The L Factor — Libertarian.
You might recall last year when numerous Democratic candidates, officials and voters were complaining about “spoiler” 3rd party candidates … but this year we hear a different cry. Now some Democratic people want us to believe they are looking out for and in the best interest of Libertarian voters.
Nothing could be further from the truth … it’s just that some of these Democratic folks finally figured out that 3rd party candidates may not have been such a bad idea after all.
Will HB2305 prevent future Arizona Libertarian candidates from running? The answer is no. Before the passage of HB2305, Libertarian candidates had to collect signatures from other limited Libertarian registered voters who were hard to find. Now Libertarians can collect signatures across the broader political spectrum via Republican, Independent and Democratic voters — not just from fellow Libertarians.
An independent-thinking and good Democratic voter via Gail Shoultes remembers the signatures that were required for independent candidate Mike Stauffer in 2012. She said:
I’m not sure HB2305 will even affect independent candidates since they are not considered a party but they are the 2nd largest bloc of voters ahead of democrats. In the last election, for instance, the Maricopa county sheriff’s race the democratic candidate, Penzone had to gather about 2,500 signatures, Arpaio had to collect about 3,500 and the independent candidate, Mike Stauffer had to collect 19,000 valid signatures. Don’t talk to me about signature fairness until that gets fixed.
What should Libertarians do in our State of Arizona? Continue the mass exodus of the Republican Party Gary Johnson began for starters…. meanwhile, maybe some of those Democratic folks who were crying about 3rd Party “spoilers” will re-think their future political strategies since their cries botched it up for everyone else because Independent and Libertarian candidates tend to pull votes from conservatives.
Next time you see a Libertarian, independent or 3rd party candidate — be sure to give ‘em a hug next time. They really did do more good than you think.
To those Democrats who complained about the independent and libertarian candidates we supported while calling them “spoilers”: Thanks for nothing. Maybe you’ll think with better foresight in the future.
