“Third parties are like bees: once they have stung, they die,” wrote the celebrated historian Richard Hofstadter. That might be true in elections -- Ross Perot certainly did not have the same success during his second presidential campaign -- but it’s not right when it comes to issues.
Throughout American history, third parties have often championed issues which would later be picked up by the major parties and become law. Long before the Republicans won the 1860 presidential election, the Liberty and Free Soil parties were carrying the anti-slavery flag. In the 1890s, years before the Democrats and the GOP picked up on the issues, the Populist Party was pushing for women’s sufferage and more federal intervention in the marketplace. Fiscal policies in the 1990s would have been far different without Perot’s presidential bids.
Same-sex marriage is just the latest example of this. Long before last week’s decision making same-sex marriage the law of the land, even before Andrew Sullivan took the idea to the national level, the Libertarian Party championed the concept. Attorney Roger MacBride supported same-sex marriage when he was the Libertarian presidential candidate in 1976.
It wasn’t exactly a popular stance in the 1970s. Even in the early 1990s, Bill Clinton drew heavy fire during his first presidential campaign for calling to allow gays to serve in the military, eventually leading to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
The nation has shifted its thinking considerably on LGBT issues in the last two decades but the Libertarians planted their flag first, something they noted Friday after the Supreme Court struck down state laws banning same-sex marriage.
“I’m glad to see that the Supreme Court has upheld the equal rights for all Americans that the Libertarian Party has been fighting for, for over 40 years,” said Nicholas Sarwark, the chairman of the Libertarian National Committee, on Friday. “We applaud and celebrate this victory, and we will continue to fight for the rights of all Americans to pursue happiness and prosperity in any way they choose as long as they don't hurt others or take their stuff.”
The Libertarians had every right to take a bow on this one. While it’s certainly a minor aspect in the larger drama over the decision, the national legalization of same-sex marriage is a reminder that third parties, even if they don’t win elections, can shape the debate -- and make a major impact
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
