Most people in this nation are economic conservatives and social progressives. As such, it is interesting that the campaign of Libertarian Michael Badnarik has been ignored. It is interesting because Michael Badnarik represents the values of almost every person attending this university; his only handicaps are that he does not have an easily recognizable label or millions of dollars in campaign donations from special interests to shore up his advertising budget.

Although the media might choose to ignore minor party candidates, we should not discount the campaign of Badnarik, a Texan, and his running mate, Iowan Richard Campagna, simply because they are running as Libertarians. Both are dedicated patriots — Badnarik even going so far as to be arrested outside the St. Louis presidential debates alongside Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb.

In fact, every one of us has better reasons to vote for this third-party revolutionary than the candidates nominated by the old and tired parties of conformity and irresponsible spending, commonly known as the Republicans and Democrats.

For starters, Republicans should vote for Badnarik because he is a true economic conservative and supports the repeal of federal mandates and controls over schools. He supports school voucher programs that Bush has made no progress on.

For Democrats, Michael Badnarik supports the rights of the sick to use medical marijuana and opposes federal control over abortion, foreign interventionism, the draft and the War on Drugs.

Reformers and other third-party voters love Badnarik because he is a constitutional scholar and would eliminate deficit spending now, rather than later. He would veto any unbalanced budget and eliminate corporate welfare (to include subsidies to oil companies, timber companies and corporate farms).

Environmentalists like Badnarik because he would cut the most polluting industries off from the corporate welfare spigot. In addition, Badnarik favors strict “polluter pays” policies, wants to rescind sovereign immunity for government polluters and would promote the development of alternative fuels, recycled products and environmental innovation by allowing a responsible free market to thrive (oil and coal subsidies keep wind power “too expensive”).

Abortion rights advocates like Badnarik because he would veto any legislation restricting a woman’s right to choose and opposes government control over abortion. In addition, anti-abortion advocates like Badnarik because he opposes tax funding for abortion and federal mandates that require companies to provide abortion as a health care benefit.

Badnarik favors a sensible foreign policy of peace and non-intervention. George Washington best defined Badnarik’s foreign policy when he advised “friendship and trade with all nations, entangling alliances with none.” Badnarik is opposed to a military draft and has opposed Bush’s military adventurism in Iraq from the very beginning.

When one looks at the facts, Badnarik is a better candidate than Bush and Kerry put together. In fact, Libertarians are fast becoming the new political center. In New Mexico, where Badnarik has been enjoying better media coverage than in most other states, Bush and Kerry supporters alike choose Badnarik as their second choice.

This effectively makes Libertarians the new political center, fielding candidates that members of both major parties would prefer to another Republican or Democrat in office.

Badnarik is simply the best person for the job. No matter what your political philosophy, almost everyone can find something about the man he or she likes.

We Libertarians have no delusions about Badnarik’s chances of winning, but we will be damned if we are going to vote for bigger deficits, failed social programs and needless wars.

Badnarik is a candidate in the mold of the founders of our nation, and on Election Day, our collective voices will renounce the two-party system of old and ignorance that has been leading us down the path of bigger, more oppressive government for decades.

Bush is no conservative, and Kerry is not the answer. This year, Badnarik is the only candidate worth voting for.

To learn more about Michael Badnarik’s campaign for president, visit Badnarik.org.