Full Frontal brought cameras to the Libertarian Party's contentious convention. Hilarity ensued.

Two weeks ago, the Libertarian Party, "whose platform opposes all gun laws," held its presidential nominating convention in Orlando, Florida, Samantha Bee said on Monday's Full Frontal. It was a contested convention, Bee said, and Full Frontal was there to get a look at the 18 colorful candidates trying to be the party standard-bearer in what Libertarians hope could be their election. "All eyes are on us this year — as Libertarians, all we have to do is not screw it up," said candidate Austin Petersen, 35, whose pitch is: "I'd like to live in a world where gay married couples can protect their marijuana fields with fully automatic machine guns."

The goal of most of the candidates was to stop former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, "their white whale, the establishment LINO [Libertarian In Name Only] fighting for his life against a deep bench of party purists," Bee explained. In the debate, Johnson was booed for saying he would have voted for the Civil Rights Act, thinks the federal government needs some tax revenue, and supports driver's licenses. Johnson won on the second ballot, much to the chagrin of some. "I was hoping to make the Libertarian Party libertarian again, and they're nominating a Republican who smoked pot," James Weeks II, a candidate for Libertarian Party chairman, told Full Frontal. "That's all he is. He's not a Libertarian."

Replace "Libertarian" with "Democratic" or "Republican" and you might view this as a preview of the upcoming major party conventions in July. Or, just watch and enjoy a brief look at a party that's struggling to go just mainstream enough to win — no mater what Vermin Supreme has to say about it. Peter Weber

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