Category Archives: Libertarian

For those who can't stomach the idea of voting for Donald Trump OR Hillary Clinton, the prospect of voting for a Libertarian candidate was the only option that didn't look like selling your soul.

The rush to the Libertarian party was somewhat noticeable. Spikes in membership saw the Libertarian party gaining 100 new members a month, and somewhere around $400,000 in donations...and that was reported back in May.

Apparently, approval for Gary Johnson has seen something of an uptick since then, as the Libertarian candidate has seen a 2% growth in approval, bringing him up to 12%, according to a NYT/CBS poll. While Republicans sit at 9%, and Democrats sit at 5%, Independents support Johnson at 21%.

There could be several factors leading to this bump for Johnson, such as Bernie Sanders dropping out and throwing his weight behind Clinton, and of course, Clinton escaping any kind of punishment for hervery obvious crimes surrounding her private email servers.

Regardless of the reason, this is exciting news for those would like to see Johnson at least make a showing on the debate stage alongside Clinton and Trump. Johnson needs a total of 15% to appear next to the Democrat, and other Democrat.

As it stands, many people don't seem to know that a 3rd party candidate even exists. Johnson's appearance on the national stage would probably be a massive upset to poll numbers for the two main parties, whose candidates no one seems to like. The introduction of a new candidate could begin a voter's exodus toward the Libertarian cause.

This all hinges on Johnson reaching 15% however, and in terms of distance, 12% is so close, yet so far away. If Libertarians are going to formally introduce themselves to America in the coming months by appearing on the debate stage, they should turn their campaigning up to 11.

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Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson Still Rising, Says New ...

The Libertarian Party was created in 1971 by dissatisfied Republicans searching for an alternative to the two-party system. In 1972, Texas became one of the thirteen original founding state parties at the first Libertarian Party convention. Since then, the party has enjoyed rapid growth. In the 2010 election, there were over 150 candidates on the ballot in Texas.

The Libertarian Party of Texas (LPTexas) is the third largest political party in the state of Texas, and the only party that is consistently committed to a platform of peace, prosperity and freedom for all Americans. The Libertarian Party is sometimes described as the party of both fiscal responsibility and social tolerance, the best of both worlds approach to political policy that doesn't accept or require the false choice between liberal and conservative. LPTexas represents liberty, justice, equality, privacy, independence, non-aggression, and the rule of law - the founding principles of our great nation - and is committed to a mission of political action to restore these core principles to our government and chart a future course based on voluntary cooperation, mutual respect, free markets, and the realization of human potential.

The Libertarian Party of Texas (LPTexas) is governed by theState Libertarian Executive Committee (SLEC), which is comprised of two representatives from each state senatorial district and four state officers. At the local level, the state party is divided intocounty affiliates, governed by a County Chair and officers. Each county affiliate is divided further into four districts, with representatives from each. Within these districts are voting precincts, managed by Voting Precinct Chairs. LPTexas is a bottom-up, grassroots organization that highly values the important work done locally to spread the Libertarian message. If youd like to get involved in a leadership role or as a volunteer or donor, pleasecontact us.

LPTexas is an affiliate of theLibertarian National Committee. Our mission is to serve as a watchdog over the state legislature and advocate for passage or defeat of proposed legislation, inform our membership of political issues, maintain the partys ballot access, recruit candidates, encourage strong Libertarian voter turnout and assist county affiliates in increasing party membership.

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Libertarian Party of Texas

Libertarian Party of Alabama

4 hours ago

Libertarian Party mourns slain officers in Baton Rouge

ALEXANDRIA Nicholas Sarwark, Chair of the Libertarian National Committee, states, "The events in Baton Rouge are heartbreaking and we all mourn with the people of Baton Rouge as they grapple with the loss of innocent lives."

"After every tragedy, people rightfully want to find the cause and prevent future tragedies. Many will use this event to call for gun control and more laws. However, the real solution here would be fewer laws."

Sarwark continues, "If we truly want to reduce situations in which police are pitted against the people they are sworn to protect, we would end the war on drugs. The constant escalation of prohibitionist policies have increasingly pitted police and citizens against each other for decades and are largely responsible for the militarization of police forces across America.

