FOX NEWS: Libertarian Candidate Won't Concede to 'Evil'

Libertarian Candidate Won't Concede to 'Evil'
Monday, June 14, 2004
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

FROM: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,122552,00.html
WASHINGTON — Smaller government, protecting civil liberties, getting U.S. troops out of Iraq and ensuring that a military draft won’t be instituted to fight a protracted War on Terror (search) are all staples of the Libertarian Party's (search) presidential campaign this year.

But Michael Badnarik (search), the 49-year-old computer programmer and constitutional scholar who emerged victorious in the party's recent presidential nominating convention, said he's hoping to preach not just to the choir. Libertarians are trying to appeal to like-minded voters among President Bush’s conservative base, convincing them that the administration has ignored their interests in the last four years.

"In 2000, voted in opposition to someone rather than in favor of someone. Now that they’ve seen the result of their voting, they are very disenchanted," he said. "They don’t want another four years of George Bush and they're not very excited about John Kerry (search)."

Badnarik started as an underdog in a party of underdogs, but said he is now ready to convince mainstream voters they don’t have to settle for the "lesser of two evils" any longer.

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My take: Is this for real? Do libertarians really believe they can offer a viable third party to the disenfranchised Dems and Repubs? Maybe something to balance out Nader? Or, just a nasty Fox story? I'd like to see the numbers against Nader anyway,

d


(EDITED: added FOX NEWS:)

is that the GOP will be utterly destroyed in coming years, and that the power axis in American politics will be described by the tension between the Democratic and Libertarian parties.

Reagan started it by helping to bring the repug party out of the dark ages and someone else will do a Reagan in another fifty years and maybe somewhere in there the Libertarians get a second look.

I'd like to see a three party system myself,

d

The way American electoral law is set up, a third party only spoils the chances for the major party it is most similar to. If the Greens really were a strong third party, GOP domination of America would be absolute.

it's a pipe dream I admit, but if someone could make it work or if we just had two viable parties that challenged the dems and repubs. Like the Greens and Libertarians.

That's why a four party system would be the best over a two or three party system.

just thinking outloud here,

d

The fundies control the repug party because there are a lot of them. That third of the country isn't just going to crawl back under their rock, they aren't just going away.

Buchanan was the last one to run on the Libertarian ticket and I think he got about 1% of the total votes. Buchanan was too much of a religious nut and he is railing against government support of Israel(turning on Israel is not popular with the Bush crowd).

So the new Libertarian candidate wants to break away from the UN and many foreign trade agreements (from what I've read so far). Will this guy get enough attention to define himself to voters? - I doubt it.

Meanwhile, according to polls I've seen, Nader is drawing quite a bit of the Republicans and Independents who are against the war and favor gay rights.

Buchanan was NOT a Libertarian!!! He was with the Reform Party!

They favor an end to the drug war and the Patriot ACT. They run candidates in many states and have won local offices. Ron Paul of Texas is a congressman who is unofficially a libertarian.

Was the Libertarian candidate for President in '92, if memory serves.

I find that many call themselves libertarians because they are ashamed of the Republican party and are loathe to defend it. Here in AZ. they run for almost all offices. They have a real grass root organization.

and vice versa.

Ashcroft is public enemy #1 to the LP.

We are with them on many issues...Unfortunately, they are hated just as much by DU'ers as Freepers...quite a pickle they are in.

They won't vote for a Democrat because they're so concerned with the the health of their wallet (or what they think keeps it healthy). Without that, the Libertarians are nothing.

Where did Badnarik come from? Who is he?

Damn. I thought Russo, with his Hollywood connections, would be more likely to break into the mainstream and be a Nader-like figure on the right.

-MR

Russo had more delegates in the first vote. Nolan conceded after the second delegate vote and asked his supporters to back Badnarik on the third vote.