In an exclusive scoop, anonymous inside sources at the John Stossel show on Fox Business Network on cable TV have revealed that the Libertarian Party Presidential debate that the show has been promoting for tonight is actually an elaborate hoax. Stossel even went so far as to tape an actual debate with unsuspecting candidates Gary Johnson, John McAfee and Austin Petersen and a studio audience on March 29, and suckered their campaigns as well as the national and many local Libertarian Parties into promoting the show this evening. Many LP chapters have planned debate watch parties for tonight.
However, our sources have revealed that Stossel has no intention of airing the debate on his program. Instead, he will present a one on one interview with Rand Paul following Sen. Paul’s endorsement of Ted Cruz later today. Stossel will also be endorsing Sen. Cruz during the show and asking all libertarians to unite behind the Republican Senator from Texas.
I contacted my original source as to what happened. It turns out that Stossel resorted to airing the debate after all at the last minute. He had the segment with Rand Paul taped and ready to go, but Rand Paul then refused to endorse Cruz as planned. My source at FBN tells me that he or she believes that Rand Paul and possibly Stossel as well were bribed by someone aligned with Trump, perhaps Roger Stone, which left Stossel with nothing else to go with for the show except the debate.
Stone believes that, contrary to popular opinion, Libertarians are likely to take more votes that would otherwise go to Democrats vis a vis those that would otherwise go to Republicans, which is why he wants to promote the LP and give Trump an edge in the election. However, if anti-Trump forces look likely to prevail within the GOP, Stone has a plan B which involves packing the LP national convention and nominating Trump. The national LP membership spike in the last two months is mostly comprised of these stealth delegates recruited by Stone. If Trump has the Republican nomination wrapped up by late May, Stone will direct his delegates to give the nomination to someone who he believes will help Trump in the general election. If his polling finds that the leading candidates would hurt Trump, he will run a last minute NOTA campaign that will take everyone by surprise.
Yeah, especially in comparison with other debates – amount of commercial cuts stood out to me more than the program.
Minute-long speeches, nothing new (I thought), hopefully reached a good audience. Stossel said it was the first televised Libertarian debate. Johnson and McAfee did well.
After debate guy from Reason targets and paints McAfee as archetypal bad boy. (no opinion, I laughed, but just saying how it came across)
Petersen is the only one to say he is pro-life, McAfee and Johnson say it should be left up to the woman. All three candidates oppose the death penalty, with McAfee calling it barbaric.
Johnson: My first vote was for a Libertarian was for Bergland in Reagan’s second term.
The debate is over. Well, that was a quick. I think I watched more commercials than actual debate. Part two will air Friday, April 8th.
John McAfee: “I met Austin at a gay bar.” Laughter.
Petersen asks Johnson if a Jewish baker should be forced to bake a cake for a Nazi, Johnson answers, after some prodding from Stossel that “yes, that would be my contention.”
McAfee gets asked about his whole Belize drama, and Gary Johnson just went up and kissed McAfee on the cheek. Wow!
A link to a live stream of the debate that just started minutes ago can be found at the link below:
http://amthirdpartyreport.com/2016/04/01/libertarian-presidential-debate-streaming-live-on-fox-business-now/
Right, William. And I was not amused.
Aaron, this article was an April Fools’ Day joke.
I suppose given the lack of attention to this thread (or its potential existence as a ruse) that Independent Political Report will no longer be a source I use for political news. I’ll stick with Ballot Access News instead.
I’ve just gotten independent confirmation from an officer from the Libertarian Party that this is occurring. There’s no indication that it’s an April Fools hoax.
There was advertising on this before April 1 and a lot of libertarians are having watch parties for this. I’m trying to work on independent confirmation with folks, but are you sure?
If this is IPR doing its own gag, this is not appropriate.
So John, you have made your wager at the track on the establishment. You sir have no more credibility. Your bet is in and it is for the pro quo.
At worst, this creates confusion. At best, its a an un-funny joke.
Worse than stupid, this just defeats the purpose of this NEWS site. We already have the Onion.
Just send me off to a Rick-Roll, and be done with April Fools gag-articles, please.
Nice try, Wang. A little too obvious but…