RALEIGH (March 8) – Six of the leading contenders for the Libertarian Party’s nomination for President participated in an online debate sponsored by the Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC) and hosted by UNC-TV last night. Gary Johnson, Austin Petersen, Steve Kerbel, Darryl Perry, Jack Robinson, and John Mcafee each took turns outlining their respective proposals and, occasionally, mixing it up over their differences in response to a series of policy questions posed by moderator Barry Smith of the Carolina Journal.

The Libertarian Party of North Carolina announced the participants in the presidential candidates debate scheduled for March 7.  

Five of the 11 candidates who'll appear on the March 15 primary ballot have been invited to participate. They are the top five finishers in an online straw poll conducted by the LPNC: Gary Johnson of New Mexico, Steven Kerbel of Colorado, Darryl W. Perry of New Hampshire, Austin Petersen of Missouri, and Jack Robinson of South Carolina.

This is the only North Carolina-based presidential debate to be held prior to the primary election. It will be conducted via webcast on Google Hangouts On Air from 9 to 10:30 p.m. EST.

To watch the debate online, go to http://bit.ly/libertarian_debate.

Carolina Journal Associate Editor Barry Smith will moderate the debate from a location in Raleigh. Candidates will participate from locations across the nation.

The Libertarian Party of North Carolina urges voters to vote no on $2 billion Connect NC March 15.

“A bond is not free money,” the Libertarians said in a resolution passed unanimously by their executive committee. “It's a loan taken out with hefty interest that is left to the next generation to pay without their consent.”

“If an item is important enough then the state should budget for it, holding our elected officials accountable for the spending ...,” the resolution said.

The resolution also notes the bond will increase state government spending by an additional 10 percent of the entire state budget, but without the accountability that comes along with approving spending through a budget adoption process.

“Here's another example of the bait-and-switch tactic used by spending-addicted politicians,” said Brian Irving, LPNC vice chair. “The loan requests was originally introduced under the guise of needed transportation funding. But what's on the ballot is not actually for funding of transportation at all.”

The NC Green Party is organizing  a “political intervention” on the “broken two-party system” March 15. They're mobilizing volunteers to collect signatures on a petition to get on the ballot.

In their call to action, they say, “The Democrat-Republican corporate duopoly does not serve our needs. Over 28 percent of North Carolinians do not identify with either party. North Carolina needs more choices — choices that are not addicted to corporate money and the cycle of havoc it has caused.”

“Despite our disagreement on many issues, Libertarians and Greens have always been united in the fight for free elections,” said LPNC vice chair Brian Irving

“If every Libertarian got five signatures, we'd have an ally on the ballot to work with towards real debates, against media blackout of alternative views, and to challenge the status quo.”

“Here is a third reason for Libertarians to go to the polls March 15. Vote in the Libertarian presidential primary, vote against the bond, and help the Greens get on the ballot,” he said.

“Let's give the people of North Carolina real choices on election day.”

RSVP for the Green Ballot Day here.