The Libertarian Party has been the source of political satire for years. They usually take on the leading role as the political revenge of the nerds. They rarely get elected to anything — and when they do, it is usually a one term deal. They are said to align most closely to the conservative wing of the Republican Party – largely because the Democratic Party does not have a conservative wing.
While professing ideals of limited government and constitutional supremacy, they more often than not skim off enough votes to help elect the most radical left-wing Democrats running against conservative – or even moderate – Republicans. That is not their strategic intent, just the outcome of their political incompetency.
In case you had not noticed – and why should you? – the Libertarians will again mount a presidential candidate. These also-rans normally garner the attention of a bee in a field of clover. This year may be different.
Former Republican … then Independent … and now Libertarian Congressman Justin Amash, of Michigan, has set up one of those exploratory committees to check out a run for President of the United States – either as the Libertarian Party candidate or an independent Libertarian candidate. Essentially, that means he is running regardless of the results of his “exploration.”
There are a number of things that make Amash’s plan different from the usual face in the crowd who embarrasses himself as the standard bearer for the chronically unsuccessful Libertarian Party. It was not long ago – 2016, to be exact — when New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and Massachusetts Governor William Weld took the Libertarian nomination for President and Vice President, respectively — and transformed themselves from a pair of prominent Republican leaders to one stooge short of a theatrical act. Incidentally, Weld is now running for President as a Libertarian – in case you had not noticed.
One thing that makes Amish’s plan different is that any votes he may take from the Republicans – and that is the assumption – is not incidental. It is intentional. Amash is out to help former Vice President Joe Biden, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrat National Chairman Tom Perez take down President Trump.
In other words, Amash has joined other hitherto small government conservatives – such as activist Bill Kristol, columnist, former Republican National Chairman Michael Steele and all those other false-flag Republicans you see as paid contributors and staffers for MSNBC and CNN – to support the radical left-wing big-authoritarian-government policies of the current Democratic Party.
It is also likely that Amash will get something no other Libertarian has received from the elitist news media – lots of coverage. They will be more than happy to throw their propaganda operations behind Amash because they have common cause in ousting Trump. They will inflate his anemic effort with a false credibility.
He will be weaponized in their personal and deeply hateful war against Trump, Republicans and conservatives. He is the perfect tool for their strategy because they see him as damaging to the GOP, but without even the remotest possibility of being elected President of the United States.
It could work. But it is equally true that the shameful alliance between Amash and his new friends on the left will backfire. It just may fire-up Trump supporters – and leaners – in repulse to the principle-challenged strategy of Amash and the Democrat leaders and their media cronies.
One need not mock the Libertarians. They are self-mocking. But Amash takes the Libertarian cause to a new low – whether he is their official candidate or an independent Libertarian candidate.
Amash is likely to garner more attention than Weld or the seemingly unstable former conservative commentator Joe Walsh, but he will end his effort as he has started it. A loser. Hopefully, his campaign will be as irrelevant to the outcomes as his predecessors were in 2016.
So, there ‘tis.