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Category Archives: Libertarian

I Played President Simulator As A Libertarian and Ruined EverythingTwice – The Libertarian Republic

Posted: May 20, 2017 at 7:21 am

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By: Paul Meekin

Well, that was unexpected.

After playing through two terms in the free iOS game President Simulator, I had nearly a 100 percent approval rating. I had lowered taxes for all citizens, encouraged jobs over handouts. Spoke to climate change deniers, encouraged innovation over regulation, and thought I did a pretty good job.

Turns outno.

No I did not.

An F+?!

Then I thought about it andfound perhaps thehidden genius of President Simulator. In truth, should a president operate based on solely on public opinion? What would make him the mostpopular?

Should a libertarian President cut as many taxes as they can without care for budget, institution, or fall out? Was it my job to go in with a jackhammer and reshape and demolish the government to the applause of zealots?

Would I have been a better President if I didnt play to be the most popular libertarian of all time, but instead to do what I think is best for the countrys mentality?

An F+?!

ThenI played as a democrat. College for all, high taxes on corporations, making unpopular choices that were in-line with the ideology of a typical democrat. I did better.

Thus, it seems President Simulator has a distinct worldview that serves to sabotage the point of simulating being President. There seems to be right and wrong choices, and they dont change or evolve depending on previous choices you made. For example I investigated corrupt judges twice, and shut down for-profit prisons twice.For example, meeting with a Climate Change denieralways results in negative diplomacy points.

Another example, the fact thatcriticizing the Military Industrial Complex almost always seems to result in your death.

Compare this to a (better) game like Reigns, which has a similar yes/no dynamic. In that game, your world evolves, your kingdom evolves based on your choices you can boost the economy at the cost of your standing with the church and it can have consequences as you play as your heir or heirs heir.

You can eventually level up the country over time, adding victory points to the various areas of Government domestic, military, economic, etc. but if the game wont reward you with a good score until you play its way, why would I keep playing?

The message of Reigns was balance is important. The message of President Simulator at least from my time with it, is that theres only one way to really go. To be fair, Reigns takes itself a little more seriously, and President Simulator is clearly tongue-in-cheek.

Maybe one day well get a version that doesnt think this stuff is such a joke. Oregon Trail had funny moments, but took the world and systems it presented deadly seriously.

Where is the American Political version of that? Have we grown so weary of our government and so eager to ostrich that a game that takes presidential politics seriously isnt marketable, even on phones? Mosteveryone has a smart phone. Yet, the best we got is this game and Reigns.

Otherwise its Trump jokes. And clicker games.

Blech.

Teach me something, damn it.

Thus, based onThe Libertarian Republic Entertainment Rating System, on a scale from Karl Marx to Ron Paul,President Simulator gets a Van Jones. Like Jones, President Simulator means well, makes salient points, and entertains. But also like Jones, its communist. There appears to be aright way to play the game, and theright was is leaningleft on a lot of issues.

That said, President Simulator is free on phones, and its entirely possible youll do better than me. Let me know what you think because you might just do better.

Hell, Id vote for ya.

DemocratsliberalsLibertarian PoliticsPresident Simulator

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Snohomish County Libertarian Party Begins Fielding Candidates In Everett – My Everett News

Posted: at 7:21 am

The Libertarian Party has announced the formation of a formal party organization in Snohomish County. People associated with the party have begun filing for seats on the Everett City Council. Here is a press release about the formation of the Snohomish County chapter

The Snohomish County Libertarian Party (SnoCo LP) is excited to begin organizing. Its members are energized after attending the State Partys April Summit. The county party held its first convention in late February. This formation will be the first time that Libertarians will have a formal presence in Snohomish County. The SnoCo LPs formation coincides with the recent creation of chapters in King and Pierce counties.

The partys membership includes members of diverse political experience. SnoCo LP Political Director Mike Luke and Communications Director Brian Luke were previously involved in the Snohomish County Republican Party for eight years. They changed party affiliation last year and Mike ran for the US Senate and Brian ran for the 2nd Congressional District.

Chair Anthony Welti stated of the SnoCo LPs goals: We aim to give voters a 3rd choice, one that is based on freedom and not control. By lowering the cost of living and increasing the personal freedoms an individual has we can create real reform and lasting change. We will exemplify this philosophy in any position we are elected to serve the people.

