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Ohio is not a swing state, not any longer. Donald Trump won it by eight points, twice. It has a Republican governor, and while its senators are split between the parties, its U.S. House delegation is made up of 10 Republicans and five Democrats. And yet Ohio just passed an abortion-rights referendum by a margin of more than 13 points.

Theres no way to spin this result. Theres no way to spin every other pro-choice result in every other red-state referendum. The pro-life movement is in a state of electoral collapse, and I think I know one reason.

In the eight years since the so-called New Right emerged on the scene and Trump began to dominate the Republican landscape, the Republican Party has become less libertarian but more libertine, and libertinism is ultimately incompatible with a holistic pro-life worldview.

Im not arguing that the pro-choice position is inherently libertine. There are many millions of Americans including pro-choice Republicans who arrive at their position through genuine philosophical disagreement with the idea that an unborn child possesses the same inherent worth as anyone else. But Ive seen Republican libertinism with my own eyes. I know that it distorts the culture of the Republican Party and red America.

The difference between libertarianism and libertinism can be summed up as the difference between rights and desires. A libertarian is concerned with her own liberty but also knows that this liberty ends where yours begins. The entire philosophy of libertarianism depends on a healthy recognition of human dignity. A healthy libertarianism can still be individualistic, but its also deeply concerned with both personal virtue and the rights of others. Not all libertarians are pro-life, but a pro-life libertarian will recognize the humanity and dignity of both mother and child.

A libertine, by contrast, is dominated by his desires. The object of his life is to do what he wants, and the object of politics is to give him what he wants. A libertarian is concerned with all forms of state coercion. A libertine rejects any attempt to coerce him personally, but hes happy to coerce others if that gives him what he wants.

Donald Trump is the consummate libertine. He rejects restraints on his appetites and accountability for his actions. The guiding principle of his worldview is summed up with a simple declaration: I do what I want. Any movement built in his image will be libertine as well.

Trumps movement dismisses the value of personal character. It mocks personal restraint. And its happy to inflict its will on others if that achieves what it wants. Libertarianism says that your rights are more important than my desires. Libertinism says my desires are more important than your rights, and this means that libertines are terrible ambassadors for any cause that requires self-sacrifice.

I dont think the pro-life movement has fully reckoned with the political and cultural fallout from the libertine right-wing response to the Covid pandemic. Here was a movement that was loudly telling women that they had to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, with all the physical transformations, risks and financial uncertainties that come with pregnancy and childbirth, at the same time that millions of its members were also loudly refusing the minor inconveniences of masking and the low risks of vaccination even if the best science available at the time told us that both masking and vaccination could help protect others from getting the disease.

Even worse, many of the same people demanded that the state limit the liberty of others so that they could live how they wanted. Florida, for example, banned private corporate vaccine mandates.

This do-what-you-want ethos cost a staggering number of American lives. A 2022 study found that there were an estimated 318,981 vaccine-preventable deaths from January 2021 to April 2022. Vaccine hesitancy was so concentrated in Republican America that political affiliation was more relevant than race and ethnicity as an indicator of willingness to take the vaccine. Now theres evidence from Ohio and Florida that excess mortality rates were significantly higher for Republicans than Democrats after vaccines were widely available.

And this is the party thats now going to tell American women that respect for human life requires personal sacrifice?

Its not just that libertinism robs Republicans of moral authority; its that libertinism robs Republicans of moral principle. The pro-life movement could fail so decisively in Ohio only if Republicans voted against abortion restrictions. The same analysis applies to the movements ballot referendum losses in pro-Trump states like Kansas, Montana and Kentucky.

In each state, all the pro-life movement needed was consistent Republican support, and it would have sailed to victory. All the Democrats in the state could have voted to protect abortion rights, and they would have lost if Republicans held firm. But they did not.

