By Brian McLaughlin, TLI

I’ve read a few ‘endorsements’ from bloggers on behalf of Libertarian Augustus Invictus. Hey … we’re the best party in the world when it comes to protecting free speech. I’m all for it and glad they’re enthusiastic about their candidate.

Now let me tell you why I’m beyond enthusiastic about my favorite Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in Florida-Paul Stanton of DeLand, Fla.

RELATED: A Democrat … yes, a Democrat … applauds Paul Stanton

First of all, I’m not going to waste my time saying a bunch of bad stuff about Invictus. I’ve seen his speeches on YouTube and don’t agree with much of what he espouses in those videos. I’ve heard all the noise. I disagree with how his supporters conduct themselves.

So be it.

I’m pro-Stanton, not anti-Invictus. I have plenty of good stuff to say about a guy who I now call a good friend.

Stanton’s just the better representative of my beliefs, and I believe the beliefs of many of you. Period. That’s it.

He’s just better.

Think about this for a second: We’re all busy as hell, right? Stanton is. Invictus is. I sure as hell am, working contracts, being a dad, trying to be a halfway decent husband. Stanton’s trying to hold down a career and also run for … drum roll please … U.S. Senate.

At night and on the weekends, Stanton goes to bat for what he believes in and what he thinks many of you believe in, and he takes flak. And yet he’s giving us his time, his fiance’s time, his money (yep)-all to give you an alternative. Not just an alternative to Invictus, but to the robot army of hypnotized lemmings that lies beyond Invictus.

When I joined the Libertarian Party in late March, I didn’t know who the hell Paul Stanton was, Augustus Invictus was, who any of these people were. I just knew I was homeless in a political sense and I was pissed off. After attending the national convention as a self-professed wallflower, I began to hear about the U.S. Senate race in Florida-that there was a chance two Libertarians might run. Maybe, just maybe.

RELATED: Q-and-A with Libertarian US Senate candidate Paul Stanton

I first reached out to Paul to do a blog post on a page I created right after the Natty Convention. I’m a writer. It’s the best way I thought I could volunteer with the Libertarian Party. During a two-hour interview where I first talked to the guy, Paul struck me as cerebral, passionate about what he believed in, not rehearsed at all … you name it.

But one word jumps out beyond those others: Empathy.

How many ‘Empathetic’ politicians do you ever meet, really? How many of these people are really in it for anybody other than themselves? It’s not in their DNA to be empathetic. Stanton gives a damn about other people more than he cares about himself. Imagine that! Honestly, he’s not really a politician when you think about it. For that, he rocks.

I’ve watched Stanton evolve over the past two or three months. Is he the best public speaker that ever walked this planet? Nope. And neither am I, and neither are you. Neither was Ron Paul and neither is Gary Johnson and neither are many people who turn out to be wonderful leaders.

Want to know some names of some elite public speakers? Oh, Bill Clinton. Barack Obama. Newt Gingrich. Francis Underwood. Alec Baldwin. Want me to go on? See my point?

Substance over style. It’s something we all fell in love with when we listened to Ron Paul … others heard a cranky old man who sounded pissed off and crammed too many details into his debate message. Those of us who actually have the capacity to listen above the fray heard a wonderful message that makes so much damned sense we can’t believe others can’t hear it and won’t embrace it. It’s like we’re all tuned into a frequency others aren’t equipped to hear.

Substance over glitzy, temporary, oratorical style? That’s Paul Stanton. When you sit down with Paul, you hear the incredible intelligence and compassion come out. The ideas. Then, there’s his sincere ability to listen. To absorb. I personally watched him sit down with about 15 to 20 people and talk about the origins of Libertarianism, of that focused defiance in the name of individual liberty. The essence of it all, the books that he has read that helped sculpt who he is and what he believes in–coupled with his life experiences.

He was absolutely the star of what I’d call a small discussion forum. Stanton would OWN Invictus in a question-and-answer discussion forum where substance prevails. It won’t happen … but if it did?

By the way, guess who else is accused of not having the snappy, quick, rehearsed answer to every question? Guess who else gets accused of “listening too much”?

Governor Gary Johnson.

The same ascending Presidential candidate who endorsed Paul Stanton, as did his running-mate, Governor Bill Weld. So did four other Libertarian presidential candidates.

My endorsement is my vote. So I guess this is an endorsement too.

The right guy’s surname is Stanton. He had a great debate tonight. Aug. 30 is soon approaching.

Vote Paul Stanton 2016.