The SnoCo LPs election goals will be to support county Libertarian candidates in 2017 and have Libertarian candidates in every legislative and congressional district in 2018. In 2016, over 30 Libertarian candidates ran across Washington State, including two congressional and four legislative districts in Snohomish County.

Interest in the Libertarian Party has increased in the last few years. Election results from the Snohomish County Auditor indicate that Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson received 5.45% in Snohomish County in 2016, which is a huge increase compared to his 2012 showing of 1.44%.

With regards to the political climate, Political Director Mike Luke stated that, when reviewing election results over the past few election cycles when the Libertarian Party had a presence, there is reason to believe the two major parties are losing ground with the electorate, especially as it gets younger. I believe voters everywhere are looking for more than just two choices and the Libertarian Party is the strongest of any of the third parties.

The SnoCo LPs next monthly meeting will be on Thursday, June 8th, 7pm at Alfys Pizza 2317 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201.

For more information about the SnoCo LP, please see the following:

Website: https://snocolp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SnoCoLP/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/snocolp

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Theresa May is No Margaret Thatcher The Right Engle – Being Libertarian

Posted: at 7:21 am


Being Libertarian
Theresa May is No Margaret Thatcher The Right Engle
Being Libertarian
The U.K. Conservative Party released its election manifesto Thursday, ahead of the June 8th general election. The manifesto proves one thing without doubt: Theresa May is no Margaret Thatcher. During her more than a decade as prime minister, Margaret ...
It's the EU's Brexit manifesto, not Theresa May's, upon which Britain's destiny hangsThe Independent

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Libertarian Party seeks official press secretary in bid to woo news me – Washington Times

Posted: at 7:21 am

It is a first. Boosted by considerable third-party success and a higher profile during the 2016 presidential election, the Libertarian Party has made a command decision to hire a full-time, experienced press secretary.

This new staffer will be responsible for outreach to the press, building relationships with them, and helping get more media attention for the party and our candidates, said executive director Wes Benedict, who has already fired up a fundraising outreach to make the hire possible.

Achieving major media attention will help the national party grow, state parties grow, county parties grow, and increase the prestige of our candidates up and down the ballot, he added.

Last year, the Libertarians also adopted an official motto: The party of principle.

Three libertarian presidential hopefuls were featured on both CNN and Fox News last year; the final nominee Gary Johnson got plenty of press on his own seeking to woo undecided or unaffiliated voters. He also won over 3 percent of the total vote according to final exit polls with higher percentages in a number of key swing states like Michigan and Florida.

This is one of the most critical investments of 2017, and an important part of laying the foundation for big things in upcoming elections, Mr. Benedict noted.

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Libertarian Mark Wicks: The work truck candidate for US House – KTVH

Posted: May 17, 2017 at 2:19 am

HELENA This story is the first of a three-part series, profiling the candidates in the May 25 special election for Montanas sole U.S. House seat.

Hi-Line farmer and rancher Mark Wicks, whos never run for political office until now, vaulted into Montanas political consciousness two weeks ago with one of the more memorable closing statements at a candidates debate.

Wicks, vying for Montanas U.S. House seat in a May 25 special election, called his Republican rival Greg Gianforte the luxury car in the race that will end up parked at the country club, and Democratic contender Rob Quist an older, smaller pickup truck that doesnt run too well any more.

And where did Wicks place himself, in the parking lot of political vehicles?

Im the work truck, he said. Im the guy, when youre pulled over on the side of the road, and youre broke down, you want to see that big pickup pull up behind you that has the tow ropes, the chains, the tools everything to get the job done.

Wicks, the Libertarian candidate in the three-way race, is pitching himself as the person that Montana voters can trust to be a pragmatic, independent voice in Congress, for less government but not at the expense of Montana.

When I go back to Washington, nobody but the voters of Montana will be pulling my strings, he said during that same debate in Great Falls on April 29. I will not have the political hierarchy telling me how to vote, or when to vote, and they cant threaten me to pull my campaign funds away. So I can do whats right for Montana.

The 47-year-old Wicks and his family run cattle and hay at an operation north of Inverness, near the U.S.-Canadian border. He grew up on the Hi-Line, about 40 miles west of Havre, delivers mail, and sells fruit in eastern Montana during the summer.

His fellow Libertarians chose Wicks at a delegate convention March 11 in Helena and hes been running a steady but low-key campaign, communicating with voters via Facebook the medium I can afford, he says and traveling the state to visit with TV stations and newspapers and attend various public events.

