Fox Business Network will broadcast the Libertarian Party’s first televised debate on the evening of April 1 as a kick-off for the California Libertarian Party Convention at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton.
The most recent national poll shows former Republican New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, now of the Libertarian Party, favored by 11 percent of American voters,
The Libertarian Party was conceived by David F. Nolan in 1971 to promote civil liberties, free markets, non-interventionism, and laissez-faire. The founding was prompted by the confluence of the Vietnam War, ending gold standard, and national conscription.
In the 26 states and the District of Columbia that report Libertarian registration statistics, the party has been growing rapidly — from 240,328 in 2008, to 325,807 in 2012, and to approximately 411,250 registered voters today.
Despite Libertarian Party 2012 Presidential nominee Gary Johnson only winning about 1 percent of the national vote in 2012, the turmoil surrounding the Republican Party establishment’s treatment of Donald Trump and the Democratic Party establishment’s treatment of Senator Bernie Sanders has given more credibility to the Libertarians as an alternative.
As the governor of New Mexico, Johnson cut red tape and the number of government workers in the state. He vetoed 750 bills and used a line-item veto to cut thousands of other items. He lowered New Mexico’s taxes and balanced the budget, while remaining popular with voters. Running as a Republican, he was elected for two terms in the traditionally reliable Democratic state.
Much of Johnson’s new popularity is also due to the top-tier presidential candidates’ poor favorability. Trump, as the presumed Republican nominee, scores a 57 percent unfavorable rating with all voters. Clinton, as the presumed Democratic nominee, is a close cellar-dweller with a 52 percent negative rating, according to the latest Monmouth University poll.
Despite only 24 percent of the people polled knowing enough about Gary Johnson to form an opinion, Johnson scored 11 percent of support in a 3-way race.
The national Libertarian Party debate will be hosted by Fox Business News’ John Stossel and shown by closed-circuit television in the Hilton ballroom on Friday, April 1 at 9 pm. The three debaters include Governor Johnson, businessman John McAfee and The Libertarian Republic founder Austin Petersen.
The Libertarian Party will choose its nominee at the Libertarian National Convention in Orlando, Florida, over Memorial Day weekend.
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