Our politics have been wild this year. Our nation has been expertly divided into competing descriptions of reality. There is increasing venom and hostility within our national dialogue. The Democratic and Republican candidates for president are full of personal qualities and proven history that makes reasonable people cringe. For these reasons and others, many voters are looking into the qualifications of third-party candidates.

I have been a Libertarian for more than 20 years. I have competed for public office four times and I now lead the Libertarian Party in Southeastern North Carolina. I am well qualified to analyze and explain the likely consequences of electing Gary Johnson as our next president because I understand the Libertarian perspective.

Gary Johnson has a moderate temperament and well thought-out set of principles. Libertarian philosophy is rather simple and can be expressed as follows:

We call for honesty. Fraud in all its forms and applications is intolerable to us. Given the opportunity, we will expose and punish public lies in both government and the market.

We oppose initiation of force. We do not pick fights. However, we believe in a powerful self-defense.

In the absence of these two prohibitions, we believe in a maximum scope for personal freedom, so long as it does not harm others.

That is our entire belief structure. Our position of the various issues flow easily from these principles.

For example, we are advocates of free trade. Such an environment results in maximum wealth creation and abundant opportunity for human growth. If truly free trade were not obtainable, we would favor freer trade. The North American Free trade Agreement and the contemplated Trans-Pacific Partnership should bring freer trade than previously existed. Are these treaties in need of review and revision? Certainly yes. Often, trade agreements are just another way to rig the rules of international trade to favor the politically connected. This must end.

On the topic of rigged systems, the Libertarian Party is acutely sensitive and aware. After all, we have witnessed more than 40 years of creative resistance from the D’s and the R’s. What we favor is equal protection under the law. No one should be above the law. The powerful should answer for their crimes. Did bankers practice fraud by selling deceptively described securities such as those that crashed our economy in 2007? If so, we would expect to see those same bankers led away in cuffs. On the other hand, the weak and powerless should receive every protection the law offers. Nothing is more important than equal protection within our law.

Libertarians would enforce equal civil rights for all. We would not play favorites for the various voting blocs. Women and men, gay and straight, young and old, and people of all races would enjoy a simple and even-handed application of protection under the law. Our actions in civil rights would be easily explainable.

A Libertarian president is likely to nominate Supreme Court Justices who begin with a disciplined, “original intent” reading of the Constitution. However, such a nominee would be unlikely to advance the pet causes of either the right or the left. They would be refreshingly impartial. Judge Andrew Napolitano would be a good example of this type of jurist.

Libertarians believe in a powerful defensive stance. It is our intention to avoid conflict by making it utterly clear that an attack on America is always a bad idea. However, we would only tend to fight in defensive wars. We would be extremely reluctant to use military force to solve diplomatic or economic problems. Perhaps this is the reason Gary Johnson presently leads the polls among all active-duty military personnel.

Gary Johnson has repeatedly said he would accept and work within the traditional limits of the office of the presidency. He would depend upon dialogue and compromise to work with Congress. He excels in working with those of other parties. Johnson twice won election as the Republican governor of New Mexico where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1. He worked with all sides to greatly reduce the size of government, reduce taxes and increase the prosperity of his state’s economy. He accomplished this with respectful dialogue and persuasion. His running mate, William Weld, did the same thing in Massachusetts. Gary Johnson is not a perfect candidate. He is, however, the best of our choices this year.

This November, vote for whomever you see fit, but please do not vote until you have considered all of the candidates. The consequences of a poorly considered vote are likely to bring us all real regret. Please do some quality research this year. Draw from unbiased sources. I suggest you begin with Wikipedia. Then vote your conscience. Our nation is counting on all voters to be wise and thoughtful. Please, do not let us down.

John Evans lives in Wilmington.