Do as I say and not as I do is among the worst moral arguments imaginable. A holistic pro-life society requires true self-sacrifice. It asks women to value the life growing inside of them even in the face of fear and poverty. It asks the community to rally beside these women to keep them and their children safe and to provide them with opportunities to flourish. It requires both individuals and communities to sublimate their own desires to protect the lives and opportunities of others.

As the Republican Party grows more libertine, the pro-life movement is going to keep losing. Of course, its going to keep losing with Democrats and independents, many of whom have always been skeptical of pro-life moral and legal arguments. But its also going to lose in the Republican Party itself, a party that is increasingly dedicated to outright defiance.

An ethos that centers individuals desires will bleed over into matters of life and death. It did during Covid, and its doing so now, as even Republicans reject the pro-life cause.

The challenge for pro-life America isnt simply to raise more money or use better talking points. As Republican losses in Virginia demonstrate, advocating even a relatively mild abortion ban a 15-week law, not a so-called heartbeat six-week bill is fraught. The challenge is much more profound. Pro-life America has to reconnect with personal virtue. It has to model self-sacrifice. It has to show, not just tell, America what it would look like to value life from conception to natural death.

At present, however, the Republican Party is dominated by its id. It indulges its desires. And so long as its id is in control, the pro-life movement will fail. There is no selfish path to a culture of life.

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Opinion | The New Republican Party Isn't Ready for the Post-Roe World - The New York Times

In the chill of November 1969, a collective heartbeat resonated through the United States. The March Against Death, a historic moment in the anti-war movement, drew over half a million Americans to the heart of Washington, DC, demanding an end to the Vietnam War. As we reflect on the echoes of that pivotal weekend 54 years later, it becomes painfully clear that the cry for peace still rings in our conscience. Today, in the face of continued conflict, the Libertarian Party emerges as the modern-day torchbearer, standing alone in its unwavering call for a moratorium on war.

The March Against Death remains etched in history as a poignant expression of national unity against the backdrop of a divisive war. It was a time when people from all walks of life, fueled by grief and determination, came together to demand change. Today, as we navigate a world still embroiled in conflict, the spirit of those marchers lives on in the Libertarian Party.

Over the past 54 years, the landscape of American politics has witnessed the rise and fall of administrations, yet one unfortunate constant endures: both Republicans and Democrats have repeatedly voted to send our sons and daughters into wars that often have little to do with our own national defense. From Vietnam to the Middle East, the cycle persists, and the toll on American lives and global stability is immeasurable.

In this sea of bipartisan Warhawks, the Libertarian Party stands as a solitary voice advocating for an end to our involvement in wars. Rooted in the principles of individual liberty and non-intervention, our values challenge the status quo, offering a vision of a nation that prioritizes diplomacy over aggression. As the only political force echoing the sentiments of the March Against Death, the Libertarian Party shoulders the responsibility of carrying the torch for peace into the 21st century.

Looking forward, the Libertarian Party is gearing up for a series of anti-war events across the country in 2024. These gatherings will serve as platforms for like-minded individuals to rally against unnecessary conflicts, echoing the sentiments of the historic march that shook the nation in 1969. Its a call to action, a plea for a return to a foreign policy that values human lives over geopolitical posturing.

As we reflect on the legacy of the March Against Death, let us rally behind our Partys call for a stop to war. In 2024, let our voices be heard, demanding an end to the needless sacrifice of our sons and daughters on foreign soil. Visit lp.org/donate and contribute to a cause that seeks to reshape our nations approach to global conflicts. Together, let us carry forward the torch of peace from one generation to the next, ensuring that the cry for an end to war remains an eternal anthem for a better, more harmonious world.

So, are you already against the next war?

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From the March Against Death to the Libertarian Cry for Peace - Libertarian Party

EVANSVILLE Across the Hoosier prairies, hills and hollers, as the cornfields morphed into city limits and neighborhoods, something beautiful occurred Tuesday night.

There were elections in more than 100 cities and towns. There were some 250 or so candidates for mayor from the Republican, Democrat, Libertarian parties, as well as some independents and write-ins. More than half of them lost.

