Incumbents get all the money from lobbyists and donors. The two main parties usually are successful in keeping the other parties out of debates. It is an uphill battle but those types of battles are what brought us independence, freedom for slaves, votes for women, and civil rights for minorities.

Libertarians are classic liberals. They want the constitution followed, the Federal government out of our lives, and the people free. The constitution does not support or allow a huge part of the massive bureaucracy that our government has become. Our Federal government spends about 21% of our national GDP currently. Until 1950ish that percentage was consistently about 3%. I'll argue that things are worse for it.

Unfortunately history tells us that governments always slowly and surely take the freedoms of their citizens. It is a grinding creep toward totalitarianism so few people catch it. The founders knew this and the second amendment was their poison pill. Once it is gone our time is up because we will no longer have a means to hold the government at bay.

The government bureaucracy is only concerned with its own survival and power and will seek to enact programs and rules to strengthen its grip on the people. Much of that massive rise in spending as a portion of GDP is a means to that end. I hope people will wake up and see what is happening but I am not particularly optimistic.