The Party’s Over

ONE MONTH ago, Andre Mar- rou won the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party, the third largest political party in America. Marrou believes that sometime in the next century, and sooner rather than later, the Libertarians will move up in the rankings. For now, he aims to top the party’s best showing so far (920,000 votes in 1980), and he expects to do it, at least in part, with the help of Republicans unhappy with George Bush.

I talked with Marrou ten days after his victory at the party’s Chicago convention. Marrou looks a bit like a bearded George McGovern. I found him—libertarians will excuse me— unexpectedly engaging and personable. Most libertarians, even those nominally in politics, present their beliefs in the manner of bright Catholic children of yore rattling off the Baltimore catechism. Marrou attempts to justify his ideas politically. Sometimes the justifications are fanciful, sometimes they are trenchant; sometimes they are both.

About the Author

Richard Brookhiser

Historian Richard Brookhiser is a senior editor of National Review and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute.

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ONE MONTH ago, Andre Mar- rou won the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party, the third largest political party in America. Marrou believes that sometime in the next century, and sooner rather than later, the Libertarians will move up in the rankings. For now, he aims to top the party’s best showing so far (920,000 votes in 1980), and he expects to do it, at least in part, with the help of Republicans unhappy with George Bush.

I talked with Marrou ten days after his victory at the party’s Chicago convention. Marrou looks a bit like a bearded George McGovern. I found him—libertarians will excuse me— unexpectedly engaging and personable. Most libertarians, even those nominally in politics, present their beliefs in the manner of bright Catholic children of yore rattling off the Baltimore catechism. Marrou attempts to justify his ideas politically. Sometimes the justifications are fanciful, sometimes they are trenchant; sometimes they are both.