Wicks says hes garnered way more attention since his appearance with Gianforte and Quist at the debate televised statewide on the Montana Television Networks CBS affiliates.

Still, as a low-budget, third-party candidate, Wicks struggles to compete with the more than $12 million thats been spent so far on the other two major-party candidates.

Wicks says hes trying to appeal to disaffected Republicans and Democrats to consider him as an alternative to the usual politicking.

I feel like the voters are in an abusive relationship, he said on MTNs Face the State last Sunday. They get promised one thing during the campaign, and as soon as (politicians) get back to Washington, were cheated on. This is a chance for Montanans to get out of an abusive relationship.

The Libertarian Party is known for its free-market views and desire for minimal government.

Wicks subscribes to some of these traditional Libertarian views. For example, he believes marijuana should be legalized and taxed, says the U.S. military budget could definitely use some trimming overseas, and says hes probably the biggest supporter of the 2nd Amendment ever running for this office.

He also says legalizing the growing of hemp can be a huge boost for Montanas rural, agricultural economy.

But on many other topics, Wicks is on board with a democratic government using its power to help improve the lives of Montanans and other U.S. citizens.

He says he will never vote to take money out of Social Security or Medicare, and that he opposes privatizing Social Security.

For military veterans, Wicks says they should be granted Medicare health coverage if they cant go to a Veterans Administration hospital or medical center, so they dont have to wait for care.

On prescription drugs, Wicks says U.S. pharmaceutical companies should be required to sell drugs for the same price in the United States, as theyre offering in cheaper overseas markets.

He also would like to simplify U.S. income taxes and reduce corporate tax rates, but says if Americans want government services, they must expect to pay adequate taxes.

Wicks insists that a vote for him is not a wasted vote, because hes the only candidate not influenced by special interests.

He notes that almost 100,000 people voted for Republican Attorney General Tim Fox last November did not vote for Republican Gianforte for governor.

If you come out and vote for me in this election, I win this, and your vote is not lost, he said.

Tomorrow: Democrat Rob Quist.

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Steve Kerbel: Libertarians must unite against our common enemy – Being Libertarian

Posted: at 2:19 am

It is interesting and fascinating, inspiring and frustrating to fight for the cause of liberty.

Once involved, it is very easy to let ones mind wander with regard to the barriers we have to our success in life, as well as the barriers to peace. This is a process in which we are all taught in our formative years that the enemies to these highly prized desires are people, groups, countries, political foes, religions, criminals, and other entities that are not supposedly under the control of the people.

The lessons that formed our thinking during the years that we receive formal education are ingrained in most of us, until we experience a key event that rattles our perceptions and we make a different recognition that the infrastructure that was created for the protection of the people is the very same infrastructure that violates peace, blocks our success, sustains violence, stifles our creativity, limits our freedoms, and destroys the spark in many of us to live our lives to the fullest, essentially standing firmly in the way of the pursuit of happiness and a peaceful world.

For many of us, this realization is a serious wake-up call which ignites a spark that inspires us to do something about this travesty. We are awake, but feel alone and frustrated because so many other people with whom we communicate have either not made this realization, or have already recognized the situation and find it insurmountable to change.

So, we fight the current and begin to fight the system. Some of us are so outraged that we make mistakes and the system destroys us. Some are more thoughtful with respect to their communications, plans and goals that they can help to raise awareness and grow the numbers of people that will subscribe to the fight for freedom. Others fight and become weary from a fight that on occasion feels futile.

Speaking from personal experience, I can say that I am prepared for the opposition from those who either strongly support government control, or who simply have not yet made the recognition as to the importance of casting these negative and controlling entities out of the way of self-actualization. What wearies me is the discouragement that I receive from people fighting the same fight as me, because my end goal does not match their end goal.

Having identified government as the culprit in so many violations against the happiness and peace of the individual, I too have been though a deep process of soul searching and analysis of this reality to which I was luxuriously oblivious only a decade ago. I have noticed myriad disastrous and destructive actions promulgated and acted upon by entities of government. It was easy for me to envision a society without government, a world without borders, and a truly free human society it was exhilarating!

Sadly, in my most rational analysis, this utopia cannot and will never exist in a grand scale on a planet in which the vast majority of the inhabitants are indoctrinated with political systems and religious beliefs to the contrary, as well as personal inflictions such as mistrust, fear and paranoia which are the reality of the landscape of life on Earth.

