Libertarians give voters alternatives

By Jeremy W. Peters

Daily Staff Reporter

Most Libertarians will admit they have no illusions of ever holding high public office.

"There's winning and then there's winning," said Tim O'Brien, executive director of the Michigan Libertarian Party.

"If you mean do we expect to get in office, the answer is no. We think it's highly unlikely for Browne and Corliss to get elected," O'Brien said, referring to Harry Browne, the little-known Libertarian presidential candidate, and Michael Corliss, the Libertarian pitted against incumbent Republican Sen. Spencer Abraham and Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow.

Even Browne's campaign concedes their chances for winning the White House are slim. "At this point, I would say his chance is not that good," said Browne press secretary Jim Babka. "But we are running ... first and foremost because we believe it is important to have an alternative to vote for."

Despite the fact that nationwide no Libertarian holds an office higher than a seat in a state legislature, the party is not deterred from running candidates in as many elections as possible.

In Michigan, Libertarians are running for every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, 36 seats in the state Legislature, and for all the statewide offices, including the Michigan Supreme Court and the University Board of Regents.

Libertarians also are campaigning for seats on the Ann Arbor City Council in three of the city's five wards, and Libertarian Charles Goodman is in a three-way mayoral race.

"We have an internal debate in our party: Should we focus on the national level or the local level." Babka said. "The answer is yes. We should focus on both."

One of the staples of the Libertarian platform is legalizing drugs.

"We don't expect the government to protect people from their own bad habits. That's why we're opposed to drug prohibition," O'Brien said. "Philosophically, we're opposed to the whole idea that government should have the authority to save people from themselves."

Ending drug prohibition stems from the party's ideology, focuses on an extremely limited government.

Libertarians say the current two-party system creates disillusion because it's results are nothing but higher taxes and increased governmental interference in citizens' lives. They are opposed to programs hailed by both the left and the right.

From welfare and gun control to stiffer crime laws and restrictions on abortion, if a policy means more governmental control, Libertarians oppose it.

"If voters would like to see a return to a smaller government, they're certainly not going to get it from a Republican or a Democrat," O'Brien said.

One of the major criticisms facing those who vote Libertarian - especially in national elections - is that they are essentially throwing their vote away.

O'Brien dismisses this claim.

"When you vote for the lesser of two evils, that's wasting your vote," he said. "It's better to vote for what you do want to see accomplished than for someone who you aren't passionate about. What's the difference if Al Gore or George W. Bush gets elected? They're both Tweedle-Dumb and Tweedle-Dumber."