Robert Robb

opinion columnist





The Libertarian Party did something interesting that wasn’t kooky for a change.

At its recent convention, the party chose two highly successful former governors as its candidates for president and vice president. Gary Johnson, the presidential nominee, was governor of New Mexico from 1995 through 2003. Bill Weld, the vice presidential nominee, was governor of Massachusetts from 1991 until 1997.

Both were elected governor as Republicans in blue states. Both governed as tough-minded fiscal conservatives. Both were reelected with strong margins: Johnson with 55 percent of the vote and Weld with an unfathomable 71 percent.

The country’s clearly not ready for the full libertarian program, with the legalization of drugs and the complete dismantling of the welfare state. But there is reason to believe that the ticket could get more than the usual dismissive look by the electorate.

Trump's no conservative. These guys are

For one thing, the Republican presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, has abandoned fiscal conservatism. He says he has no interest in entitlement reform and isn’t worried about racking up debt. If the economy tanks, he has said, a deal can always be had with creditors. That’s reassuring

For fiscal conservatives, a ticket couldn’t get any stronger or more reliable than Johnson-Weld. And it’s not all hot air. They actually did it. And got reelected doing it to boot.

In his first six months in office, Johnson vetoed 47 percent of the bills sent to him. Over the course of his tenure, he vetoed 750 bills. Only two were overridden.

If the political mood is to shake up Washington, who has the better case? A developer who has played footsie with politicians his whole life? Or a former governor who vetoed half the bills sent to him?

Will donors help a strong ticket?

To be competitive enough to matter, the Johnson-Weld ticket needs money. And the Libertarian Party doesn’t have any.

There is, of course, a contingent of wealthy, libertarian-minded political donors out there. At this point, their focus is on U.S. Senate and House races. But, reportedly, some of them are thinking about putting some dough behind Johnson and Weld. That would make a difference.

I’m not predicting that Johnson and Weld will catch political lightning in a bottle. But I will say this: Regardless of who Trump and Hillary Clinton choose as their running mates, when it comes to successful governing, the Libertarian Party will have the most accomplished ticket this election.

Who would’ve thunk it?

Reach Robb at robert.robb@arizonarepublic.com.