The LP’s 2020 Presidential Candidate was Jo Jorgensen of South Carolina.  She and one other woman were the party’s VP candidates in earlier years.  

 

All the speakers were male. McArdle and Harlos were the only two women I saw on a stage.  The convention featured several "master classes" (i.e. workshops) on various topics. All class conductors were male.  I stuck my head into a couple, seeing less than a dozen people.

 

Perhaps attendance was low because one had to pay $10 to attend.  Indeed, pretty much everything cost something.  The Party that emphasizes that There’s No Such Thing As A Free Lunch makes sure that everyone pays – except for the buttons, stickers, pamphlets and flyers on the tables. Most of these were "free".

 

Founded in 1971, the Libertarian Party is tiny, but still has more registered voters than any other third party in the U.S.  Winning the Presidency may be impossible, but the LP claims 178 members currently elected to county and local offices.  It also has sympathizers.  Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah made a brief appearance at the convention to announce that he will soon introduce a bill to eliminate the Federal Reserve.  "End the Fed" is a key goal and frequent chant of the Libertarian Party.  

 

The closest thing the party has to a guru is former Rep. Ron Paul (TX) who was its candidate for President in 1988.  He addressed the convention on its final day.  His son, Rand Paul, is a current Senator from Kentucky.

 

The delegates chose Chase Oliver of Georgia as their candidate for US President late on Sunday.  It took seven rounds of voting before he got the requisite fifty percent.  Ten candidates got the required 30 delegate signatures to be on the first convention ballot, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr..   Donald Trump’s name was put into nomination from the floor, but the chair ruled that he hadn’t met the Party’s qualifications so his name wasn’t on the ballot.

 

Mike ter Maat of Virginia was voted to be the Vice Presidential candidate on the second ballot.  He was endorsed by Chase Oliver. 

 

Where the Libertarian Party gets on the ballot, they will run under the symbol of a porcupine.  Most states require that parties have an emblem.  We all know about the donkey and the elephant. Libertarians embrace the porcupine, because it only uses its spines to defend itself, never to attack. 

 

People can ride donkeys and elephants.  Ever try to ride a porcupine?

 

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