Why I Won’t Vote for Just Any Libertarian

This article was originally posted by the good people at the Independent Political Report. Go by their website and have a look around. You may just like what you read.

I sat in the banquet room of a local country club with a group of Libertarians who had come together for their monthly business meeting. This was not my local affiliate’s meeting, but there were a number of people who were in attendance who were also not members, so I did not feel out of place. We were all here for one reason; to hear a candidate, who is running for Senate as a Libertarian, speak.

I had heard stories of Augustus Sol Invictus (no, I did not make that up) since he had announced his candidacy a few months ago. I had heard he was dynamic, well-spoken, and friendly from people whose opinions I respect. I had also heard he is a good speaker, but his words, while poetic and educated, hold no substance from others. I immediately jumped on the opportunity to spend the majority of my day driving around western Florida to see with which of these accounts I fell most in line.

While I sat there in the swanky country club banquet room listening to Mr. Invictus speak I thought about how glad I was that I was neither a Republican or a Democrat. I will get back to that in a minute on why, but first let me talk about the speech that was given by a candidate who is currently entrenched in a campaign for the United States Senate.

Augustus was well dressed in a three-piece suit that was light gray with a slim fit. It’s a stylish look, and when juxtaposed with his trendy parted to the side haircut, it’s obvious he is a man who likes to keep up with the latest in men’s fashion. He approached the podium slowly, taking a moment to kiss his girlfriend before making his way to the front. He walked like a more arrogant, less talented Derek Jeter (that’s coming from a Red Sox fan, so know this should never be construed as a compliment).

He licked his lips with gumption and kicked off his speech with these words, “It is to inspire – and not to instill fear – that I ask: How far are you willing to go?”

The room fell silent; even my table of typically loud and outspoken commenters were listening with pure intent.

With that sentence Augustus was off. His accent, which is more fake than his name, sounded less convincing than Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained, and he faded in and out of it more frequently than Donald Trump showing his support of a flat or fair tax.

After a short introduction explaining who he was and what he did, he listed off a series of run-ins with different authorities, including his alma mater, landlord, FBI, and the U.S. Marshals. He spoke of these issues as though they were rites of passage in the life of a politician, but they were coming off as escalating signs of a man on the edge who was about to break.

I could tell his speech had been practiced, right down to the carefully calculated motions he made with his right hand. He came off as a member of a high school debate team who had spent the entire previous night practicing.

He attempted to convince the people that communists ran a successful campaign because of their willingness to die for their beliefs, unaware that the willingness to die for a cause may not be a sign of righteousness, but instead a sign of insanity. He followed up this statement with an open admission to his insanity, while insulting those who possess more sanity than he.

Although, I must admit I wasn’t completely sold on my opinion of him until he dropped the f-bomb in a speech about his run for U.S. Senate more times than Quentin Tarantino, a man who uses that word regularly, accepting an Oscar (which Quentin never did, because he understands professionalism).

Invictus has claimed he is a poet, but claims he believes “artists are impotent,” and “cannot change the lives of people.” His hypocrisy was blatant and obvious and came out of the mouth of a man who asked the audience, “Do you know why I am dangerous?”

Without pause he went on to address his question by stating, “It is not because anyone actually believes that I’m going to lose my mind and go on a shooting rampage. It is not because I have a hundred pounds of fertilizer in a toolshed ready for bomb-making.” It is my own personal belief these are reasons people would believe he is a threat, and his veiled admission to such things would only act as further evidence of the madness to which he himself is blind.

The speech was laden with insane thoughts he said with pride and glee as though he would be supported for saying whatever crazy thought passed through his brain, like a more insane and less filtered Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders. During his rant on how we all need to take LSD and practice sorcery I was proud to be a member of the Libertarian party and not a part of one of the establishment parties.

With the presidential election coming up next year, there will be many obedient Republicans and Democrats who fall in line with their party leaders and vote for the candidate party leadership tries to convince us legitimately won the primary. It does not matter that many people in the GOP are saying they despise Trump and would rather any other candidate win the nomination. If next November the ballot says Trump, Donald (R) they will be checking the box next to his name.

Similarly how many members of the left say they dislike Hillary and hope she soon drops out of the race due to the fact that the amount of baggage she is carrying is causing her to rent out larger planes. Next November though, if the ballot says Clinton, Hillary (D) the box will be checked and the justifications will begin; “I may not like her, but at least Bill will be back in the White House,” or “She has to be better than anyone from the right.”

As a Libertarian, I pride myself on having principles I believe in and I, as well as many of my colleagues, refuse to vote for a candidate who does not possess a majority of the beliefs to which I subscribe. I believe that votes are not guaranteed, they are earned by what you say and how you act. If you fail to earn my vote it is not a problem with the party of which you claim to be a member. It is a failure of your own to not secure my vote.

I will not vote for a person I feel would not make a good leader. If more people did the same instead of voting for whomever has the corresponding letter next to their name we would have a country run by leaders and not those who excel at fundraising.

I cannot speak for the Libertarian Party of Florida, nor the national Libertarian Party, but I for one refuse to endorse Augustus Sol Invictus for Senate. I understand this means I may be placing a vote for “None of the Above” but I would rather voice that no candidate is worthy of my vote than endorse someone I feel is not an appropriate leader. I especially believe this when the only thing the Libertarian In Name Only has said that I agree with is, “What I am saying is not half as crazy as the fact I am saying it in public.”

That is a statement I wholeheartedly endorse.

You can read Augustus Sol Invictus’ speech here.