How the libertarians could win big in the next six years

The Libertarian Party is a party of principle, and while that is almost invariably a positive thing, sometimes it does get in the way. If the Libertarian Party would run on the following platform, it could actually take away critical votes from both major parties in 2006 and 2008 in the congressional elections. Enough that it might actually be able to take some seats in Congress for the first time.

• An end to pork barrel spending and a return to a balanced budget.
• A national debt payment plan to get at least $50B of the national debt paid off every year.
• Strong national defense. Keep spending levels stable with the military, but create a respectable withdrawl plan from Iraq. Openly suggest that the Libertarian Party would be willing to preemptively strike Iran if it were to begin preparations for nuclear attacks on American soil.
• Close the borders, register the current illegal immigrants and begin deporting all illegal immigrants with a criminal record. Require that all unskilled workers leave after two years, but provide a solid and reasonable timeframe for skilled workers to become citizens. This would strike the balance between both the supporters of the illegal immigrants and those who are (rightfully) against their being here. According to a new poll, the libertarian party could actually gain major traction in the elections by grabbing onto this issue in a balanced way.
• Repeal the USA PATRIOT Act and support additional legislation that would require all counter-terrorism activities that take place in whole or in part on American soil to be vetted by the FISA Court.
• Support a constitutional amendment modeled on something like this :Marriage being a matter between private citizens, living according to the accepted standards of their communities, shall not be subjected to regulation by the United States Government except where such regulations may be necessary to control the conduct of civilian employees and members of the armed forces. No state shall be obligated to accept the marriage regulations of any other state, nor shall any state be required by federal regulations to establish legal standards for marriage except in such circumstances where the state law may attempt to coerce unwilling parties or individuals under the age of sixteen into a marriage agreement. No state shall deny the right of property ownership and management based upon the marriage status of any citizen of the United States of America.
• Push for a line item veto power and the end the practice of ear-marking altogether.
• Restore many of the property and privacy protections lost in the War on Drugs.

The key is that the Libertarian Party ought to present itself as a fresh alternative to the two major parties, while presenting itself as the party of the little guy who stands to be royally screwed by the powers that be. The LP would do well to realize that the immigration issue is one where libertarians are uniquely suited to create a comprehensive, principled position that creates responsible and controllable immigration policies that benefit the country. Small steps at first, then bigger steps once the public has gotten a taste for a party that could actually fix the system's problems.