Fed up? Join the Libertarians

Article By:
• Bret Clevenger
• bclevenger@northernstar.info

Tom Delay and Lewis Libby, two high-ranking Republican officials, have been indicted.

Bill Frist and Karl Rove, two more high-ranking Republicans, are under investigation for serious crimes.

According to a joint NBC/Wall Street Journal survey, President Bush’s approval rating has reached an all-time low of 38 percent and only 33 percent of those surveyed believed the president was being honest with the American public.

On Wednesday, the Republican Party lost both gubernatorial races in which they competed.

The Republican Party seems to be in disarray.

Not only is the party filled with strife, but it also seems to no longer stand for the ideals of many conservatives.

Many people who once aligned themselves with the Republican Party are now finding it more and more difficult to do so.

Newt Gingrich was quoted in the Oct. 24 Boston Globe as saying, "To a real degree, the Republican Party has become a party of governance, not of reform."

Americans are starting to agree with Gingrich, and this is leaving them with a difficult question of where to turn.

Many conservatives, finding themselves alienated by the Republican leadership, have turned to third parties. In particular, many have turned to the Libertarian Party.

While still small, the Libertarian Party is slowly gaining speed. According to its official Web site, the Libertarian Party grew in membership by 7 percent from March 2004 to March 2005.

This may not seem like a lot, but when one considers the Libertarians had lost membership for the previous four years, it’s clear to see the tide is turning.

Other third parties are gaining popularity as well. The Constitutional Party garnered 33 percent more votes in the 2004 Presidential election than in 2000.

So why is it important these third parties are gaining power?

The answer is simple. A viable third party would force the two major parties to change.

As Brian Miller, secretary/treasurer of the Libertarians at Virginia Tech University, states: "In general, an active and viable third party of any kind would force the Republicans and Democrats to take firm positions as parties. It would also force them to focus on the American people rather than in-fighting and petty partisan bickering. Because instead of being the lesser of two evils then the populace would have a viable third option to turn to."

Miller went on to say: "specifically with the Libertarian Party, I can imagine the two major parties would be held to task primarily in regards to the Constitution. Both Democrats and Republicans have no problems with disregarding parts of the Constitution as it suits them, and a prominent Libertarian Party would force them to address these violations or it may change the course of their actions in the first place."

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like this is exactly what our country needs right now - a group with enough of a voice to rattle the cages of the two major parties. A group that, while not the majority, has enough power that it must be acknowledged.

The idea of a third party gaining this type of power may seem unreal to most Americans, but it isn’t as abstract as one would think.

If a third party were to garner just 5 percent of the popular vote in the 2008 presidential election it would become eligible for partial public funding of its general election campaigns.

They don’t have to win the presidency, or even win a single state, just 5 percent of the popular vote. That type of showing in the next presidential election would not only garner additional funds for future elections, but it would also get the Libertarian Party significant recognition.

We cannot expect the Libertarian Party, or any third party, to simply jump into the 2008 elections and garner that type of support.

The time to start working toward this goal is now - with mid-term elections approaching, and plenty of time left to start a grass-roots effort.

There are plenty of reasons why the American government could use a viable third party, and there’s plenty of Americans out there searching for a party that fits them better than the Republicans or Democrats.

For many, that party is the Libertarians. That may not be the answer for you, but now is the time to learn about these third parties.

Don’t automatically align yourself with the Republicans or Democrats. Find a party that suits you, learn more about it, support it in the ‘06 mid-term elections and watch the snowball grow into significant change in ‘08.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.

Fed up with long-winded statements? Don't join the Libertarians!

Libertarians? did they make up a new party to accompany the liberals? i know we have the republitarians and democatians, so i was just wondering.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Wheres everyone else who's fed up with joining the libertarians?

The Librarians have formed a political party? Holy Crap! The Dewey Decimal System for EVERYONE!!!

Gives "Dewey Defeats Truman" a new meaning....

The Libertarians my ass. Who the heck do they think they are kidding. You can't just go around making politcal parties for no damn good reason. If i was as stupid as you I'd making the Get Wasted party of America only problem is we'd all be to wasted to actually vote so we would never win an election, just like you dumbfreacks.

Keep America like George Washington would have wanted it Republican. If they had automatic rifles in his day by god he would have owned at least twenty.

I once wrote a script for a pilot episode about a guy who travels back in time with autos, and gives them to George Washington... along with b-belts, cameoflage, ammo, doc martins and a new attitude. Washington then changes history by taking on the British single-handedly. When he's done with them he decides to take on the French.

In the last episode, the guy returns to the future and France is now called "Washingtonville".

RESton Peace your show sounds like quality television. I my self have had similar ideas about going back in time with modern weaponry. Only your idea is much more throughly thought through and a whole hell of a lot more funny.

If you like that, you'll love my script for a Cheech and Chong- based sci-fi show, where the two stoners travel back in time to Colonial times, and give modern marijuana seeds to George Washington to plant, instead of "hemp" as he was actually growing.

Well, Washington grows that shit, and since he was a rad scientist, he makes it even more powerful. Cheech shows him how to smoke it, and Washington is hooked. he starts hooking up his colonial leadership breathren and smokin' da chronic takes over Colonial America.

The next season of the show, the first episode opens in the First Continental Congress. The doors open and a cloud of smoke is hanging over the delegates, who have all adopted rastafarian dress. They're all acting like bunch of hippy peaceniks (hey, instead of a war, let's have a huge jam band concert! Then everyone will converge on the concert, and we'll use the vibe energy to free america!). In the same vein, several other major American revolutionary events are equally affected by the new chill vibe. The Boston Tea Party turns into a steinhoist at Sam Adams' place, and Paul Revere brings a new sterling silver "water pipe" that he has just invented.

Needless to say, we get our stoned asses kicked. In the last episode Cheech and Chong return to the future and America is now called, um, the British Colonies of the Americaz. But everyone is stoned so they don't care about their colonial masters.

Tell me that's not better than "Desperate Housewives" or "Lost".

give it a try what's the worst that could happen