Down with the Duopoly

Earlier this year, the Libertarian Twitter-verse exploded when Congressman Justin Amash (L-MI) announced his intentions for an exploratory Presidential campaign.

In spite of various factors that contributed to his declining to declare an official campaign, Amash’s involvement injected energy to thousands of fired-up young people, and led to a burgeoning in support for the Libertarian Party and cause as a whole.

In addition to a slew of purple & gold profile pictures, dozens of new accounts and the growing chant of #Amash2020, something else came out of his brief yet impactful exploratory campaign: Support for a multi-party system.

The cry of “Down with the duopoly” is beginning to be heard from more than just the Libertarian camp. Democrats and Republicans alike are becoming disgruntled with the corrupt and self-serving parties they have to choose from at nearly every election.

Two of the most oft-quoted topics from George Washington’s 1796 “Farewell Address” are the danger of political parties, and avoidance of foreign involvement.

Political parties were well underway even in George Washington’s time, and the foreign involvement advice, well….that lasted slightly longer.

During our country’s nascent years, there were multiple political parties which changed names and views over the years, and eventually solidified into the Republican and Democrat Parties that we have today.

Why this dual-party system developed in our nation, I have not delved deeply enough to discover. But I do know that other nations with democratic forms of government have multi-party systems, and what this creates is choice — choice for the nation’s citizens, and the freedom to not be forced to sort themselves into two neat little boxes.

In my experience, people do not fit into boxes — much less only two. The views of an individual are many and nuanced, and those nuances deserve recognition.

With Dr. Jo Jorgensen now carrying the Libertarian torch forward into the 2020 Presidential Election, the possibility of a third-party President is one step closer. A third-party President would be the catalyst for a landslide of change in our great nation, and the gasping end of the corrupt, pathetic duopoly that has kept Americans under the government’s boot for decades.

With the end of the D&R duopoly, Americans would find their voices and be empowered to affect change, knowing that their unique position finally had a chance at a platform.

With the election of a Libertarian Party candidate, more Libertarians would be elected to local and state office, which would dramatically affect States’ Rights and result in greater freedom and representation for the American People.

As a result of a third-party President being elected, other parties in the United States that have not had a voice would find themselves emboldened to run for office, knowing that now there was a chance they could win.

We must stop regurgitating the poisonous “third party’s always a spoiler” rhetoric that the duopoly has fed us. The time for change is now. A vote for a third party is a vote for liberty.

Americans are ready to take back our nation from the stranglehold of corrupt politicians and remind them that it is We, The People, who have the power.