ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Libertarian Party, which is trying to emerge from a fringe movement into a viable alternative to the Republican and Democrats seeking the presidency, held its annual convention over the weekend, only this year it grappled with nominating two former Republican governors to its presidential ticket.

For an anti-war party that promotes legalizing marijuana and tearing up the tax code, 2016 has instilled hope among some Libertarians that acceptance in the political mainstream is imminent amid broad discontent with the probable nominees from the major parties.

"We have been given the gift of [Donald] Trump and [Hillary] Clinton," said Larry Sharpe, a businessman and Libertarian vice-presidential candidate, referring to the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates. "Their ears are open, and I want them to hear who we are and vote for us for who we are."

The Libertarian Party is the country's third largest by voter registration, excluding people who consider themselves independent, but it is often overlooked as a political sideshow with a hodgepodge of positions that many consider to be either overly liberal on social issues or too conservative fiscally.

With Trump's rise spawning a contingent of conservative Republicans who will not support him and backers of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont concerned that the Democratic Party is favoring Clinton, Libertarians have said they think they are poised to peel away voters from both sides, particularly since the party aims to be on the general election ballot in all 50 states.

"There are Republican voters who are going to feel cheated by the fact that their presidential nomination has been taken by a reality show star, and there are Democratic voters who are going to feel cheated when that corporate shill boxes out Sen. Sanders at the convention in that rigged process," Nicholas Sarwark, the Libertarian Party's national chairman, said Sunday. "When those people feel cheated, we present an option for them."

Although only the most outspoken party loyalists said they are confident about their chances of winning the presidency, many said they think that Libertarians are poised to win a record number of votes. Some said they believe they could win a state, which no third-party has done since George Wallace in 1968, or get enough votes to influence the election, as Ross Perot or Ralph Nader did.

More than disrupting the election, though, they said it's a golden opportunity for national exposure and expansion. The party won more than 1 million votes in 2012, its most ever, and recent polling suggests a growing appetite for third-party candidates.

Political analysts were taken by surprise this spring when two separate polls showed Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor and 2012 Libertarian Party nominee, pulling 10 percent and 11 percent of the national vote.

The Libertarian Party chose Johnson again as its standard-bearer at its nominating convention Sunday. If he can get to 15 percent in polls, he can stand on the debate stage as the first third-party candidate to do so since Perot in 1992. The feat would provide free news media attention for a party that does not have the money for expensive advertising or voter-outreach efforts.

Johnson said that with sufficient exposure and a positive message he can attract both the young, progressive voters who are backing Sanders and Republicans who want limited government but fear that Trump will ratchet up spending and start trade wars.

"We should be portraying an optimistic message," Johnson said. "Life is good in America."

Looking to add credibility to his campaign, Johnson is teaming up with William Weld, the former Massachusetts governor who is running separately for the Libertarian Party's vice-presidential nomination. Weld, who has compared Trump's immigration policies to those of Nazi Germany, said he is actively reaching out to Republican donors who have decided that they cannot support Trump.

"I'm going to go knocking on every door I can to try to help us along," Weld said.

A Section on 05/30/2016