Becoming Ungovernable: How the 2024 Libertarian National Convention Changed the American Mind
by- HLMenckenFan
The Libertarian National Convention hosted during Memorial Day weekend in Washington DC challenged America’s expectations in many ways. When millions of Americans are choosing between two unpopular authoritarian candidates in what the media is calling a critical election cycle, there seem to be no viable alternatives. Around a thousand delegates gathered at the Washington Hilton Hotel to vote for their presidential candidate and debate on the issues for three days of momentous events that changed our expectations. The theme was headlined “Become Ungovernable”, a fitting reference to the anarchic and unpredictable spirit of the libertarian movement. The many happenings of the convention have significant implications with powerful lessons for the future of the party.
Since its establishment in 1971, the Libertarian Party currently remains the largest third party in the United States in terms of registered members with ballot access in all fifty states. However, it has had a notably weak electoral performance in recent years, barely getting 3 percent of the vote in 2016 and 1 percent in 2020. The 2024 libertarian convention marked a shock to the political system with its invitation of major presidential candidates to bring more exposure and media coverage to the event and the movement. Trump, Biden, and RFK Jr. were sent invitations. Trump’s and RFK Jr.’s acceptance of the invite to the convention changed all that.
During the 2024 convention, former president Donald Trump expected to woo libertarians over to his side upon his arrival on the stage. He encouraged them to “nominate me, or at least vote for me” and to “combine with us”. Trump was sorely mistaken, being loudly booed by the crowd for the entirety of his speech. Trump likened himself to a libertarian by referencing his four criminal indictments and argued that he wouldn’t lock his opponents up unlike the tyrant Joe Biden, but his populist posturing failed to resonate. He was attacked for failing to stop public health restrictions on the unvaccinated during the pandemic and running up the federal deficit. He earned the loudest cheers and chants from the audience from his promise to free Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the drug-selling website Silk Road, on his first day in office, a top issue ranked among libertarians that night. Trump also pledged to put a Libertarian in his presidential cabinet if elected. After being booed by the libertarians, he bitterly ridiculed them; telling them “Keep getting your 3% every four years” and “You don’t want to win”. Libertarians likened him to a corrupt tyrant, with one holding a sign reading “No Wannabe Dictators” dragged away by security. Trump’s performance at the event garnered the strongest negative reaction from the attendees.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received a warmer reception than Trump. Kennedy expected to bring libertarians over to his side with his opposition to vaccine mandates. He criticized both Trump and Biden on their approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. The man stressed that Trump attacked the First Amendment of the Constitution by imposing federal ‘science-free’ social distancing guidelines and limiting the ability of people to gather in public. Trump presided over “the greatest restriction of individual liberties this country has ever known”. Kennedy put civil liberties at the forefront of the conversation with his push to pardon both Julian Assange and Edward Snowden on the first day of his presidency. He argued that libertarians and independents should both unite to reclaim the country from the corrupt two-party system. Libertarians remained consistent with their principles during those trying times.
The libertarian event hosted several prominent figures in the movement including the brother of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, Austrian School economist Mark Skousen, and libertarian political commentator Dave Smith speaking on various issues ranging from civil liberties to economics. Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy who agreed to host the Libertarian Vice Presidential debates pushed for libertarians to unite with conservative nationalists and faced pushback and booing from the crowds. Former libertarian veteran presidential candidate Ron Paul earned the most positive remarks by the crowd as the keynote speaker of the event to cheer of “End the Fed”. Paul remarked on the future of the growing libertarian movement while he proclaimed that the American regime with its endless overseas wars and reckless spending was over.
LNC Chair Angela McArdle won her re-election as chair on behalf of the controversial Mises Caucus with over 50 percent of the vote. There was little concern for parliamentary procedures in an event demanding attendees to become ungovernable. Delegates arrived and voted for their preferred presidential candidate in a very contentious process. Donald Trump received six electoral votes and failed to submit any paperwork to qualify, while Kennedy received nineteen electoral votes before being eliminated in the first round. The results of the votes were revealed to be unexpected.
Michael Rectenwald of the hardline Mises Caucus and Chase Oliver of the moderate Classical Liberal Caucus contended for the top spot during seven rounds and nearly eight hours of voting while over forty percent of the delegates voted for “None of the above”. Chase Oliver emerged as the winner of the libertarian presidential nomination with 497 votes, over 60 percent of the total votes cast. Mike Ter Matt won the libertarian vice-presidential nomination with over 50 percent of the votes cast. Oliver gained notoriety among libertarians for forcing a Senate runoff in Georgia in 2022 with two percent of the vote. He has described himself as “armed and gay” and very progressive on cultural issues. His presidential campaign website has called for the elimination of the death penalty and the Department of Education, the decriminalization of abortion, and immigration and criminal justice reform. On foreign policy issues, Chase has pushed for ending military support of Israel and Ukraine by removing foreign aid to nations at war. He pledged unity among shared libertarian principles and pushed to grow the party’s foundation into all fifty states. Oliver argued that the libertarian movement should focus on young people who are strongly opposed to the Israel-Palestine conflict and contrast itself from the elitist candidates Biden, Trump, and RFK Jr. The event concluded with an epic finale that brought libertarians together on a strong message with a commitment to a candidate who will fight for the sound principles of liberty that have animated the party for decades.
Third-party candidates are set to make a significant impact during this contentious election cycle. The 2024 Libertarian National Convention put libertarians into the national spotlight rather than being laughingstocks in the world of American politics by exposing people to their ideas. Chairwoman McArdle endorsed Chase Oliver as the party’s “best way to beat Joe Biden” by using the party’s spoiler status in blue states to try to push protest votes from the left. Chase pledged to be an alternative option in the presidential race in stark contrast to Trump and Biden. The libertarian movement may not have the power to win electorally in a rigged political system designed to benefit two parties, but it has a strong ungovernable spirit unmatched by its consistent commitment to freedom in all realms. The libertarian party can make a difference, and the events that occurred demonstrated that third parties are not to be underestimated. Those three days in May 2024 marked a great impression in molding the future of prosperity and freedom in America today.
SOURCES
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/26/politics/rfk-jr-nominated-libertarian-party/index.html