Where there is a void, there will always be a filler of that void. Where there is a weakness, there will be someone taking advantage of that weakness to satisfy whatever their need may be. Governments will always exist. Borders will always exist, unless there is only one government over the entire world, which is the complete antithesis to the growth and happiness of the human condition.

The internal arguments are powerful and with great fervor. Our struggle, the way I see it, is between reality and fantasy. The fantasy is that there will be a sustained period absent any government. The reality is that the entire planet would need to subscribe to this philosophy for it to be possible. While this would be beautiful, it will simply never happen.

If I am to inspire a positive change toward peace, happiness, growth, progress, freedom and individual prosperity, I must be rooted in the real world as it exists today; for if I am to be effective in this goal, I must address the actual challenges we face in order to begin the process of the reduction and removal of these barriers to human success that so many people do not see as barriers.

The road to a resurgence of liberty is a lonely road, and discouragement to the fighters from within our ranks makes this road even lonelier. I have made many friends in this movement, from all spectrums and all viewpoints, and each makes valid and pertinent points.

Today, I appeal to you all for unity within the liberty movement.

How can we be united when we have so many different visions of what the end goal should look like? The immediate answer is simple. We all have a common enemy. That enemy is an over-reaching, violent, oppressive, expensive and destructive government that will never be reduced if we are our own enemies, standing in the way of our progress.

Let us focus on the short term first. Stand together as one in the exposure of the reality of today, and the recognition that each elimination of a barrier to freedom and peace is a victory in its own merit. Let us work together toward each of these smaller goals and experience success together.

If we are to reach a point in which some of us are satisfied with the reductions and want to stop, while others want to keep going that is the time for the debate to begin. The longer we fight amongst ourselves, the longer the establishment will continue to grow itself unfettered. If there is no group that is organized enough to stand in the way of those currently in power, nothing will change and the opportunity to reverse their atrocities will no longer exist. They will simply remove our ability to institute change for the better.

I respectfully call on all of us in the liberty movement: Moderates, radicals, anarchists, and everyone in between to put your battles with each other on hold, so that we all can stand up together against the common enemy that we all have identified.

I look forward to the day when we can once again argue about the end goal because that would mean that we were successful; and the only way we can be successful is to use the strength that we all have as a unified power against tyranny.

Featured image: Libertarian Wing Media

This post was written by Steve Kerbel.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

Steve Kerbel is a businessman, author, and former Libertarian Party candidate for President of the United States.

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Libertarian think tank to Trump ‘no benefit’ in climate agreement – RT

Posted: at 2:19 am

A Libertarian think tank representing manufacturing companies argues in a letter to President Donald Trump that climate pacts like the Paris Climate Accord are a disadvantage to US companies as it insists on reducing energy consumption while also competing with global companies.

All costs of reducing GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions, whether imposed on the electric generation sector or the oil and gas sectors, are eventually imposed on us, the consumer, argued Industrial Energy Consumers of America in its letter to Trump on Monday. [W]e are often already economically disadvantaged, as compared to global competitors who are subsidized or protected by their governments.

The Washington, DC-based IECA argues that US manufacturing is already 26 percent below 1973 levels, as is its industrial sector. The group argues that when energy costs rise due to GHG reduction mandates, manufacturing companies will move jobs and facilities off shore and could become worst polluters if another country has less stringent regulations and standards.

The group argues that, while California with its climate program appears to show the state is reducing GHG emissions, they are in fact shifting GHG emissions to other states and countries.

The group called it perverse and economically damaging when a state like California continues to consume manufacturing products like steel, chemicals, plastics, paper and cement but instead of manufacturing them in the state they import them.

California has the dubious rank as the stop state for air pollution, according to the American Lung Association.

"California has dominated the top 10 list every year. In fact, a California city has been number one every year since the report began in 2000," Will Barrett, senior policy analyst for the American Lung Association in California, told RT. "For ozone pollution, Los Angeles has topped the list the past 17 or 18 reports."

IECA said while the Paris Climate Accord does not mandate GHG reductions from US manufacturing, the Obama administration committed in 2016 to reduce emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, whereas China pleaded under the agreement to increase GHG emissions by 117 percent by 2030 before starting to reduce emissions, which would put us in a perilous competitive disadvantage.

The letter was issued as Florida researchers into the effects on climate change on Americas migratory songbirds found. Using date from satellites and citizen scientists, that nine out of 48 birds were unable to return to their northern breeding grounds on time to produce the next generation of fledglings. The decline was observed after looking at data from 2001 to 2013.

