Libertarian Gary Johnson’s supporters found a savvy way to support their favorite presidential candidate. A new FEC filing showed a Super PAC created by political activist Matt Kibbe, whose AlternativePAC has spent $30,000 on new advertisements for Johnson. As a small government advocate, Kibbe’s harnessing the power of the internet through the use of memes.
These days, presidential candidates frequently use social media to enhance their campaigns through a largely organic process. Using PAC money to create memes could be seen as unorthodox, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with doing so. AlternativePAC was created in June, but the meme purchase is the first major act by the PAC. Kibbe said in an interview with Reason.com that he started the PAC because he believes Johnson has a real chance of making an impact this election season:
“I have been talking to donors for several weeks as the reality of a Trump vs. Clinton ticket really sunk in. There is real interest in the Libertarian ticket, and Gary Johnson has an historic opportunity. The potential is bigger, I think, than just a ‘libertarian moment; Done well, we can trigger a political realignment that’s been brewing for a long time … For the first time, millions of voters will Google the word ‘libertarian’ in their quest to find a better political choice.”
In a time when Donald Trump is constantly dominating the headlines through his own sound bites, other political candidates may have to do their best to stand out in a crowded field. But in a world where Trump gets his publicity for free as a walking internet meme, dropping $30,000 for the same (actually, a lesser) effect seems, well, expensive.