"Ending the violence means ending the policies that lead to black and grey markets, the highest incarceration rate in the world, and reduced economic opportunities in the formal labor market for huge swaths of Americans. Ending the violence means ending the war on drugs.

"Ending the drug war will do more to heal the divide between police and citizens than any other measure. It is the best way to save lives: both those of innocent police officers and innocent citizens."

The Libertarian Party is the only political party in America devoted to protecting all rights of all human beings all the time. As part of this mission, the Libertarian Party seeks a minimal set of just laws that defend the rights of individuals and are equally applied to all. ... See MoreSee Less

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Libertarian Party of Alabama

The duo on the Libertarian Party presidential ticket ex-Arizona Gov. Gary Johnson and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld are split on how to handle the election if their own bid doesn't take off.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., this afternoon, Johnson was asked if he worried about being a spoiler, the name given to third party contenders like Ross Perot in 1992 and Ralph Nader in the year 2000, who were thought to have tossed the election to their less politically-aligned party.

'I will lose no sleep if that is the label given to me,' Johnson said of being a 'spoiler,' saying no matter what he'd vote Libertarian in the fall.

Libertarian Party presidential hopeful Gary Johnson (left) said he would vote Libertarian no matter what, while Bill Weld (right), Johnson's running mate, said he might be forced to vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton

'And I will reiterate that this is the party that needs crashing,' the former Republican governor of Arizona added as he attacked the current two-party system.

Johnson switched over to being a Libertarian and topped the Libertarian Party's presidential ticket in 2012 as well.

Weld, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts suggested that he would be inclined to pick a Republican first, but not the current Republican at the top of the ballot.

'I conceive of it as part of my role in this campaign to try and hold Mr. Trump's feet to the fire and try to have him change the manner in which he's waging his candidacy,' Weld said.

'And if that did not happen, he would leave me with very little choice,' Weld added, without using Democrat Hillary Clinton's name.

Today at the Press Club, the two former Republicans waging a third-party presidential bid laid out their strategy.

First, they needed to be included in more national polls on the first question, rather than being an 'afterthought,' as Johnson put it, which put their legitimacy as candidates into question.

'If at the very onset they would poll "Johnson, Trump, Clinton," I think that would result in the 15 percent that we need to appear in the presidential debates,' Johnson noted.

As the rules laid out by the Presidential Debate Commission stand, Johnson would need to receive 15 percent of the vote in five national polls before allowed onstage.

Gary Johnson, the former Republican governor of Arizona who is now the Libertarian Party's presidential pick, said he wants to take on the GOP for overspending and the Democrats for their wars

Gary Johnson's running mate, former Massachusetts Gov. William 'Bill' Weld, noted that their staffs would be one single entity and comprised of members of both the Republican and Democratic parties

Johnson's Our America Initiative is suing for debate access for the Libertarian and Green Party as well, arguing that candidates who are on the ballot in enough states for it to be mathematically possible for them to win the White House should be allowed to participate.

The Johnson-Weld ticket will be on the ballot in all 50 states, Johnson noted.

Though without the debates and the exposure there, it will be difficult for the duo to cut through the cacophony of two-well funded major party candidates with major name recognition as well.

And without being included in the polls, as the vicious cycles goes, there's no hope unless the lawsuit is successful of getting on the debate stage.

'If Mickey Mouse were the third name in any of these polls, Mickey would be polling at 30 because Mickey is a known commodity,' Johnson noted, arguing that Americans will start moving toward the Libertarian ticket as the greater word gets out.

Right now, Johnson has been polling at 6.7 percent, according to the Real Clear Politics average.

What the Libertarians are selling is smaller government, more money in taxpayers' pockets and a government-out-of-the-bedroom approach on social issues, with Johnson smacking the GOP for things like cutting funding to Planned Parenthood but increasing spending on Republican lawmakers' pet programs.

Democrats, Johnson argued, needed to 'end the wars' and stop giving out freebies.

'Everything about the Democrat party is free,' Johnson complained, sounding like a Republican by using 'Democrat' and not 'Democratic' in his description, a common dig at the Dems.

'Free everything!' he moaned.

'And I think we all recognize that nothing is free and somebody pays for it,' the Libertarian added.

