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By Sam Whittaker, Class of 2015
Many of the seminars this semester at the McConnell Center have focused on a “reTHINK” theme including “reTHINK Gender,” “reTHINK the Trail of Tears,” and “reTHINK the Two Party System.” As this will be my first year to be eligible to vote in a presidential election, I found myself particularly interested in the seminar on "re-thinking" the two party system led by University of Louisville Political Science Professor Dr. Laurie Rhodebeck. I had already been seriously questioning the candidates that the American two-party system selected for the nation to vote on this fall prior to Dr. Rhodebeck's seminar. As a Republican who had supported Ron Paul in the primary, I found myself alienated by the big military spending and social policy touted by Mitt Romney and the Republican mainstream, as well as the large government programs such as the Affordable Care Act (popularly known as ObamaCare) and the costly economic stimulus package offered by President Barack Obama and the Democrats. I do not see either party offering a workable plan to balance our nation’s budget in a timely fashion, and I have not been persuaded that Republicans such as Mitt Romney, who try to paint themselves as fiscally conservative, will make the unpopular political calls to cut spending on our costly defense and entitlement programs. Even the “Ryan Plan” will add a trillion dollars to our national debt before it starts attacking it. So, if the two parties are unwilling or unable to balance our nation’s budget and peel back our foreign policy attitude as the policeman of the world, where can Americans look for answers? This is the question that I have answered for myself with a 3rd party alternative: Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson.
Gary Johnson is the former two-term governor of New Mexico, where he served as a Republican in a 2:1 Democrat state. He gave the state a balanced budget, decreased taxes 14 times, and left New Mexico with more highways and schools than when he started. Gary Johnson is an avid athlete who has climbed Mount Everest and run in Ironman triathlons. Prior to becoming governor of New Mexico, Johnson grew his one-man handyman company into a 1,000-employee operation raking in huge profits. He has more experience as a governor than Mitt Romney, and he has more experience as a businessman and executive than Barack Obama. Yet, to the detriment of the American people, Johnson has been totally shut out of the presidential debates, had to fight inch by inch for ballot access and convince people that he is legitimate despite his large amount of experience – all because he is not a “major” party candidate. Because he has not been allowed on the debates and has been granted extremely limited amount of media coverage, Johnson has not been able to raise the funds to be competitive with his Republican and Democratic counterparts. One of his biggest obstactles comes from the American people themselves who feel they are “wasting their vote” on a minor party candidate which prompts me to ask, “What if everyone ‘wasted their vote’ on Johnson?”
Johnson is fiscally conservative and socially tolerant, which I believe a majority of the American people are. He wants to get the government out of your wallet as well as your bedroom. Johnson offers a foreign policy of non-intervention in foreign affairs because he is tired of seeing the American taxpayers’ hard earned dollars sent overseas to destroy other nations and to rebuild their highways and schools. Think of all the money the American people could keep or the government could spend to build highways and schools here! Johnson offers a plan to balance the budget this year! He would lower levels of entitlement program funding such as Medicare, granting more responsibility to state and local governments to spend money effectively. He would repeal ObamaCare, while at the same time cut the massive amount of military spending (that is greater than the next five nations combined). Johnson wants to give citizens their liberty back and prevent the government from telling individuals how to live their lives. He wants to eliminate the corporate tax, which inevitably kills jobs, and the complex income tax system, which places the burden on citizens, in favor of a FairTax program that would put in place a federal consumption tax. Johnson’s plan would lead to economic growth and jobs while encouraging personal responsibility and accountability by cutting back the welfare state. Gary Johnson has ideas that would bring the nation the real change it needs, not just a party agenda. A vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for lower taxes, a balanced budget, a limited government and liberty. He will not win the election, but I can sleep soundly at night knowing I voted for a man with principles and a plan, not a suit who spouts off partisan talking points.
Gary Johnson is currently on the ballot in 48 of the 50 states and is engaged in legal battles to grant ballot access in all states. In addition to Johnson, other notable 3rd party candidates include Green Party Candidate Jill Stein, Constitution Party Candidate Virgil Goode, and Justice Party Candidate Rocky Anderson. I encourage everyone to take a look at all of these candidates and review their policies and qualifications before casting your vote for more of the same old Republican or Democrat domination.
Live Free! Break the shackles the two-party system places on American ideas and innovations.
Sam Whittaker is a sophomore McConnell Scholar at the University. He is double-majoring in political science and history.