like Iraq and a less aggressive US foreign policy, and a reduction in the size of American government which every year gets bigger and bigger and takes a larger chunk of taxes from the people. Libertarians are pro business free market advocates, the less government regulation the better.
Candidate Barr says his name will be on the ballot in most states by the time election day rolls around in November, giving voters another choice. And many, disenchanted with the politics as usual special interest bought candidates, (yes, Obama despite his protestations is beholden to special interests), and McCain is even in trouble over it, many may be tempted to pull the lever for the Libertarian candidate for the White House, Bob Barr.
Some in protest would do that, others because the Libertarian philosophy, very American celebrating the power of the individual over the power of the government, appeals to them as the vision America's Founding Fathers had when they argued over States rights versus Federal rights as they wrote the US Constitution. Libertarians begrudgingly admit there must be a central government, but they say it should have much less power over the lives of its citizens, leave them alone to do what they do best, create and produce and make progress.
Can the Libertarians become a spoiler like Nader did capturing 5 to 6 percent of the vote like he did, in effect throwing the election from Gore to Bush in 2000? Highly unlikely. In fact, Bob Barr has absolutely no chance of becoming President of the United States. He knows that. Libertarians know that. But most Americans don't even know what a Libertarian is. So in fact there are three choices when voters go in the booth to cast their ballots for the next US president. Most people outside the United States don't know that.
Libertarians, like everyone else these days, have a website, so their message is out there. They are mounting one of their most extensive campaigns ever to elect Bob Barr, and they could have some minor impact in some places, probably attracting disgruntled Conservative Republicans not happy with McCain for being a Republican moderate on many social and economic issues.
Whatever happens, after only 27 years in existence as a political party, Libertarians are poised to raise their public profile this political season and provide a counter-point to the usual mean rhetoric that is already coming from both the Democratic and Republican candidates.
Libertarian for Liberty, Freedom of the individual. It is for Americans a slogan that speaks to the American character. Will it translate into real political power beyond the local level? It’s highly unlikely. But choice is always good.
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