Although millions of Americans identify themselves as libertarians, a far smaller number are registered members of the Libertarian Party (LP). The LP was founded on December 11th, 1971, in the home of David Nolan.
At the time, neither the Republican nor Democratic parties offered much for those committed to smaller government and peaceful commerce over military intervention.
(The Nixon Administration seldom found a government program, interference with private markets, or foreign policy entanglement it wouldn’t endorse. There were sound reasons for Goldwater and Reagan to see Nixon’s approach as bad for the Republican Party, and America.)
In that era of government expansion, and foreign war, some decided that a third party was the best place to advance a commitment to personal liberty, free markets, and peaceful trade with other nations.
The party has never done so well as the number of libertarians in America led activists to hope. Many libertarians, including those at prominent think tanks and universities, are unaffiliated with any political party. The LP has never received more than about one-percent of the vote in a presidential election. Millions more libertarians vote with one of America’s major political parties come election day.
The party’s official website, at LP.org, lacks the polish of a major party’s site, or even the polish of a typical congressional candidate’s website. It looks as though a few people designed it over a weekend. There’s nothing remotely corporate about it.
Members of the LP share a common commitment to individual liberty, but are otherwise an eclectic bunch. Some look as though they would be at home in any board room or office; others dress and speak in the manner of a sub-culture or counter-culture. Their common philosophical commitment keeps them together, but sometimes only barely.
Many are long-time activists, and sometimes their free personal expression in speech and dress makes them easy targets for stuffy outsiders. Although the LP delegates and activists are outspoken and confident, for each of them there are thousands more who share similar views but might not be so confident. Of that greater number, many are more comfortable living in the tall grass of private life. Watching an LP gathering, it’s easy to see how narrow-minded people might try to bully or marginalize some of the LP’s more colorful members.
I have always enjoyed their company, and listening to them. They’re typically sharp, thoughtful, sincere, and committed people. While the Republican Party balks at support for free trade if Ohio’s at stake, the LP stands for free commerce without flinching. While the Democratic Party hedges on equal marriage rights to make Missouri competitive, the LP is clear in its commitment to equal treatment for all citizens.
The members of the LP are more than party activists; they’re citizens who love America, and are willing to contend for their beliefs.
I would gladly prefer their company and policies to those of an arrogant, pinched majority seeking to cajole and compromise its way to ever-greater, undeserved power.