And in nearly all the races that Ive monitored, those candidates who came up short at the ballot box conceded.

There were no charges of rigged or stolen elections. Thats because Americas election process worked. It did Tuesday with only a few hitches. Like it did in 2020 and 2016.

There is no sugar coating an election loss. It stings. Or as Adlai Stevenson acknowledged after one of his two losses to Dwight Eisenhower, he quoted Abraham Lincoln who said, He was too old to cry, but it hurt too much to laugh.

In Carmel, Democrat Councilman Miles Nelson lost to Republican Sue Finkam 57-42%. When he conceded two hours after the polls closed, Nelson said, Because of you, we have moved the needle in this community. We showed this community that a choice is good. This community is going to continue to be a phenomenal place to live.

There was a much closer race in Fort Wayne, where Democrat Mayor Tom Henry narrowly defeated Councilman Tom Didier by just 1,700 votes. It was a rematch from a city council race 20 years ago where the Republican won, launching Henry on a path that would bring him a record five consecutive mayoral wins in Indianas second largest city.

About three hours after the polls closed, Didier called Henry to congratulate him on the win. Henry said that in turn he thanked Didier for a spirited and professional campaign. The two agreed to meet to discuss Didiers ideas for the city in a future meeting.

I worked tirelessly 16 hours every day working on this campaign for over two years, Didier said. I gave it my all. I have to accept it and move on.

And then Didier turned up at Mayor Henrys victory party, with WANE-TV capturing the moment where the vanquished Republican could be seen talking to the mayors wife Cindy, offering his congratulations and shaking her hand

Here in Evansville, a century after Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon D.C. Stephenson rose up from this city to lead a racist takeover of the state of Indiana, voters on Tuesday elected Stephanie Terry the first Black woman as mayor.

Honestly, its surreal. I never believed an African American could really be in this position, Terry told WFIE-TV after she declared victory on a 49%-40% win over Republican Natalie Rascher, while Libertarian Michael Daugherty received 11% of the vote. The fact is our city is ready to move forward; that this city really is for everyone and that we can be inclusive.

Rascher told supporters, Its OK. It doesnt matter what position you hold, to be a leader. And I know I will continue to be a leader in our community. I know all of these candidates over here will continue to be leaders in our community.

Rascher told her supporters how important it is to lose gracefully. My kids were sitting there, she said. I didnt want them crying and upset, you know, you win some, you lose some.

The late Kansas Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Dole said after he lost to President Bill Clinton, Sure, losing an election hurts, but Ive experienced worse. And at an age when every day is precious, brooding over what might have been is self-defeating. In conceding the 1996 election, I remarked that tomorrow will be the first time in my life I dont have anything to do. I was wrong. Seventy-two hours after conceding the election, I was swapping wisecracks with David Letterman on his late-night show.

Across Indiana, the notion rigged elections and the cruelty of social media has sent a shiver through the process. There were almost 40 uncontested mayoral races this year, including cities like Kokomo, Jeffersonville, Hammond and Elkhart. Many of these cities had had competitive mayoral races in recent cycles.

Ive been covering politics for 40 years, and I cannot recall this many uncontested mayoral races in a cycle.

Mayor-elect Finkam noted in a social media after her October debate with Nelson in which she was asked to denounce the Moms for Liberty group, This is why people dont run for public office. Ive been called a nazi, racist and money hungry whore, and followed by a person with a camera, since I would not bend to my opponents theatrics.

Theatrics aside, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson once said, We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.

President Abraham Lincoln once observed, Elections belong to the people. Its their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.

The Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., the late president of the University of Notre Dame, observed, Voting is a civic sacrament.

Brian Howey is senior writer and columnist for Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs. Find Howey on Facebook and Twitter @hwypol.

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The beauty of democracy: Concessions of the vanquished - Journal Review

Election Day is nearly here, and when voters head to the ballots, they may notice fewer choices than usual.

Since 2020, third-party candidates have had a difficult time appearing on the ballot, and those changes are now being felt on the national level too.

