Photo by The Daily Bastardette http://www.dailybastardette.com/new-york-libertarians-and-greens-run-adoptee-equality-candidates-in-november/

Following the 2016 United States Presidential Election, the Libertarian Party was seemingly left without a star.
You know; that one party member that grabs the headlines. Speaks to the people – inspires!

Gary Johnson did great. His 2012 campaign broke records for a LP candidate. His 2016 campaign broke new ground for the party and plunged it into the spotlight, if only for a moment.

But it is now 2017, and we find ourselves (in the LP) looking for that next big star. That beacon of hope. That ray of sunshine to illuminate the concepts of liberty, peace, prosperity and individual freedom.

Ladies and Gentleman… I give you, Larry Sharpe!

A quick look at his accomplishments: Larry ran for the Vice-presidential nomination in 2016… and almost won it!

He is a prominent entrepreneur and businessman.

He faithfully served his country as an enlisted man in the United States Marine Corp.

But above all that my two favorite things about Larry Sharpe are his well-delivered views on freedom and his unifying character.

Speaking to the latter, Larry doesn’t argue over the divisive issues that plague both the party and the ideology.

He supported Johnson during the campaign and has continued to be supportive of the former two-time New Mexico governor since. (Despite the negative view many purist libertarians have of him.)

During the campaign, he specifically said that he didn’t run for the POTUS nomination because he recognized that the other candidates had greater name recognition…. and he was right!

Larry has a calm, soft-spoken demeanor that allows him to be palatable for those outside of libertarianism – this is a good thing!

During one video that speaks directly to that last statement, Larry spoke of talking with a leftist … possibly an admitted socialist or communist…doesn’t matter.

What DOES matter is that instead of going into the word vomit of “taxation is theft” (it is) , he listened and then calmly responded.

The socialist/communist said that “libertarians just want to make everyone like them!” (I am paraphrasing.)

Sharpe went on to explain that (in a libertarian society) like-minded socialists could band together to form a commune (or as Hoppe would put it, a covenant community) where people could share and redistribute to their hearts content.

Best part: unlike regular socialist societies, this would be 100% voluntary.

That is what makes Larry Sharpe so great in this not-so-humble writers opinion – he is marketable!

He is cool, calm and collected. Intelligent and well-spoken. Humble yet uncompromising on core issues of freedom. This – ladies and gentlemen – is how we sell libertarianism!

So what is Larry Sharpe doing with all this potential?

A LOT!!!

Mr. Sharpe is currently running for Governor of New York. I am unsure if he must first secure the nomination (I am assuming he does), but I doubt there is a New York based libertarian that could beat him in a primary race anyway.

Larry Sharpe recognizes that Governor Andrew Cuomo is fiscally irresponsible and economically blind. As an entrepreneur, Sharpe knows what it takes to build up a small business. He want to rid us of the regulations that hinder innovation and ingenuity. Larry wants you to be able to be your own boss.

Sharpe is also a fierce critic of the war on drugs.

This is – of coarse – nothing new. Libertarians have championed this cause for decades now. But Larry highlights the essentials. He focuses not on whether marijuana (or any drug for that matter) is harmful or a “sin” , but whether or not it (or any action) creates a victim.

For Larry Sharpe, its simple: no victim, no crime.

He is a “sharp” (wink wink) critic of civil asset forfeiture.

Recently, Sharpe posted an article on Facebook about a man who had over $4000 seized by the NYPD, only to be acquitted (or the charges were dropped) a year later. But did the man get his money back? No, of coarse not! That’s not how civil asset forfeiture works. (According to the article, it was absorbed into the NYPD pension fund.)

Larry Sharpe wants to bring this act of government sponsored thievery to a grinding halt.

He wants to reach out to those “outside our echo-chamber”, and truly get people to understand the big tent approach to libertarianism and classical liberalism. He wants to take us beyond the fringe and into the 21st century; not as the strongest third-party, but as the party that replaces one of the existing two. (Or simply destroys them both.)

So in closing, if you’re a New York voter than please take a look at Larry Sharpe. (Especially if you’re sick of being over-regulated to the point of gross inefficiency and check-to-check living.)

If you are a member of the Libertarian Party or just an ideological libertarian who would like to see one of our own in a governorship, than please donate.

And by all means, please continue to share on social media … New York needs a SHARPE governor!

(Sorry, I couldn’t help myself….)