`Party of Principle' gaining ground: once an afterthought on the U.S. political landscape, the Libertarian Party steadily has increased both in numbers and influence since its founding 30 years ago

0 Comments | Insight on the News, August 12, 2002 | by Dorene Englert

A new political party emerged from the Colorado home of David Nolan on Dec. 11, 1971. Disillusioned by politics as usual among both Democrats and Republicans, Nolan envisioned a party founded, as he believed, in the ideas of the men who wrote the Constitution of the United States. Thirty years later, delegates and members of the Libertarian Party (LP) from around the country convened during the July Fourth weekend in Indianapolis to celebrate their own independence from mainstream politics, highlight their party's history and outline future plans.

The LP consistently has grown in both numbers and influence. This self-proclaimed "Party of Principle" offers a platform based on "individual liberty and personal responsibility; a free-market economy of abundance and prosperity; a foreign policy of nonintervention, peace and free trade." Defying long odds, Libertarian candidates sometimes have been able to exploit their underdog status and shock the establishment by winning high-profile victories.

One of the most highly publicized of these was that of a former wrestler turned politician. In November 2000, Jesse "The Body" Ventura surged past Republican and Democrat opponents to become the governor of Minnesota. Libertarians rallied behind Ventura, citing him as a symbol of their increasing power. However, once in office, the colorful ex-wrestler shocked the political arena once again by renouncing his association with the LP to embrace the Reform Party of Ross Perot. He became an LP villain almost as quickly as he had become its hero.

A former Republican congressman, Ron Paul of Texas, joined the LP and became its presidential nominee in 1988 [see picture profile, Sept. 3, 2001]. He regained a Texas congressional seat as a Republican in 1996 but retained the respect of LP rank and file and remains a philosophical libertarian. Paul admits the task of representing the underrepresented can be challenging and contends that Congress often forces him to choose between "fascism and socialism." As he sees it, "The purpose of all political action should be to promote liberty."

Meanwhile, more than 300 members of the LP may hold elected office throughout the United States, giving the party a national voice. Nor has the LP been confined within U.S. borders. In Costa Rica, the Movimiento Libertario presents a doctrine similar to that of its North American counterpart. This year the 6-year-old party won six of the 57 seats in the Costa Rican national legislature.

Despite obvious strides, the LP still faces several obstacles that have prevented it from obtaining significant political power, chief among them being that the system in the United States discourages third parties. Otto Guevara, Costa Rica's most successful Libertario, attributes party progress in his country to a system of proportional representation.

Another LP problem has been internal discord between its intellectual and political wings. Former LP presidential candidate Ed Crane left the party in the early 1980s because of this division. He went on to help found the Cato Institute, a public-policy think tank in Washington that advances libertarian ideas. During the Indianapolis convention, Crane received the LP "Champion of Liberty Award." LP members tell INSIGHT that Crane's acceptance of the party's highest honor reflects a new unity and direction for the party.

As disputatious as Libertarians tend to be as individualists, they sometimes find that issues on which LP members tend to agree have become lightning rods for criticism from the mainstream culture. In Big Water, Utah, LP Mayor Willy Marshall experienced serious backlash from his promotion of decriminalization of marijuana possession. The ordinance entitled all accused of the crime to an automatic plea. After probation and a $10 fine, the incident would be cleared from the police blotter.

After passage, a Utah state trooper confronted Marshall demanding that the town law be repealed because it promoted drug use. Marshall refused and on Dec. 5, 2001, a band of state troopers entered the town of 400 to display their discontent. The officers ticketed every conceivable violation, passing out 40 summonses in a matter of hours. After citizens expressed fear that this might recur, the city abolished the decriminalization.

Regardless of this setback, Marshall and his compatriots intend to forge ahead on the drug issue, about which most Libertarians are in agreement. Embracing their media-prescribed role as spoilers, LP Political Director Ron Crickenberger told INSIGHT in May [see "Will Third Parties Run to Victory?" June 3] that the party was engaged in an aggressive $100,000 campaign to defeat Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) in his redistricted race against Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.) because of Barr's hard-line opposition to legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

As Nov. 11 approaches and congressional races heat up around the country, both Republicans and Democrats are likely to be sweating out the closest electoral contests in many years. But the LP, say its activists, will be breezing into fall with a full war chest and nothing to lose.