The polling, the polling. Most of the folks in the political field know the only poll that counts is on election day. And ask any Libertarian if you doubt it. (We think that's the party motto.)
Most of the polls show Asa Hutchinson is ahead in his re-election bid, deservedly so. But there is another story among the numbers/weeds that some of us might have skipped over.
Libertarian candidate Mark West is polling at 6 percent, according to Talk Business and Politics. He might tell you that 6 percent isn't his goal, any more than the Razorbacks would say they hope to hold Auburn to under 50 points. But that number, 6 percent, is a big deal.
In this state, Libertarians have worked hard to be put on the ballot in the last several elections because a third party's path to the ballot is different from the two major parties:
If a party's gubernatorial or presidential candidate doesn't secure at least 3 percent of the vote in an election, that party must gather signatures to appear on the next ballot, a rather expensive process. But the Libertarian Party of Arkansas has sunk thousands of dollars into those efforts over the last few elections. KUAR has more:
"Political parties in Arkansas need to garner at least 3 percent of the vote in either the governor's race or a presidential election to retain automatic ballot access for the next election. In 2016, Presidential candidate Gary Johnson garnered 2.6 percent and in 2014 gubernatorial hopeful Frank Gilbert received 1.9 percent support."
Each election, Libertarians are recognized as a "new" party when placed on the ballot. They needed 10,000 signatures to make it onto the ballot this year, and they met that.
So now, about Mark West's 6 percent: That's double what his party needs for guaranteed ballot access in 2020. When nominating Mr. West as their gubernatorial candidate, Libertarians probably considered that he earned 24 percent of the vote when running against U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford in 2016.
There's no guarantee Mark West will earn 6 percent of the vote in November. Maybe he'll earn less, maybe more. We won't know until the ballots are counted.
But there is one thing we're sure of: More choices in candidates are always better for voters. In a healthy democratic election, three candidates are better than two. And two candidates are better than one running unopposed.
Arkansas Libertarians are working to ensure they're heard in this election. They've got challengers for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, all four congressional races and more. Call it democracy in action. What a country!
We'll admit, Libertarians are a strange but hardy breed, bless their anti-government hearts. Some of their ideas are unworkable. But they can be something to see and hear. They pull starboard even when Republicans are moving port. If the Greens and the militant environmentalists are throwing hand grenades at the two major parties from the left bunker, the Libertarians are tossing them from the right.
Most of the time.
Because right and left mean little to Libertarians. The glue that binds them together is a belief that government governs best when it governs the least.
When Democrats are anti-choice on education but pro-choice on abortion and Republicans are pro-government interference on protecting the flag but anti-government interference when it comes to gun registration, you get a little hungry for consistency. Libertarians certainly provide that, even if they go overboard.
(Give us consistency, but in moderation, of course.)
Malcontents have always been a part of American politics. And every once in a while those malcontents are right.
So join the party--the party of American democracy, not necessarily the Libertarian Party. The more the merrier, we say, especially in election years.
Editorial on 09/21/2018