An editorial in
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Libertarian Party may be an attractive alternative this election year, considering the candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, both of whom the editorial calls, "flawed and widely disliked."
Libertarians usually have little impact on presidential elections, but this year that could change, the editorial said. Gary Johnson of New Mexico and William Weld of Massachusetts are the president and vice president candidates. Both are former Republican governors of their states.
The editorial points out that since no third-party campaign from within the GOP has appeared, the Libertarians could be the main beneficiaries of those voters who do not support either Clinton or Trump.
According to the Journal, the Libertarian Party offers options for those opposed to Clinton, if Trump makes a move that they disagree with. "The Libertarians give these voters an honorable alternative if Mr. Trump makes himself unacceptable."
Libertarians believe in reducing government involvement, according to
CNN Politics. Many Libertarians want to slash government benefits, eliminate the National Reserve, and return the U.S. currency to the gold standard. The party favors gun rights, but is also in favor of gay marriage and the decriminalization of most drugs.
The party is looking at an uphill battle. Fifteen percent of votes in nationwide polls would get Johnson invited to presidential candidate debates, but no third party has hit that number since 1992 when Ross Perot reached 19 percent.
According to
FiveThirtyEight.com, a poll put Johnson at 10 percent against Trump and Clinton.
Johnson faces some opposition within the Libertarian Party, as
MSNBC reported that he was met with silence at the Libertarian convention when he pointed out that eliminating the Federal Reserve was "unfeasible."
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