There was an almost an understanding between Libertarians, independents, and disillusioned major party voters who supported Gary Johnson that he wouldn't win. The chance was there but difficult, and in the spirit of changing the course of history with an almost unobtainable goal, we fought for it. We fought harder than we did in 2012, when I first discovered (and supported) Gov. Gary Johnson. This fight was tricky; the unpopularity of both candidates drove people towards us, while the extreme fear of one of the candidates winning also drew people away from us. The harsh truth is that third parties are set up to fail, something we especially saw with exclusion from the debates despite our ballot presence and poll numbers.
The thing is, we all knew this. Every single one of us knew this from the start. These types of movements take time and tremendous sacrifice, and the snowball doesn't always build as quick as we like. I feel certain that Gary Johnson and Bill Weld both knew this from the start, but they still drove forward. An election not only puts somebody in office, but it changes the hearts and minds of the people. It brings out new ideas and sparks new conversations. After it was all over, I received this email below directly from the campaign, and it only strengthens my respect for this party and movement:
Four million of us voted for Gary Johnson. In direct comparison with the major parties that doesn't sound like a lot, but the context is greater than that. That is the amount of people that live in Oregon, or the city population of Los Angeles. That is triple the Libertarian vote for 2012, and not only is it a record for the party, but it is greater than Ralph Nader's success in 2000 and quite possibly the largest third party vote since Ross Perot.
While Johnson and Weld took a bold and daring route to the top, the Libertarian Party gained four state senators during this election season. Johnson expressed above that him and Weld hopefully set the stage for the growing future of the Libertarian movement, and I have no reason to believe that he didn't. From Johnson's 2012 and 2016 campaigns to Rob Sarvis's 7% of the vote in 2013 for Governor of Virginia to the increased Libertarian presence among state senators, this is the new formative age of the Libertarian Party. The immediate successes might seem small, but the significance of a growing shift towards third parties could be monumental. Many great things arrive from humble beginnings.
Governors Gary Johnson and Bill Weld stayed committed to a campaign that they knew was unlikely to land them in office, because they were able to see the bigger picture. Their act of defiance against the two-party system was undoubtedly difficult, but for every person they managed to awaken, there was a new victory. Ultimately, Gary Johnson knew this campaign was never about himself, and honestly, it wasn't even about the Libertarian Party. It was about making change, spreading new visions, and refusing to accept a system that many of us disagree with. It shows people that they're not alone, that there are others beside them, and we don't need to give in to the ideas that are ingrained in modern politics.
When these hopes and dreams finally come to fruition, I feel confident that I will be able to look back upon the efforts that Johnson and Weld put worth, and thank them for laying down one of the stepping stones of real, long-term change.
