With both the Republican and Democrat National Conventions at a close, everyone and their mother are adamant about voicing their opinion on the upcoming presidential election. And while some feel very passionately about either one candidate or the other, so many friends and people that I've seen on social media feel that choosing between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is something that they don't want to do. Many people I know would rather not vote at all than to vote for either candidate.
But often it's easy to forget that there are more than two political parties in the United States. Easy to forget because the media shows no attention to anything related to any third party, but there are more than two candidates running for president.
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Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, is running for the Libertarian party. On his website you can learn where he stands on issues such as education, immigration, foreign policy, national defense, and more.
While he is described as "fiscally conservative," his views on issues such as immigration and foreign policy lean more towards the Democratic platform. He wants to stop funding extremist groups and believes in a strategy that is more than simply "more boots on the ground". He supports the legalization of marijuana but believes that each state has the right to legalize and regulate it. Because he was a two-term governor of New Mexico, a border state, he also says that he understands reasonable and practical ways to regulate immigration and enforce borders. Many voters have been intrigued by Johnson's more moderate approach to issues and emphasis on personal freedoms and state's rights. Especially following the leaked emails from the DNC, the democratic party has been lacking unity, causing many voters to seek other options for this upcoming election.
Bernie Sanders has recently warned his supporters about voting for a third party candidate, saying "They're focusing on very, very important issues. But I think right now — what is it, three, four months before an election — you're going to end up having a choice. Either Hillary Clinton is going to become president or Donald Trump." (Washington Post) After his endorsement of Clinton, he has attempted to unify the party by rallying his supporters around Clinton. And because many democrats were seeking third party candidates, Sanders warned that this could only cause Trump to become president.
But regardless of Sanders' warning, many just will not support Trump or Clinton, especially after the recent reports of corruption within the DNC. For those who aren't comfortable supporting the Republican or Democratic candidate this presidential election: do not abstain from voting. Instead, research third party candidates to see if any seem more appealing.
