Libertarians Recruiting More Candidates in Pursuit of Election Success

Libertarians Recruiting More Candidates in Pursuit of Election Success

December 12, 2013

Central Texas is home to many Libertarians, as shown by this map of the percentage of votes Libertarians received by county. Map by Roy Varney.

By Roy Varney

For Reporting Texas

The shorthand for the original slogan of the Libertarian Party could easily be confused with an anagram or a new strand of flu. But TANSTAAFL pronounced tanstaffel and standing for There aint no such thing as a free lunch was the 1971 launch of an effort to shake up the countrys traditionally two-party political system.

The first platform promised to challenge the cult of the omnipotent state and defend the rights of the individual.

We kind of half-jokingly said there was something in that platform that could offend anyone, recalls Roger Gary, a party member since 1977.

Gary said hes seen the meaning of Libertarianism in Texas change dramatically during his tenure. He has also see significantgrowth in the partys ability to attract voters.

Libertarianism was once considered a fringe party in Texas, but thanks to improved leadership, prolonged public exposure and indirect benefits from the decline of the state Democratic Party, Texas is now the top producer of Libertarian candidates.

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Libertarians Recruiting More Candidates in Pursuit of Election Success