Top 3 Reasons Libertarians Should Run for Office as Republicans

2. Most of the Libertarian Party’s problems aren’t a problem for the Republican Party

The Libertarian Party has always struggled with ballot access, fundraising, participation, and being taken seriously. This can certainly explain at least some of its electoral difficulties. However, none of these are issues for the Republican Party. Republican candidates face no trouble getting their message out there (more on that on the next page), getting onto the ballot, raising money, or, perhaps the most crucial point, getting people to vote for them.

People are used to voting for Republicans. There are still many voters who are either registered with the party or who mostly vote for Republican candidates, as evidenced by the recent Republican victories. And, although there’s not much merit to the idea that third-party candidates act as spoilers by helping elect unpopular candidates, voters still act as if that were the case. Libertarians who run as Republicans avoid that issue, which can get them more support from people who like their ideas but don’t want to vote third-party.

But isn’t the Republican Party hostile to the ideals of liberty? Overall, yes, but, just as there is a range of political ideology within the Libertarian Party (moderates, classical liberals, constitutionalists, minarchists, and anarchists), so too does ideological variance exist within the Republican Party (progressives, moderates, and libertarians/libertarian-leaners). Justin Amash is an example of a libertarian or libertarian-leaning Republican, while Theodore Roosevelt is an example of a progressive Republican. And, of course, Ron Paul spent decades in Congress as a Republican. If more libertarians joined the Republican Liberty Caucus, they could be a serious threat to establishment politics. Imagine Congressional libertarians voting for smaller government, lower taxes, and a more peaceful foreign policy, while also voting against the endless expansion and abuses of government.

Getting into office and being able to influence proposed legislation, which is much more likely to happen through the Republican Party than through the Libertarian Party, greatly increases the potential for change. President Calvin Coolidge lowered taxes, freed millions from the burden of the income tax, cut government spending, and paid back some of the national debt during his time in office. While he had an easier time than a modern president would (since the government was much smaller in his time than it is now and there were far fewer people dependent on government services), his example shows what someone with libertarian leanings can do if they can get into office.

Part of this requires action even from those who aren’t interested in running for office. The Libertarian Party has just under half a million members. Imagine what could be done if some or all of those people joined the Republican Party and attended meetings, conventions, primaries, caucuses, etc. And, with all the setbacks Democrats have had in this election, now would be a good time for libertarians to start infiltrating the Republican Party, either to run for office or to assist good candidates.