John Stossel Demolishes Old Saw about Libertarians as ‘Spoilers’ for Republican Candidates

by | Oct 25, 2014

John Stossel, in a conversation Thursday with fellow Fox Business host Stuart Varney, demolished with three arguments the old saw that Libertarian Party candidates are “spoilers” for Republican candidates.

First, Stossel notes that, in the many races that are not close contests, trailing Libertarian candidates cannot affect who wins. Therefore, why not vote for who you like most?

Second, Stossel explains why Republicans winning races is often not something many voters for Libertarian candidates would be very excited about encouraging.

Stossel explains:

If conservatives want to police the bedroom and spend as much as George Bush did, why should libertarians vote for people who aren’t going to give us what we want?

Third, Stossel questions the often-stated, though unfounded, assertion that Libertarian Party candidates disproportionately receive votes that would have otherwise gone to Republican candidates. As Stossel explains, many of those votes would otherwise be cast for Democrat candidates or not at all.

Watch the complete four-minute discussion here:


Author

  • Adam Dick

    Adam worked from 2003 through 2013 as a legislative aide for Rep. Ron Paul. Previously, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Board of Elections, a co-manager of Ed Thompson's 2002 Wisconsin governor campaign, and a lawyer in New York and Connecticut.

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