The Libertarian Party took the country by storm in the late 90s when Harry Browne announced he was running for president four years after Ross Perot took half of the votes away from George H.W. Bush, making it easy for Bill Clinton to become our 42nd president. Third party after third party have tried and failed to make a run at the big time. Finally, along came the Libertarians with the idea of live and let live. The attitude of do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t harm or defraud anyone really seemed to resonate with the American people. Finally, they had someone with the attitude similar to that of the Founding Fathers. They spoke about the Bill of Rights in practical terms. They defined the word “rights” and believed that people should not look to government to solve their problems, but take care of them on their own. Questions like, “Why are drugs illegal?” and “Is there a right to healthcare, education, owning a home, etc?” were frequently asked. At last someone who says, “We are here if you need us, but ultimately you are responsible for yourself and your family.”

Poll after poll has shown that the American people most closely identify with the libertarian principals. Most seem to want smaller government that won’t interfere with day to day life. So why, after more than 10 years, has the Libertarian Party still never gained any real ground in the world of politics? Let’s begin with political infighting. The Libertarian Party can’t seem to come up with a cause that all of the candidates can agree on. Some want to focus on the war in Iraq. Others want to still stick with the illegal drug thing. Then there is the Fair Tax, which is the best way to reach the largest amount of people the quickest. With all these issues to choose from, why not just pick one and run with it?

The problem is not the issues, it’s the attitude. After Ross Perot was able to receive over 20 percent of the popular vote in 1992, third party candidates believed that they should always shoot for the stars and run for president right off the bat. They would fix the country in eight years and that’s it. Huh? How about starting from the beginning? If I were head of the Libertarian Party I would say, “Hey everyone, let’s all run for city council. Next, we will all run for mayor of a major metropolitan city. Then, decide if you want to be a governor or representative. Finally, who do you think would be best to run for president?”

The reason the party has never really gained a foothold in politics is that it is trying to do way too much, WAY too fast and get a lot of credit in between. You have to start from the ground up. When people hear the word Republican, Democrat, or even Independent, they know what it means. Had they done this back when Harry Browne was running, who knows how strong the party would be after 10 years. Until they figure out this principal they will always be “loser-tarians.”