Shawn Griffiths
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr
The Libertarian Party of California (LPCA) announced this week that independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr will be a guest speaker at the party's annual convention and will participate in its POTUS Candidate Panel along with Libertarian presidential candidates Dr. Michael Rectenwald and Mike ter Maat.
The LPCA Annual Presidential Convention will be the first time in the 2024 cycle a Libertarian Party affiliate opens its doors to a non-member to engage with its presidential candidates. But it also offers something US voters are not accustomed to seeing in the nation's hyper-partisan political environment -- open and substantiative discourse between opposing sides.
"The legacy parties are too intimidated to give any voices that don't fit their narrative a platform, which is why the Democrats have cancelled their debates. The Libertarian Party is not afraid of hearing from those with whom we don't always agree," said Adrian F Malagon, Chair of the Libertarian Party of California.
"In fact, Libertarians welcome free-flowing discourse with individuals who hold any number of dissimilar views. As such, we welcome the opportunity to have a conversation with and hear from RFK Jr."
The 2024 presidential election is primed to feature independent and third-party candidates in a way the US has not seen in over three decades. Kennedy is currently polling high enough not only to keep him in the conversation, but he could also be the first non-major party candidate since Ross Perot in 1992 to appear on the debate stage with the Republican and Democratic nominees.
The LPCA Annual Presidential Convention will be held at The Hilton Costa Mesa in Costa Mesa, California, between February 23-24. Kennedy will be the featured Saturday Luncheon Guest Speaker. Tickets for the event are available on the party's website for anyone interested in attending.