Politico, a leading Internet political web site, reports that Libertarian Jonathan Dine could be the deciding factor in his Missouri U.S. Senate race against Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill and controversial Republican, Todd Akin.
A poll released October 21 by Public Policy Polling showed McCaskill leading with 46 percent, Akin at 40 percent, Dine getting the difference at 6 percent. Eight percent remain undecided.
The support that both McCaskill and Akin are getting from their respective parties is weak due to the candidates’ vulnerabilities.
The Democrat’s approval ratings remain low. "A lot of Democratic voters feel Claire [McCaskill] is pandering to the right wing,” said Dine.
Several prominent Republicans asked Akin to drop out of the race in the wake of his well-publicized gaff suggesting a woman who has been raped is capable of “shutting down” an unwanted pregnancy without medical intervention. Akin also has a reputation as the ‘King of Earmarks.”
Dine said, “People will come up to me and say, ‘I’m a Republican, but I just can’t support Akin.’"
Jonathan Dine offers voters bold Libertarian solutions. "End the reckless spending, end earmarks, end the erosion of civil liberties, end the wars, bring the troops home, end the federal gasoline tax, lower taxes and let people keep what they earn,” says Dine. “I’m also a big supporter of terms limits."
After being included in one debate, the Clayton Chamber of Commerce excluded him from the one held on Oct. 18. "They didn’t give me a reason," says Dine, noting that his campaign hit the CCC with phone calls, emails and other forms of pressure to let him participate.
The response Dine is getting is visibly better than when he ran for U.S. Senate
two years ago and got 3 percent of the vote. "People will come up to me and say, ‘I’ve never voted in my life, and I’m going to vote for you,’” he said.
Dine is finding a new level of excitement for his campaign, especially among 18-24 year-olds and says they’re more activist-oriented. "I truly believe that we’re on the cusp of a revolution — a revolution at the voting booth."
At 32, Dine makes a living as a personal trainer in Kansas City.
