Libertarian Presidential Candidates Speak at UTC

The 2004 race for the presidency came to the UTC campus last week. Three candidates seeking the Libertarian nomination for President of the United States told the crowd they feel the government should not license any form of marriage, stop military operations in foreign countries, and curtail federal taxes used to support the so-called war on drugs. The three are Michael Badnarik, of Texas, a computer consultant and teacher of the US Constitution; Gary Nolan, a nationally syndicated talk show host from Ohio; and Aaron Russo, of Nevada, a film producer. The visit was sponsored by the UTC Chapter of the Libertarian Party.

The Libertarian candidate will be nominated at the national convention May 27-31 in Atlanta, GA. The Libertarian Party of Tennessee will elect delegates to the national convention April 2-4 in Chattanooga

“Ralph Nader and the Green Party cost Al Gore the 2000 presidential election. Al Gore knows that, Ralph Nader knows that, and so does everyone who voted for either of them. Nader may not have won but he got the Democrats' attention,” according to Dr. Joe Dumas, UC Foundation Associate Professor of Computer Science and a Libertarian Party supporter. “If even 5 or 10 percent of fiscal conservatives desert Bush and vote Libertarian (or stay home and don't vote at all) it will throw the White House to the Democrats. An even smaller percentage could do the trick if they are in the right (nearly evenly divided) states. If Bush loses and knows Libertarians are the reason, that is the best possible outcome short of our candidate actually winning.”

For more information contact the Hamilton County Libertarian Party at (423)634-2595.

UTC Electrical Engineering professor Dr. Cliff Parten and
presidential candidate Michael Badnarik