| halogamer1989 said: I was wondering because I think it has the makings of an up and coming third party a la the successful Whigs and the Bull Moose. A Republican myself, I think that we should have not let you guys slip from us-we both like small gov't, family values, etc. I hope that the L's would come back into the GOP fray one day. |
The Libertarian Party is different than the two parties you mentioned. The Progressive Party (Bull Moose Party) was significant only because of T. Roosevelt. Had he not been the face of the party, I doubt it would have received any attention. The LP has never had a member whose prominence was near Roosevelt's.
The LP is different than the Whigs because the Whigs were not a third party. After the Federalists disbanded, the nation entered an era of one-party dominance. It was known as the "Era of Good Feelings." Originally, the Whigs were a party whose sole goal was to oppose President Jackson. The Whigs eventually disintegrated because of deep divisions over whether to allow slavery in the territories or not.
I consider myself a Republican, but I do vote for Libertarian candidates on occasion. Approximately 10-20 percent of the voting-age population is libertarian. There has been a marked increase in LP membership over the past year, but I do not foresee them becoming a real threat to win elections. They may serve as the spoiler in some, but they will not win.
