ventura: libertarian for president?
A brief argument for inviting Governor Ventura to join the Libertarian Party.
Harry Browne, the 1996 Libertarian Party candidate for president, finished fifth that year - behind Clinton, Dole, Perot, and Green Party candidate Ralph Nader. With the recent announcement of his 2000 campaign, it is not hard to imagine Browne placing fifth again, if not worse. For a thirty year old party with a growing membership and an increasing number of local officeholders, this anemic performance in the contest for the nation's highest office insures that the LP will remain a fringe group in the eyes of most American voters.
The neophyte Reform Party, with no consistent political philosophy to speak of, has shown real results in two presidential elections and has elected a governor. The key to the Reform Party's success (and to a lesser extent, the Green Party's strong 1996 showing) is the nomination of candidates that are already well known, whether it be as a Republican commentator, frequent Larry King guest, or professional wrestler. Meanwhile, Libertarian Party candidates are generally not well known outside of the party. While this guarantees a candidate with views highly consistent with the LP platform, it also guarantees Libertarian candidates start the race for the presidency many steps behind the other candidates.
In order to make some real gains in 2000, the Libertarian Party must find someone who already has some measure of celebrity and can clearly articulate libertarian political philosophy. There are a number of possible candidates who meet this criteria, including actor Clint Eastwood, television reporter John Stossel, and Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman, but it's a former Reform Party member who is the best hope for the Libertarian Party: Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura.
Ventura has expressed Libertarian views both in interviews and in office, even calling himself a libertarian an April 1999 interview with Reason magazine. He could easily reach Harry Browne's stated goal of winning five percent of the votes in the 2000 presidential election, in addition to becoming the first Libertarian governor, albeit not one elected as such. While it is unlikely that Ventura could beat either the Republican or Democrat nominee, it is not completely outside the realm of possibility - something Ventura proved with his surprise victory in Minnesota.
Ventura's populist appeal, his name recognition, and his proven electability are exactly what the Libertarian Party needs to re-establish itself as a major player in national politics. Governor Ventura is currently a man without a party - now is the time for Libertarians to offer him an invitation.
29.02.2000 © ljr