Libertarians Poised to Disrupt the Two-Party System in 2016

The inclusion of the Libertarian and Green parties in the presidential race will destroy the political establishment’s stranglehold in 2016.

The same way Uber and Airbnb are upending their respective industries, the social media phenomenon has short-circuited the ability of any political party to effectively control and shape their brand.

The future will bring a fragmentation of the two major parties, making it progressively harder to form cohesive coalitions ─ primarily benefitting Libertarians and Greens. No longer will Republicans and Democrats be in the position of power to dictate terms to the masses. Voters clicking and sharing what they like, will drive the narrative. The two party duopoly is no match for the new media, cell phone-centric generation.

Disgruntled voters are realizing there are other political parties that more closely align with their beliefs. Online test results, like those by isidewith (an eye-opener that all are encouraged to take!), are being shared with Facebook friends and the like, virally spreading this political awakening.  Self-identifying Libertarians and Democratic Socialists are now heard from daily on talk radio and TV, which would have been unheard of years ago. This is the new normal.

The likely matchup between two candidates with over 50% unfavorable ratings isn’t helping ease the public’s frustrations with a system that is increasingly viewed as being more corrupt and unresponsive to their concerns. Third parties’ messaging is not being sold as much as being actively sought by an electorate looking for an alternative to the conventional political system. Both Republicans and Democrats are in fact driving members away into the willing arms of their smaller rivals.

No computer model can game this election’s outcome, as we have come to learn that polls are becoming increasingly unreliable. Furthermore, if third parties receive just 5% of the votes cast, the presently held campaign model will fail. This mere 5% will entitle third parties to government funding and provide permanent ballot status in many states. The political reality is that there will be very few safe states for Republicans and Democrats if Libertarians and Greens are included on the final debate stage this fall. The rules of this political game are changing—favoring more choice and less top down control.

Going rogue is what both members of the two-party system fear even more than losing the race. Once voters wake up to the reality that the longstanding corrupt rules no longer apply, the bonds holding the establishment’s power base together will snap. Presently there is a lawsuit against the Commission on Presidential Debates which seeks to create more equality amongst the treatment of the parties. If this suit is ruled in their favor, it will be the stake through the heart of the tiresome and ineffective two-party duopoly that our country has long outgrown.

It is said that the best way to control the masses is to control the media message. Both the establishment Left and Right have pulled the necessary strings and passed the needed laws to prevent a real discussion on a variety of issues that would lead to real change. Suppression of alternative viewpoints is the norm—and the most effective way to maintain control.

Take a moment to think about why you haven’t heard more lengthy discussions on these topics. The message is being controlled, that is why. See some prime examples of this below:

• 33 Percent of Bernie Sanders Supporters Will Not Vote for Hillary Clinton
• Recent poll from Monmouth University shows Libertarian Gary Johnson at 11%
• 35% of Republicans and leaners want a third-party GOP candidate if Trump is the nominee
• 2/3 of GOP Non-Trump supporters say they’d vote for 3rd Party in election
• Bernie Sanders ideology closer to Green Party Jill Stein than Hillary Clinton

Talk radio and most mainstream TV are frantically trying to herd disgruntled voters back into the major parties’ two tents. The calls for unity and building bridges are bantered about by those on the Left and the Right uses fear to prevent “X, Y and Z” from happening—whatever gets the highest fear-based reaction from the audience, be it Supreme Court rulings, guns, abortion, race tensions, global warming, etc.

Politics, as we’ve always known it, will be dead after this election cycle. It is not a question of will the major parties break apart, but more a question of when. The margin of victory in 2016 will likely be less than the percentage of votes going to third parties, like it has been in many state races around the country (VA, NC and FL). The real question is, how much longer will the corporate-controlled media continue to marginalize the viewpoints held by millions of Americans? The danger in doing so is that these disgruntled voters will increasingly turn them off rather than continue to listen to all the carefully-crafted political propaganda.

The second part of the Libertarian Presidential Debate will be held on Fox News April 8th at 9:00.