From Jennifer Harper of the Washington Times on November 21:
“Republicans and Democrats may be a little worse for wear following the 2016 election, but the Libertarian Party has never been better. The nation’s third party is basking in respectable showings at the polls, intense new media interest and greater credibility. They lost, but they’re happy.
“’Generations of Libertarians have dreamed of what we saw this year: major leaps in Libertarian votes, major coverage by news outlets nationwide, major strides for the Libertarian Party,’ advises executive director Wes Benedict. ‘We’ve been marching uphill for a long time, and we are now, finally, starting to see over that hill, towards the future where our light outshines the floundering and failing Republican and Democratic parties. Many Americans are awakening to the idea that the Libertarian Party stands for their values more than Republicans and Democrats do.’
“Presidential nominee Gary Johnson attracted much friendly interest from the press; the party enjoyed an unprecedented number of televised debates and town halls and a big footprint in social media. Voter support ranged as high as 15 percent for Mr. Johnson at times, and many took that approval to the polls. When he ran for president in 2012, Mr. Johnson drew just over 1 million votes. This year he got over 4 million.
“’A credible third-party ticket is now part of the national conversation,’ says Mr. Johnson, who adds that it is ‘reshaping the political landscape.’
“Things are promising elsewhere.
“‘The nation’s third-largest political party notched by far its most successful election cycle in races to the nation’s upper legislative chamber,’ says Eric Ostermeier, a professor of politics at the University of Minnesota who reviewed the results in a new study.”