Third-party candidates have always played a role in presidential elections, but the nations two-party system is often an impossible hurdle to climb.

Since 1900, only five third-party candidates have captured at least one electoral vote, one of those being George Wallace in 1968.

"The Electoral College system really makes it so that any vote not for one of the two major parties, you're running the risk of sort of throwing your vote away on a candidate that isn't going to win. And if everyone sort of follows that logic, then it really becomes difficult for anyone but the two major parties to have a real shot," said Jonathan Parent, associate professor of political science at Le Moyne College.

That impact is now being felt on the local level as well across New York state. Since 2020, the number of third parties that can appear on the ballot has dropped from six to two.

The change effectively eliminated the Green, Libertarian and Independence parties from the ballots,leaving the Democratic, Republican, Working Families and Conservative parties on the ballot.

But thats not the only challenge.

"The signature requirements are a lot higher than they used to be, and the vote totals for president and governor in order to stay on the ballot have also gone up quite a bit. And so really in the last four, three or four years, New York state's made it quite a bit harder for third parties to get on the ballot in the first place, said Parent.

Statewide third party candidates need 45,000 signatures on a petition to get on the ballot triple the previous requirement.The highest statewide candidate must get 130,000 votes or 2% of votes cast to maintain ballot status for the next two years.Parties must also qualify every two years instead of four. But despite these challenges, roughly half of Americans believe a third party is needed, according to a Pew Research Center study.

"I think a lot of that has to do with most people's expectations that the 2024 election is really going to be a rematch between two pretty unpopular candidates, Trump and Biden. And I think that's just really making people anxious to look around for sort of another third option," said Parent.

Ross Perot was the first third-party candidate to participate in a televised debate with the two major candidates.

At this point, though, Robert Kennedy is not expected to be invited to any future debates.

Locally, in Broome County, District Attorney Mike Korchak lost his Republican primary in 2019, only to run as a Libertarian and win in the general election. But after losing the primary this year, he no longer had that option.

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Can a third-party candidate win? New York has made it harder - Spectrum News

Democrat incumbent Del. Shelly Simonds won the election for the newly drawn House District 70 Tuesday night, fending off two challengers.

Simonds faced challenges from Libertarian candidate Michael Bartley and Republican Matt Waters for the House of Delegates District 70 seat.

The Associated Press called the race for Simonds at 8:25 p.m. Tuesday. With 89% of the precincts reporting, Simonds held 52.9% of the vote compared to Waters 44% and Bartleys 3.2%.

In 2020, Simonds was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 94. But after redistricting, she ran as the incumbent candidate for District 70, which encompasses swaths of western and northwestern Newport News.

Im thrilled, Simonds said of her victory Tuesday night. Its been the honor of my life to serve. And Im just so happy that I get to continue some of the projects that Ive started. Im excited to continue work to make teaching the best profession in Virginia, to fight human trafficking, to pass a bill to reduce out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer screenings. I am so grateful to the voters for giving me the chance to continue this important work for my community.

Simonds, 56, said previously that if reelected she would push for reform in laws and policies governing railroad safety, human trafficking prevention and environmental justice to to keep our communities safe from crime and toxic chemicals. She said she hopes to pass a railroad safety law requiring trains to have two crew members on board to better address any emergencies on the tracks and has promised to introduce a bill requiring elementary school teachers to receive a 30 minute lunch break.

Challengers Bartley, 45, and Waters, 56, both said issues surrounding education and school policies were of top concern.

When asked what piece of legislation he would most like to see passed in the next General Assembly session, Bartley, the Libertarian, said funding for students instead of schools, such as funding to provide backpacks to K-12 students.

Waters hed like to see vouchers for up to $18,500 per child available so parents can enroll students in the school of their choice.

Colin Warren-Hicks, 919-818-8138, colin.warrenhicks@virginiamedia.com

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com.

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Virginia House District 70 winner: Shelly Simonds The Virginian-Pilot - The Virginian-Pilot