The Libertarian Party's presidential ticket - Gary Johnson (left) and Bill Weld (right) have a steep climb in getting their names on polls and then high enough poll numbers to get into the presidential debates

'And when taxes go up, that's money out of your and my pockets that we could be spending on our own lives,' he said.

Johnson and Weld said they planned to govern as a team and wouldn't even hire separate staffs.

'This is a two-for-one,' Johnson explained, highlighting that the country would gain the experience of two two-term governors.

'In our administration appointment are not going to be based on politics,' Johnson also said, suggesting that his cabinet and staff would be made up with a mix of Democrats and Republicans.

That, Weld argued, would be better for breaking up gridlock on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers and their aides 'wouldn't be suspicious of our nominees' and wouldn't be attacked politically for working on issues with them.

Weld pushed out the idea that his running mate is a generally interesting man and Lincoln-esque too.

'In a number of ways Gary Johnson reminds me of President Lincoln,' the former Massachusetts governor said, with No. 1 being physical prowess.

'Not everyone knows this, he has been a contestant in four Iran Man triathlete world championships, he has climbed the world's highest mountain peak on each of the seven continents, climbing Mount Everest with a broken leg,' Weld said.

Lincoln, the vice presidential wannabe noted, had been a world class rail-splitter.

Weld also suggested that the first Republican president and the Libertarian had 'honesty' in common, even nicknaming him 'Honest Gary' for the afternoon.

'I kind of hope that sticks,' he laughed.

Johnson proved both those points by answering Press Club President Tommy Burr's query about when the last time was that he smoked or ingested marijuana, as the ex-governor is pro legalization and known to be a fan.

'I did this about two months ago, it's been about two months,' Johnson said, noting that he wouldn't be doing any marijuana while campaigning for president nor if he made it to the White House.

'I haven't had a drink in 29 years,' he also offered, saying that he wasn't into alcohol because he was so into mountain climbing.

With that, the two candidates were asked how Americans would be feeling after four years of Libertarian Party rule.

Johnson suggested that they'll feel like there is 'a fairness to all this.'

'I might disagree, but what I see is a process where issues are looked at first and politics are last on the agenda if they even exist at all,'

Weld went a step further.

'People will be happier,' he thought.

'I want folks to have a good time,' he said. 'You can make people feel better about themselves.'

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Libertarian presidential candidate says he'd 'lose no ...

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Prescription painkillers are not as deadly or as addictive as commonly claimed.

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Too many rules are putting a major drag on economic growth.

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Donald Trump's fans and foes face off when his travelling circus comes to town.

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Jesse Walker

A little-known rule lets feds steal money from people who haven't been convictedor even accusedof a crime.

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Planning a recovery is tough in a country where an awful lot of guys with guns aren't ready to admit that socialism has failed again.

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The sad afterlife of abandoned stadiums.

Jim Pagels

The national security state steps out of bounds.

Brett Max Kaufman

A sweeping history aims to change the way we think about the origins of capitalism.

Jacob Levy

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Reason.com

You are probably here because you got my email, saw one of our posts, or got a text message. First, I want to thank you for taking the time to come. Second, log in and update your profile. If you get an email from us, like our page, tweet us, or donate you probably already have a profile. Just log in with your email or social media profiles, click on settings, and update your info. If you're on mobile, the menu will be at the bottom of this page to log in and update your profile. If you're on adesktop, the menu will be on the right. Come on in and poke around this is a new experience for us all and we are excited to see how this journeygrows!

We are running the first annual, 4th of July, LPTexas Liberty Bomb. We are asking 1,776 Libertarians to give $17.76 to our cause.We areoffering all money collected to our Rail Road Commissioner and State Judicial Nominees. If you want to make a bigger difference to our candidates, give $177.60 or $1,776.00. You have the potential to make a difference in one of our most critical election cycles in over 12 years. The time is now and the political climate has never been better. Give today!

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Home - Libertarian Party of Texas

Tomorrow we will celebrate the secession of the British colonists from the British government.

No matter what pro-status-quo cronyists tell you, secession is alive and well. In fact, we're taking it to the next level.

