A couple of days ago, there was confirmation that Democratic candidate for President, Mike Gravel, was joining the Libertarian Party. Quoting Third Party Watch:
“I’m joining the Libertarian Party because it is a party that combines a commitment to freedom and peace that can’t be found in the two major parties that control the government and politics of America,” said Gravel. “My libertarian views, as well as my strong stance against war, the military industrial complex and American imperialism, seem not to be tolerated by Democratic Party elites who are out of touch with the average American; elites that reject the empowerment of American citizens I offered to the Democratic Party at the beginning of this presidential campaign with the National Initiative for Democracy.”
My mind still boggles with the idea of Gravel as a Libertarian. I could see Gravel as fitting into the Green Party, but I have the distinct impression of Gravel as being far more authoritarian than would sit well with either “big-Ell” or “little-ell” libertarians.
Then, a little bit later, came word that Gravel wants to run for President as a Libertarian (quoting the New York Times:
Fed up with being excluded from the debates and otherwise marginalized, former Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska announced today that he will seek the Libertarian Party nomination for president.[...]
“By and large, I have been repeatedly marginalized in both national debates and in media exposure by the Democratic leadership, which works in tandem with the corporate interests that control what we read and hear in the media.
“I look forward to advancing my presidential candidacy within the Libertarian Party, which is considerably closer to my values, my foreign policy views and my domestic views. “
I can agree that Gravel doesn’t fit with the mainstream of the modern Democratic party, but Gravel on the LP ticket for President?! Just trying to imagine it gives me a severe headache. At first blush, the only things Gravel has in common with big-Ell Libertarians is an anti-war stance, and general wackiness.
So, I guess this means that Gravel will finally officially withdraw from the Democratic nomination race, in which he has still technically, if irrelevantly, been running?