That report was published the same day NASA released data showing the Arctic had its second warmest spring in April, with global warming and unusual weather conspiring to shrink sea ice and push up polar temperatures.

If its just natural variability, its a type of natural variability I am not familiar with, said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Theres a lot going on here and I think theres some catchup to do in the research community.

Temperatures were also well above average in the Eastern US, China and across Africa. Only a few patches of the globe were cooler.

The Arctic was warming faster than other regions as greenhouse gas pollution traps heat. The average Arctic temperature last year was 6.3F (3.5C) higher than in 1900. Temperatures elsewhere are rising by about a quarter of that rate.

The reports were released after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed the Arctic agreement last Thursday that offers a commitment to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to extend scientific cooperation in the Arctic region.

The Arctic agreement between eight circumpolar nations including Russia, Canada and Norway, will make it easier to move equipment, samples and data across borders in the north and facilitate scientific collaboration and sharing.

The treaty made only a passing reference to the Paris climate change accords by noting entry into force of the pact and its implementation and called for global action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

Tillersons signing of the document was a surprise. The secretary of state sought to reassure the international Arctic community by saying, Were not going to rush to make a decision, but the American government would make the right decision for the United States.

We are appreciative that each of you has an important point of view, and you should know that we are taking time to understand your concerns, Tillerson told the Arctic Council, according to AP.

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Libertarian House Candidate Reports $2030 In Individual Contributions – MTPR

Posted: at 2:19 am

Libertarian House Candidate Reports $2,030 In Individual Contributions

While about $12 million is financing the U.S. House race between Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist, the Libertarian candidate says contributions to his campaign are just starting to roll in. The main party candidates have each brought in over $3 million to fund their campaigns.

Outside groups have dumped millions more, picking sides between the Republican and Democrat, according to federal election reports. Those reports also show that Libertarian candidate Mark Wicks has raised $2,030, coming entirely from individual donations.

Wicks says his campaign hadnt raised enough money to require reporting to the federal government until after he appeared in the first U.S. House debate on the Montana Television Network last month.

My support has been growing leaps and bounds since the debate, Wicks says.

The debate was the first time many voters were exposed to Wicks. Wicks says he knows he cant compete with the main party candidates financially, and must rely on good messaging. Wicks has also not received any money from a political party or political action committees, known as PACs.

In the last three U.S. House races, Libertarians in Montana have received around 3 or 4 percent of the total vote.

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Daily Inter Lake , Libertarian Mark Wicks stumps in the Flathead – Daily Inter Lake

Posted: May 14, 2017 at 6:13 pm

In the less than three months since the race began to fill the vacancy in Montanas at-large U.S. House seat, political groups have spent millions of dollars in television ads portraying the Republican and Democratic hopefuls as beholden to out-of-state interests or out of touch with Montana values. Against that largely negative backdrop, Libertarian candidate Mark Wicks is presenting himself as an outlet to what he sees as growing disillusionment with the two dominant parties in American politics.

Most people just want to be left alone, to live their life, and thats the Libertarian principle. If youre not hurting me, youre not hurting anybody else, go ahead and do it and thats fine, Wicks said Saturday. People should be happy to do whatever they want, so long as theyre not hurting anybody else.

The 47-year-old rancher and Army veteran from Inverness was speaking during an interview at his Ugly Truck Contest campaign stop in Whitefish, an event built around his closing statement during the special elections only debate last month. He compared Republican candidate and Bozeman businessman Greg Gianforte to a luxury car that is only comfortable when hes parked at the country club with other luxury cars, and Democratic candidate Rob Quist to a little, half-ton pickup that breaks down easily despite having a great sound system.

Wicks sees himself as a work truck candidate, running reliably on small-government ideals and equipped with the tools needed to get the job done in Congress.

When I really started thinking about doing it was right after Trumps election, and we were seeing rioting in the streets. The country started looking like it was tearing itself apart, he said. It was getting very obvious that we need some change in Washington.

Hailing from a remote, rural community on the Hi-Line, Wicks said that his political philosophy entered his life from an early age. Following a violent Memorial Day storm that knocked out power to most of his agricultural community on the outskirts of Havre, he said the farmers banded together to prop up telephone poles and reconnect electrical wiring, so that the electric company had only to flip the breakers to restore power to a town that had been without electricity for five days.