Individuals and businesses are cutting ties to governments. Last year, a record number of Americans repudiated American citizenship to seek personal and economic freedom elsewhere. They are saying to all countries: you now need to compete for us, like businesses... compete for customers. If you want productive and effective people to come to your country, attract us with lower taxes, fewer corrupt regulations, and more personal freedom.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are allowing economic secession. Individuals and businesses are working to secede from unreliable, easily taxable currencies to currencies that allow true economic freedom. While political Libertarians are working to end the Fed, techo-libertarians are helping us put the Fed out of business through competition.

Britain prefers classic secession. With Brexit, they are poised to become Europe's Hong Kong. But a warning to our British friends: the status quo is trying to stall you. They are trying to figure out how to get the same cronyist favors again, this time through trade treaties. Reject any treaties that restrict entrepreneurship, innovation, or trade.

Secession's best friend Nullification is also growing. States are nullifying marijuana laws while the federal government awkwardly watches. Although the current president is refusing to pardon all nonviolent drug offenders, individuals are taking matters into our own hands. We're using jury nullification to keep nonviolent, harmless individuals out of prison. When it's a nonsense charge - drugs, prostitution, etc. - we're saying "not guilty".

Here's a fact: right now, the status quo cronyists don't know what to do. The federal government is just nervously watching one state after another nullify federal drug laws. With bitcoin, they are just burying their heads in the sand, hoping it just goes away.

They are even losing control over their shrinking political puppet parties, while the Libertarian movement continues to grow.

Happy Independence Day. Happy Secession Day. Happy Nullification Day.

In Liberty,

Arvin Vohra Vice Chair Libertarian National Committee

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Libertarian Party

|

Posted: Jul 03, 2016 12:01 AM

Both support efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use. With Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton their parties' presumptive nominees -- Johnson branded Clinton and Trump the "two most polarizing figures" to ever run for the White House -- the Libertarian ticket has a shot in November.

Before he spoke at the Lincoln Initiative's Reboot Conference on Thursday, I sat down with Johnson and asked him what the chances are that he could win. "They exist," he answered, and that is a game change. Johnson was the Libertarian nominee in 2012 and garnered 1.2 million votes, or just under 1 percent of the vote. His name did not appear on any national polls. In 2016, that has changed. Johnson polled with 10 percent support in two recent national polls included in the RealClearPolitics polling average, which computes his support at 7.9 percent.

Third-party candidates need to exhibit 15 percent or more support in five national polls to win a seat at the national presidential debates. Johnson thinks his ticket will exceed that threshold. If the American people have a chance to hear what Johnson and Weld have to say, their smaller-government approach could resonate with middle-of-the-road voters. Johnson urges people who are interested in his candidacy to take the iSideWith quiz that asks voters their positions on domestic and national security issues and then matches them up with presidential candidates. I tried it and found I side with Johnson on 94 percent of issues -- whereas with Trump it's 81 percent of the time and with Clinton it's 67 percent.

Most Republican candidates give lip service to fiscal restraint, without offering specifics about which spending they would cut. When I interviewed him in 2011, Johnson boasted about his record number of vetoes and asserted that he could have cut "a third of state government and no one would have noticed the difference." If he could wave a magic wand, Johnson told me Thursday, he "would abolish the Department of Education." He also would abolish the Department of Housing and Urban Development because local governments should choose what works for them. But he doesn't have a magic wand, so if elected, he'd have to work with the government as it exists. He said he will propose a 20 percent cut in spending. If Congress were to give him legislation that would cut spending less than he asked, well, anything under zero percent growth presents a drastic improvement over past practices.

Clinton is vulnerable, Johnson believes, because with her, "government's the solution to everything. Everything's free, so taxes are going to go up." The former governor of a border state, Johnson has been appalled at Trump's characterization of undocumented immigrants as rapists and other types of criminals.

Some Republicans will support Clinton because they prefer her hawkish foreign policy approach to Johnson's less martial stands. Johnson wants to break with the status quo. He supports letting U.S. troops finish their mission to destroy the Islamic State group. ("ISIS has attacked us," he explained.) But Johnson wants to get U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. He believes they should have been deployed to go after al-Qaida, but not the Taliban. If we don't pull out troops now, Johnson said, Washington will leave troops in Afghanistan for decades. I have my own fear -- a destabilized region that will breed havoc around the world.

