1. THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR
Monday, October 26, 1998
Libertarian option
W hether or not they win an election, the presence of so
many Libertarians on the Indiana ballot this year could
be a wakeup call to the major political parties and a welcome
mat-to disgruntled citizens who are increasingly reluctant to
vote.
Libertarians have 100 candidates running Nov. 3, by far the
most since they achieved official ballot status in 1994. They in-
clude contestants in the U.S. Senate race, eight of 10 U.S.
House districts, all statewide offices and many legislative and
local seats.
"We believe about half the people in Indiana really are Liber-
tarians," claims state party chairman Robert F.Shuford Jr.
"But they don't know enough about the party or haven't heard
our message enough to know it."
The message is starting to get out and appears to be resonat-
ing with voters. What else could explain the growth of a third
party in a state known for a relatively vibrant two-party sys-
tem?
The signs of their success: Libertarians have three full-time
staff people working on campaigns this year. They had an eas-
ier time recruiting candidates than ever before. Perhaps most
telling, many of their policy ideas - including education tax
credits, returning the state budget surplus to citizens and, on a
federal level, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service -. are be-
ing taken seriously by the major parties.
But unlike Republicans and Democrats, the Libertarians
have been consistent in their message. They want smaller gov-
ernment, fewer laws, lower taxes and greater choice in educa-
tion. They want the federal government to stick to duties pre-
scribed in the Constitution. They want many of the things that
Republicans have promised, but failed to deliver. And they be-
lieve it's getting harder to tell Republicans and Democrats
apart. The bipartisan vote in Congress for the pork-laden bud-
get bill is just one example.
A top Libertarian goalis to .draw disinterested voters to the
polls. They achieved ballot status by obtaining 2 percent of the
vote in the secretary of state's race in '94, and are aiming for 10
percent this year, which would allow them to hold their own
primaries in the next two elections.
There is a downside to a strong third party By siphoning off
votes, as occurred when Ross Perot ran for president in 1992
against Bill Clinton and George Bush, it can result in the elec-
tion of a candidate with less than majority support.
But having a fresh voice in the political debate may prove
invaluable. If the two major parties have any sense, they'll take
more Libertarian ideas and run with them.