They were just amazed that we went out and did that, Wicks recalled. But thats how people work together out there. They didnt need people from the outside.

Wicks describes himself as a Constitutional Libertarian, meaning his fiscal conservatism and liberal stances on social issues (pro-choice and favoring marijuana legalization) are focused through a constitutional lens that questions the federal governments right to regulate.

Notably, he feels that health care falls outside the purview of federal jurisdiction. But he also acknowledged that its a complicated issue.

Were gonna have to keep some Medicaid. Were going to have to work on that make sure its viable and protect these people, he said. ... One way or another, were gonna pay for this, whether theyre walking in and getting in the door and not paying their bill in the hope were gonna pick it up on part of our bill, or were gonna pay an insurance program to help them.

Wicks faces a steep uphill climb against the other two candidates on the ballot a Republican who narrowly lost a hard-fought campaign for governor last year and a Democrat who has campaigned aggressively across the Treasure State since his March nomination.

While Montana voters are historically more receptive to Libertarian candidates for federal office than the national average, U.S. House and presidential candidates still only attract 3 to 5 percent of the states vote. Last November, Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson received 5.7 percent of the vote in Montana, improving over the 2.9 percent he captured in 2012. And longtime Libertarian Mike Fellows averaged around 4 percent in his recent bids for Montanas U.S. House seat, peaking at 5.7 percent in 2010.

But Flathead Countys chapter of the Libertarian Party believes the states electorate feels increasingly under-represented by the two major parties, and that the appetite to take politics in a new direction is growing, despite the arguments that third-parties act as spoilers by siphoning votes away from voters second-choice candidates.

You kind of gotta bite the bullet and realize that your vote isnt for the opposition. If you vote Libertarian, youre voting for a Libertarian future, Flathead Libertarian Party Vice-Chairman Sid Daoud said Friday during the groups Liberty Think Bash event.

Both he and Wicks saw the outsider candidates inclusion in the April 29 televised debate, hosted by KTVH in Great Falls, as a victory in itself.

If theres two podiums there, you get one guy standing up and saying Im not him, so you should vote for me, Daoud said. If you get a third podium up there, then you have to actually stand for something.

While only about a dozen supporters milled around the Firebrand Hotels parking lot for Wicks Ugly Truck campaign rally, Larry Seydell represented the type of disillusioned voter with whom Wicks is hoping to connect.

Im just tired of it. The millions of dollars they spend on bullsh--, they could have done a lot of good stuff with it, the Columbia Falls carpenter said of the largely negative campaign advertisements hes seen so far in the race.

Seydell happened to hear Wicks during a talk-radio interview on Friday, and said he was struck by the message the third guy presented and decided to drop in on Saturdays event to meet him in person.

I was impressed. I think Im going to vote after all, Seydell said. ... Here we have a real guy with a real job and real problems like we all have.

Although early forecasts gave Gianforte a substantial lead over Quist, recent polls indicate the race is narrowing to single digits.

Some Flathead Libertarians at Fridays and Saturdays events worried that support for Wicks could erode as Election Day nears, with voters increasingly worried that a third-party vote will throw the election to what they see as the worse of two evils.

Longtime Libertarian and Bigfork resident Angie Killian said during Saturdays rally that her friends both Republican and Democrat have pleaded with her to not throw her vote away on a third-party candidate.

I would rather see the Quist people vote for Wicks, and then maybe he could have a chance against Gianforte, Killian said.

Since casting her ballot for President Ronald Reagan in 1984, she was mostly a Republican voter until supporting Libertarian Gary Johnsons bid for the nations top office in 2012. For Killian, Republican stances on gay marriage, medical marijuana and abortion rights ultimately moved her to support the third party.

Id love to see a Libertarian in Congress. I think we need to start making breakthroughs to get away from the two-party system, she said. If we all voted for who we believe in, we might have a chance here.

Montanas special election for its statewide U.S. House district takes place May 25.

Reporter Sam Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.

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Why the Left Should Become Libertarian (And Why the Right Doesn’t Want That) – Being Libertarian

Posted: at 6:13 pm

Why the Left Should Become Libertarian (And Why the Right Doesn't Want That)
Being Libertarian
I didn't become a libertarian that day (and in fact, I found the aforementioned book to be boring) but I began to see that maybe I wasn't as much of a Blue Dog liberal as I had previously thought. By the time I graduated in 2000, being faced with the ...

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