I’m Wes Benedict, executive director of the Libertarian Party.
Libertarians want to make America more prosperous, friendlier, and fairer for everyone, and we think we can deliver that with free markets, civil liberties, and peace.
Libertarians welcome both good conservatives and good liberals. We welcome people of faith who are motivated by love, who use persuasion rather than government force to pursue their values. Libertarians reject the type of twisted religious ideologues who are motivated by hate and ignorance, who would throw peaceful marijuana users in jail, and who are quicker to go to war than to forgive their enemies.
Libertarians are disappointed that Republicans never ever cut government spending.
Libertarians welcome creatives, idealists, and the unenvious who step up and do work that helps other people — but who avoid using government power that forces others to help.
Libertarians are disappointed by the number of modern wars started by both Democrats and Republicans.
Americans are disgusted with our president, our Congress, the Republican Party, and the Democratic Party. They want more choices. As it happens, there are more choices, and good organizations like the League of Women Voters and many news outlets give Libertarians and other underdog candidates a fair chance. They include Libertarians in debates for campaigns that include everything from governor and Congress down to local offices — but not for president!
Ross Perot was allowed to debate, but that turned the national Republican and Democratic parties into a bunch of chickens.
It’s time to break apart the corrupt two-party presidential debate system, and to open up the process so that it includes Libertarians, Greens, and independents.
Recent presidential debates have lacked substance. I didn’t care whether Hillary Clinton planned the invasion of Libya using her personal email, or her government email account. Instead, I wanted a Libertarian to get the chance to explain why our government should have stayed out of Libya altogether.
I don’t care whether our president tweets too much! I do care whether he abuses his power, violates our civil liberties, and lacks even the most basic economic literacy.
The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in America. We don’t have loads of political favors to hand out. We fight because we care.
In 2016, the Libertarian Party fielded not only the most qualified presidential ticket in our party’s history, but also the most qualified ticket of any party in the 2016 presidential race: Gov. Gary Johnson and Gov. Bill Weld.
Today, we’re on the steps of the Supreme Court asking for help. But, whether we win or lose this battle for the presidential debates, Libertarians vow to field our largest nationwide army of candidates ever in 2018, and we won’t be stopped from providing a better choice for America because of the tricks and barriers placed in our way by the two old parties.
Visit LP.org to find out more about Libertarian solutions to the nation’s problems. You’ll hear much more of that explained in front of a national audience when Libertarians are included in the Presidential debates. Again, that’s LP.org. Thank you.
