By Paul Gable
With a little over a month to go until the general election in Novemember, Libertarian candidates Andrew Horning and Rupert Boneham understand they are nearing the finish line.
What they don’t understand is why they are being called “spoilers” in the respective races.
That kind of news is exciting for state Libertarian Party Executive Director Chris Spangle, who noted that this year’s election is something special.
“Very few cycles like 2012 come around,” Spangle said.
Last week news surfaced that Horning is polling close to 7 percent in his U.S. Senate race against Democrat Joe Donnelly and Republican Richard Mourdock and immediately officials with the G.O.P. said that Horning was a “spoiler” and was taking away votes from Mourdock.
“What are political parties anyway? Last time I checked, your vote belonged to you, not a political party. You would think that after 100 years, we’d know what the two-party system has gotten us,” Horning said.
Prior to Gov. Gary Johnson addressing approximately 600 students at IUPUI Thursday night, Horning told the gathering that the American public has gotten what they have chosen when it comes to representation by Republicans and Democrats.
“We have won the fight of ideology. It is okay to talk about the Constitution, it is okay to talk about limited government. We now have the government our Founding Fathers warned us about,” Horning said.
In a challenge to those wishing for the status quo, Horning said they are the ones who have the explaining to do.
“I am seeing a genuine disgust. We are right and we press the attack now,” Horning said.
Boneham, on the other hand, knows a thing or two about being in contests. As a contestant on the reality television show Survivor, Boneham won the hearts and votes of the general American public en route to winning the million dollar prize.
Much like Horning, Boneham also challenged the status quo.
“If you are not happy with the status quo, you work to change it,” Boneham said.
While he has been campaigning for a year-and-a-half, Boneham acknowledged it hasn’t always been easy.
“I didn’t understand what campaigning was when we began, but now I do. The toughest part has been teaching people my last name. I began as Rupert from Survivor and became Rupert for Governor. Now I am Rupert Boneham, Libertarian candidate for Governor. A year ago, I realized I could win and there are a lot of people I have met throughout Indiana who have thanked me for running. I truly am empowered,” Boneham said.
Boneham told those in attendance that he can relate to what it means to be a small business owner and he understands that the status quo will “bury us.”
“We are the answer. Let’s bring back common sense,” Boneham said.