‘One party with two jerseys’: Former Evergreen professor Bret Weinstein outlines plan to take over Libertarian Party

Evolutionary biologist and podcast host Bret Weinstein said his new American Liberty Party aims to break the hold of the Republican and Democratic parties by taking over the Libertarian Party and using its ballot access.

Weinstein, a former Evergreen State College professor who co-hosts the “DarkHorse” podcast with his wife, Heather Heying, joined “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio to explain the effort. He said the country is on a dangerous path but can still change course.

“It’s going to be a struggle, but I can’t see that there’s any alternative,” Weinstein said.

‘A second party,’ not a third

Weinstein rejected the idea that the American Liberty Party is a third party, arguing that the two major parties function as one.

“We do effectively have one party with two jerseys, so this is a second party,” he said. “I’m not a fan of parties to begin with, but our system requires that we have them in order to function politically.”

KIRO host John Curley asked about a recent “DarkHorse” episode in which Weinstein told Heying he had kept details of the project from her out of concern for her safety. Weinstein said he didn’t lie to her but left the details vague on purpose, so no one would have reason to target her.

He said he still believes those behind a successful challenge to the two-party system could face danger.

“There are trillions of dollars at stake in the power in our system, and people certainly kill for less,” Weinstein said.

Weinstein says power stays the same regardless of who wins

Weinstein argued that elections may change the style of government but rarely change who holds real power. He said he voted in the most recent election against new wars, especially one with Iran, but ended up with one anyway.

“There is something about our system in which corrupting forces remain in power irrespective of who the politicians are that are in the seats,” he said.

He described the American Liberty Party as an emergency coalition rather than a party built around specific policies, with the single goal of putting Americans’ interests ahead of moneyed interests in Washington.

“Our political differences don’t really matter as long as the system is hostile to us as Americans,” Weinstein said.

The ‘lesser of two evils’ trap

Curley asked Weinstein to explain how choosing the lesser of two evils can backfire. Weinstein said fear of the other side keeps voters loyal to parties that no longer serve them.

“We are being held captive by a puzzle,” he said. “The people on the blue side fear the red boogeyman, and the people on the red side fear the blue mob.”

In his view, the most powerful voter is one who is willing to vote but withholds support until a candidate earns it.

“If my vote is available, but I won’t give it to you unless you actually take care of my interests when you get into office, then I’m in a position to dictate terms,” Weinstein said.

He also pushed back on the idea that voting outside the major parties wastes a vote.

“When I voted for major parties, I have thrown away my vote because they don’t cater to my interests,” he said.

The plan: Take over the Libertarian Party

Weinstein said the biggest barrier for any new party is getting on the ballot, which he described as expensive and difficult in most states. The Libertarian Party has already cleared that hurdle, he noted, but in his view hasn’t recently put forward a candidate worth voting for.

“So, the plan is to effectively take over the Libertarian Party, relaunch it, reimagine it so that it is not a debating society, but it is a functional political party, and utilize that ballot access to actually move into the system with a great deal of power,” Weinstein said.

Because the Libertarian Party is relatively small, he argued, a large number of people investing modest time and effort could reshape it. If voters are alarmed enough about issues like the coming AI revolution, he said, the party could win outright. If not, it could still swing close contests.

“If you want our votes, you have to cater to the interests of the American public. And if you don’t, we will spoil your party,” he said.

Weinstein said he would like U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie to be the party’s candidate. He described Massie as sympathetic to the effort but said whether he joins depends on the party showing it can draw significant support.

Liberty as the core value

Weinstein asked supporters to sign up on the party’s website and argued that liberty should appeal to people across the political spectrum, including those focused on helping people the system has failed.

“You want them liberated by a system that actually takes care of them,” he said. “So, no matter who you are, liberty should be the core value.”

Asked about the dung beetle sculpture on his desk, Weinstein said it reminds him that the world is full of overlooked wonders worth protecting.

“The world is an amazing place; it’s well worth saving,” he said. “And let’s fix our problems, frankly, so that we can go back to looking at the marvelous things that are taking place all around us.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to The John Curley Show weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jcurleyshow