Are you a Bernie Sanders supporter who loathes the thought of backing Hillary Clinton? Perhaps you're a Republican who can't bring yourself to pick Donald Trump? The Libertarian Party believes there are plenty of you out there, and are sending a message: our candidate and platform have plenty to offer both your camps.
Through most of the 2016 presidential campaign, the attention has all been placed on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The presumptive Republican and Democratic candidates, respectively, both have negative approval ratings in spite of their positions to gain nominations at their party's upcoming conventions.
Meanwhile the Libertarian Party, with little controversy or noise, nominated their ticket for November, tapping former two-term New Mexico governor Gary Johnson as their White House hopeful, with former Massachusetts governor William Weld as the vice presidential candidate.
Party leaders at various levels are counting not only on the leadership experience of their candidates but also on the belief there are plenty of disgruntled voters who feel stuck with the notion of choosing between Trump and Clinton.
While admitting that Libertarians have been quite used to being a "lone voice in the wilderness," Erie County Libertarian Party chairman Edward Garrett is among those sending a loud message to frustrated voters this year: you don't have to choose between a "lesser of two evils."
"People are really out there actively looking for a third option," said Garrett in an interview with WBFO. "There are lots of disenfranchised voters in the major parties, lots of people who have left those parties altogether.
"Right now, the largest enrollment of voters in New York State is no party affiliation at all."
Garrett says thatthe Johnson-Weld ticket includes issues including personal freedoms, taxation and foreign policy that offer elements appealing to both Bernie Sanders who won't back Clinton and Republicans who won't back Donald Trump.
"(Johnson's) website has an issues page. Donald Trump doesn't even have an issues page," said Garrett. "He has no issues, because he doesn't really stand for anything except for 'I'm Donald Trump and I'm the loudest guy up here.'"
Garrett offered criticism toward Hillary Clinton as well. When discussing LGBT rights, Garrett suggested she may be a backer of the community more recently, but to Libertarians it's been a strong plant in their party's platform since its foundation in 1971.
A lion's share of media attention has been focused on Trump and Clinton but one of the major networks, CNN, is scheduled to give Johnson an hour-long town hall style program this Wednesday at 9 p.m.
In the meantime, Libertarians have long been frustrated by the notion that a vote for a third party candidates (the Green Party shares in this frustration) is a "wasted vote" that perhaps serves as nothing more than a spoiler for one of the major party candidates. Garrett wants voters to overcome that way of thinking.
"Your vote really does belong to you," he said. "It doesn't belong to Donald Trump. It doesn't belong to Hillary Clinton. I hear this all the time, 'a vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for Hillary Clinton because it takes a vote away from Trump.' No. That assumes Donald Trump already had your vote."
