Libertarian Party
Many people believe that the independent vote in the general election does not matter. Recent evidence; however, suggests the opposite. In 2016, President Trump won the crucial states of Wisconsin and Michigan by less than one percent each, while Libertarian Gary Johnson won over three percent of the vote in both of those states (The New York Times). This shows how the third-party vote had an indirect impact in our last general election, as the overall result may have been different had third party voters simply voted for a major party nominee. This year, the Libertarian nominee for President is entrepreneur and professor Jo Jorgenson. Being a Libertarian, Jorgenson generally holds socially liberal and economically conservative values. On the issue of healthcare, Jorgenson supports free market competition as a way of lowering costs. She also has focused much of her campaign on the national debt, saying she would block any borrowing proposed by Congress. When it comes to the environment, she believes in expanding our capabilities for nuclear and solar energy. Jorgenson also believes in cutting taxes for America’s working and middle class, while still working to reduce government spending. For education, she vows to completely eliminate the Department of Education, which she believes has been inefficient and give parents and teachers greater control. For more information on the Libertarian party or on Jorgenson go to lp.org or jo20.com.
Riley Dulin - Political Editor
Green Party
On July 11th the Green Party selected their co-founder, Howie Hawkins, to be their presidential nominee for the 2020 election. Hawkins has established himself as the far-left candidate, likely even further left than Bernie Sanders. There is a lot of overlap between the two, including policies such as Medicare for All and an increased minimum wage (though Hawkins supports raising it to $20/hour). Hawkins describes himself as an ecosocialist, and his website shows the policies that reflect that. He has the most aggressive climate change policy, his “Ecosocialist Green New Deal”, which includes zero-to-negative carbon emissions and 100% green energy by 2030, a ban on fracking, and more. He calls his economic plan socialist and has goals such as more worker cooperatives and public ownership of big banks and industries. On social issues he is again the candidate furthest to the left, wanting to legalize marijuana, decriminalize sex work, and end mass incarceration.
Shay Hafner - Contributing Writer