Third parties are the stepchildren of American politics, constantly misunderstood and overlooked, at least according to their members.
With next to no chance of their candidates winning at the ballot box, these parties are free to ride high on ideals and low on practicality.
The largest and most active of these groups is the Libertarian Party.
With ballot access in 50 states at one point and a handful of successful local candidates over the years, it’s ground zero for ideological purists.
Politicians like Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, Gov. Gary Johnson, R-N.M., and Gov. Bill Weld, R-Mass., have all run under the Libertarian banner.
And Libertarian candidates have certainly played the role of spoiler a time or two in close contests.
Yet, with the recent snub of Robert Kennedy Jr. as their presidential nominee, the Libertarian Party seems content remaining America’s favorite protest vote — a refuge for the politically homeless.
Libertarians, at least the party’s current leadership, appear to have embraced their identity as the perennial outsiders, ready to challenge the status quo, all from the sidelines of power.
It’s hard to underestimate the rejection of Kennedy’s candidacy, and what his candidacy under the Libertarian Party banner would have meant for the party.
Current polling puts Kennedy at up to 10% of the national vote.
If that level of support holds in November, it of course would not result in a victory of any kind, but rather would have guaranteed ballot access for Libertarian candidates in most states for future contests — an invaluable asset for any third party.
Just imagine how the party could have used such access to increase their visibility and overall "legitimacy" in the eyes of voters, elevating their candidates to a much more central role in the nation’s political discourse.
Instead, the party nominated Chase Oliver, who aligns more closely with the party’s ideological underpinnings, but lacks the name recognition and broad appeal that Kennedy enjoys.
If history is any indicator, with Oliver as the party’s nominee, he is likely to receive somewhere around 1% of the national popular vote.
With Kennedy in the race, it could end up being much lower.
While there’s something deeply nostalgic about prioritizing principles over politics, passing on Kennedy is bound to keep libertarians in an all too familiar position — appealing to a small but loyal segment of the electorate without making a single inroad to new voters.
Keep in mind, the high watermark of electoral performance for libertarians remains the 2016 presidential contest, where Gary Johnson was able to attract a little over 3% of the national vote.
Although Oliver checks all the right boxes for the libertarian rank and file, describing himself as "armed and gay," he lacks the political pedigree and cross-party appeal that Johnson brought to the table.
Johnson’s eight years as governor of New Mexico, which included a popular push to decriminalize cannabis consumption and support for school vouchers, provided him with a solid record he could sell to voters.
With very little political experience, aside from unsuccessful runs for both the U.S. House and Senate in Georgia, as well as a major lack of funding and visibility, especially due to his exclusion from any future presidential debates, Oliver is unlikely to make much of an impact beyond Libertarian circles.
The Libertarian Party was born in rebellion back in 1971, a reaction against everything from the Nixon administration to the Vietnam War and America’s ballooning national debt.
So, it’s hardly shocking that the party would shy away from a recent Democrat defector like Kennedy.
Despite his staunch opposition to COVID-19 mandates and foreign interventions, Kennedy, at his core, is still very much a Democrat just like his father and uncles before him.
But after half a century of political oblivion, one is left to wonder what the Libertarian Party is really after.
Do they genuinely want to make an impact in government, or are they content to offer up another sacrificial lamb like Oliver at the altar of their own egos?
Kennedy’s snub, though expected, seems to suggest the latter. It also hints at a party more focused on maintaining a peripheral force against one that is viable.
In an election cycle marked by unpredictability, at least one thing remains constant for voters: the Libertarian Party.
True to form, the party continues to champion their own cause with passion and zeal, even if it means forever playing the spoiler.
For those voters seeking consistency, the Libertarian Party is reliably predictable.
Jacob Lane is a Republican strategist and school choice activist. He has worked for GOP campaigns at the federal, state and local levels, as well as with various PACs and nonprofits. Read Jacob Lane's Reports — More Here.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.