In 2002, Libertarians blanketed the state ballot and won nothing. This year, they've learned and could have an impact.
By TOM ZUCCO
Published August 2, 2004
It was, for many of them, the chance of a lifetime.
When the door to Florida politics cracked open in the 2002 election, the Libertarians rushed in. A party that had only about 10,000 registered members statewide managed to get 73 candidates for state House seats on the ballot - 17 more than the Democrats.
It was called Operation Full Slate, and it was possible because of a redistricting loophole that allowed candidates to collect far fewer than the usual number of signatures to qualify.
But the slate was wiped clean; all 73 Libertarians lost.
This year, the relaxed rules are gone, and the ranks of Libertarians on the ballot have thinned. Two years after their big push, they'll field a quarter as many candidates.
But the party that favors limited government and wide-ranging personal freedom continues to grow. Party officials say there are as many as 15,000 registered Libertarians in the state, with more joining every day.
Even the opposition acknowledges they could have an impact.
"In a state like Florida, where the races are neck and neck," said Joseph Agostini, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Florida, "every single vote that is tallied on election day will be critical for any candidate in any race."
No Libertarian has been elected to the Florida Legislature. But, if nothing else, the 2002 election made for some interesting races. And it taught the Libertarians that sometimes, less is more.
Tampa Libertarian Ron Stringfield ran against Republican Ron Reagan for the state House seat in District 67, which takes in part of southeastern Hillsborough County and parts of Manatee and Sarasota counties. Stringfield, whose main issues included legalizing marijuana for medical use, didn't live in the district. But he said he would move there if elected. He didn't need to.
Then there was Libertarian Jason Downs, who took on Republican Dennis Ross for the state House seat in District 63, which includes parts of Polk and Hillsborough counties. Downs was against spending any taxpayer money on large public projects. He also lived 160 miles away in Jacksonville.
Ross got nearly 80 percent of the vote.
"I only acknowledged that I was in a campaign," Ross said recently. "I never acknowledged who my opponent was. That allowed me to raise my name identification and address the issues.
"I knew he (Downs) was never going to appear at any of the debates or functions. And he didn't."
Ross said his approach would have been far different had his opponent been a Democrat. For one thing, it would have been expensive.
The Libertarians thought blanketing the ballot would help educate voters about their platform, which includes deregulation of the health care industry, ending the war on drugs, and phasing out federal income taxes, foreign aid and government welfare programs. But Ross thinks in his race, at least, fielding a paper candidate may have damaged perceptions of the Libertarian Party in general.
"It benefits the serious candidate," Ross said, "because you're running a full-fledged campaign with an opponent who doesn't appear. That just strengthens the base of the more serious candidate."
But this time, without the aid of looser petition rules because district lines hadn't yet been approved by the courts, the Libertarians were almost forced to field a more serious slate of candidates.
Among those running full-fledged but uphill campaigns are Frank Gonzalez, for Congress in Miami-Dade County against Republican incumbent Lincoln Diaz-Balart, and Walt Augustinowicz, for an open state House seat in Sarasota.
"This is a much more disciplined bunch," said Ralph Swanson, administrator for the Florida Libertarian Party. "In 2002, we just hung out a sign that said, "Y'all come.' And we didn't have anyone running for city or county office. We just concentrated on the state House.
"We're not just trying to educate voters anymore," Swanson said. "We're going after these offices. And I think that gives us even more legitimacy."
Formed in 1971, the Libertarian Party bills itself as the third-largest political party in the United States, a claim it supports by noting it is the only third party organized in all 50 states.
Members also point out that nationwide, Libertarian candidates for state House seats in 2002 received more than a million votes - more than twice the number of votes received by all other minor parties combined.
But so far, their role has been more like deckhand than captain.
Third parties have historically played a significant but limited role in American politics, said Stephen Craig, a University of Florida professor of political science, who specializes in campaigns and elections. "They usually revolved around a particular leader - Teddy Roosevelt, George Wallace or Ross Perot. When that leader was gone, the party faded.
"But third parties, by pressuring the successful parties to address some of their issues and concerns, can be successful.
Libertarians have not hitched their wagon to a star, Craig said, and have established themselves as the most viable third party.
"The question is how viable. History says not very," he said. "Our system is pretty heavily biased in favor of the two major parties. Any minor party has a serious uphill battle.
"That said, Libertarians have shown a durability. And they're now showing some degree of expansion and growth. On the the other hand, they don't get very many votes, and their ideas can be co-opted by the two major parties.
"There's a good chunk of the public who like the message of less government," Craig added. "But Libertarians take that to a degree most Americans are not comfortable with.
"The Libertarians would have some potential if they would moderate their views and join them with more realistic positions."
To some extent, they have, said Swanson, the state administrator for the party. And Tampa's Kim Snow is a perfect example.
A Gaither High and University of South Florida graduate, Snow has a husband, a job as director of a consulting firm, three children age 5 and younger, and a daunting task in November: trying to beat the winner of the Republican primary - either Bill Bunkley or incumbent Kevin Ambler - in state House District 47.
A former registered Democrat, Snow, 31, has never run for office and is accepting no money from lobbyists or political action committees. She has raised about $3,500, more than a third of it her own. Ambler, the incumbent, has raised close to $60,000.
Yet Snow remains optimistic.
"I could've chosen to run as a Democrat or a Republican, but I really believe in the premise and platform of the Libertarian Party," she said. "Smaller government, less involvement by government in our daily lives and less government spending.
"I see the world headed in a direction that's very frightening, and I didn't want to look back and say there's nothing I could've done."
And even if it seems like it, she said, there is no such thing as a wasted vote.
"If we don't stop and sacrifice our vote at some point, we will never make changes in the two-party system," Snow said. "Even if I only get 10 percent of the vote, don't you think people would notice? And if the Libertarians get enough votes, it changes the platform of the Republican Party" by pushing it back to its traditional fiscal conservatism. "That in and of itself would be a victory.
"The Libertarian Party 10 or 15 years ago was more idealistic," she said. "Now, we're more realistic and realize this is about what we can really do.