It's an honest disagreement, which is more than I can say about so much of 2016 politics. Somehow both parties have nominated candidates who don't really pass the smell test. Shame on Democrats for nominating a candidate likely to invite dozens of ethics investigations. Shame on Republican voters for picking the one candidate who could hand the White House to Clinton. Voters who are hungry for a positive alternative should pay attention. You can listen to Gary Johnson for a whole hour and not feel dirty afterward.

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Debra J. Saunders - The Libertarian Alternative, Gary Johnson

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Libertarian Reddit: Social News from a Libertarian Point of View

VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz) VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background) Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation) Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+5 points on Social scale) Government should be kept out of the matter of abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 Abortion is a womans choice and does not concern the state: Favors topic 1 Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale) Support individuals right to choose, even if we disapprove: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Redress the wrongs of the U.S. towards the Indians: Favors topic 2 Hate crimes are used to punish blacks: Neutral on topic 2 Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale) OK to deny service to gays & OK to boycott those companies: Opposes topic 3 Let consenting adults choose their own sexual relationships: Strongly Favors topic 3 Repeal all laws against homosexuality: Strongly Favors topic 3 Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale) No welfare & no restrictions on work: Favors topic 4 Church and state should be completely separate: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Non-profits more effective than government at safety net: Strongly Favors topic 4 Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale) Restore and revive a free market health care system: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Government should not be in the health insurance business: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale) Phase out government-sponsored retirement system: Strongly Favors topic 6 Replace the Social Security system with a private system: Strongly Favors topic 6 Privatize Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 6 Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale) Let parents control all educational funding: Strongly Favors topic 7 Poor kids end up at worst schools in current system: Favors topic 7 Support a market in education to provide more choices: Strongly Favors topic 7 The state should stay out of education: Favors topic 7 Treat private school funding the same as public schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Strongly Opposes topic 8: EPA regulations are too restrictive (+5 points on Social scale) Enforce individual rights for land, water, air, and wildlife: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Government is the worst polluter: Opposes topic 8 The parties responsible for pollution should be held liable: Opposes topic 8 Strongly Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+5 points on Social scale) Support restitution; and maintain constitutional safeguards: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Three Strikes approach is illusory & dangerous: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Omnibus Crime Bill, including death penalty, has failed: Opposes topic 9 Encourage private efforts to fight crime: Opposes topic 9 Strengthen, not reduce, the rights of the accused: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale) Affirm the right to keep and bear arms: Strongly Favors topic 10 Repeal all gun control laws and regulation of weapons: Strongly Favors topic 10 Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale) Repeal the income tax and abolish the IRS: Strongly Opposes topic 11 No taxation or regulation of private property: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal all income taxes, & the 16th Amendment: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale) Unrestricted political refugees; but restrict threats: Favors topic 12 Eliminate all restrictions on immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale) Remove governmental impediments to free trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 Reduce taxes, spending, and eliminate controls on trade: Favors topic 13 Abolish all trade barriers and agreements: Strongly Favors topic 13 Strongly Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+5 points on Economic scale) End all foreign military and economic aid: Strongly Favors topic 14 No U.S. intervention in the affairs of other countries: Strongly Favors topic 14 Strongly Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+5 points on Social scale) End foreign military operations; shut down foreign bases: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Military should defend against aggression; not world police: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Reduce defense spending by half; just defend the US: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Opposes topic 16: Make voter registration easier (-3 points on Social scale) Oppose gerrymandering and restrictions on ballot access: Favors topic 16 Repeal laws which restrict voluntary financing of campaigns: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale) Eliminate intervention by US abroad: Strongly Favors topic 17 Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale) Oppose government control of energy pricing and production: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Gale Norton is giant leap for environmental sense: Opposes topic 18 Strongly Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+5 points on Social scale) De-fund war on drugs, and end violent drug cartels: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Repeal all drug laws creating crimes without victims: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Allow drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling, and suicide: Strongly Opposes topic 19 The war on drugs threatens individual liberties: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale) Market allocates resources efficiently; government does not: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Free-market banking: unrestricted competition & no bailouts: Opposes topic 20

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Libertarian Party on the Issues