Third-party voters have long faced a backlash from the majority for potentially swinging elections. In 2016, Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein took heat from Democrats who claimed they took key votes away from Hillary Clinton.
But for Dr. Jo Jorgensen, the 2020 Libertarian presidential candidate, it’s not about swinging an election, but about drumming up support and recognition for what she says is a “real alternative” option in order to oust big government.
“It doesn’t matter whether they choose a Democrat or a Republican, both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are going to take more of our money, make more of our decisions, do nothing about the crushing healthcare costs, and neither one is going to bring the troops home,” Jorgensen told Cheddar.
The first presidential debate is set for Tuesday and with only about 5 percent of national polling support, she isn't expected to take the stage. Guidelines of the Commission on Presidential Debates state a candidate must claim at least 15 percent of polling support in order to participate. But she said the process has been unfair.
“Let me just point out that they haven’t been including me in the polls all along,” she noted. While not prominent in polling, Jorgensen has garnered enough support to appear on the ballot in all 50 states and Washington, DC.
The candidate called the CPD’s guidelines a ploy to seem inclusive even though third-party candidates often are not awarded the same consideration when it comes to polling exposure.
“By getting into multiple polls, your name recognition goes up and they refused to put me in the polls,” she continued.
But with debate stage hopes likely unattainable at this point for Jorgensen, she is focused on drumming up support for her campaign by focusing on the nation’s most serious issues.
When it comes to coronavirus and mitigating the spread, she stated that she believes Americans should make their own decisions about how they want to protect themselves and others, particularly when it comes to wearing a mask.
“It should be up to the individual and whatever establishment they visit,” she said. “Once again, federal government gives us a one-size-fits-all [guidance] in which half the people are going to be unhappy with. And Libertarians say, ‘You know, it’s much better to vote with your feet or vote with your dollars.'”
Also, this week nearly 900,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits for the first time as the job market continues to reel from impacts of the pandemic, but Jorgensen said Congress should not be focused on a second stimulus.
“You know, if the money was coming out of Donald Trump’s back pocket, of course, that would be great but, no. It’s coming from us,” she said.
“So why take that money from us and then turn around, take a chunk out for, of course, administrative costs and then give us some of our money back. And some of that money goes to the big corporations, who maybe we don’t want to support anyway.”
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday signaled a cautious approach to future interest rate cuts, in sharp contrast with other Fed officials who have called for a more urgent approach. In remarks in Providence, Rhode Island, Powell noted that there are risks to both of the Fed’s goals of seeking maximum employment and stable prices. His approach is in sharp contrast to some members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee who are pushing for faster cuts.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the American media landscape have led to the suspension of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. The only dissenter was Stephen Miran, the recent Trump-appointee.
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
President Donald Trump's administration is appealing a ruling blocking him from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook as he seeks more control over the traditionally independent board. The notice of appeal was filed Wednesday, hours after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb handed down the ruling. The White House insists the Republican president had the right to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations involving properties in Michigan and Georgia from before she joined the Fed. Cook's lawsuit denies the allegations and says the firing was unlawful. The case could soon reach the Supreme Court, which has allowed Trump to fire members of other independent agencies but suggested that power has limitations at the Fed.
Chief Justice John Roberts has let President Donald Trump remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the latest in a string of high-profile firings allowed for now by the Supreme Court.
