Amid the political turmoil that has the country divided into liberal left and conservative right, moderate seems to be the sole logical solution.

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate for the 2016 presidential election is the only choice for those wishing to save the U.S. from tyrannical alternatives. He offers a socially liberal and fiscally conservative platform which many people can stand behind.

Johnson isn’t like the bigwigs of this country. He promotes proper economic prosperity, government checks and balances as well as liberty for everyone.

His popularity allows this generation of college students to break free from the two-party system, and embrace freedom from political identity to elect the right person for the job. The presidency can no longer be determined by political favors or a billion-dollar bank account.

The polls for the Libertarian candidate are quickly climbing with college students from ages 18 to 34, reaching a national average of 15 percent since he clinched the nomination in March.

Overall, he has averaged around 10 percent for the past month between all age gaps nationwide. That’s just shy of the 15 percent needed to participate in the presidential debates.

The good news is that the national awareness for Johnson is climbing.  In an interview with John Harwood of CNBC, Johnson honestly answered the most controversial topics of today including the legalization of marijuana, immigration, taxation and climate change.

Additionally, Johnson is a supporter of constitutional rights and an advocate of sound economic growth.

His strongest opposition is Hillary Clinton, who currently controls the polls with 40 percent and has been under federal investigation for more than half of her campaign.  Moreover, Donald Trump, who is also under investigation for numerous fraudulent businesses, is also far from the ideal candidate.

I don’t think both are the kind of leader the American people need.

Although Clinton advocates for necessary social reform such as racial and gender equality, she has a track record of corruption through her experience as the secretary of state and in the Clinton Foundation.

As a businessman, Trump may know how to negotiate contracts and lead with strength. He also may speak his mind without a political filter, but the fire he ignited has begun to die down.

Jill Stein of the Green Party may only be considered as a corruption-free and environment-first Clinton, but she is still trying to take away votes from Johnson.  To be honest, her polls are hardly considerable.

At the end of the day, Americans see the presidential race as picking the better of two evils.  We do this because that is what we were raised to believe that there are the Republicans and Democrats, left and right, liberal and conservative. That’s it.

This is simply not the case.

We have a right and responsibility to choose whomever the best candidate is for the job regardless of party lines or financial prominence.

Johnson is not just an option: He is the only one.

Opinion columnist John Brucato is a economic senior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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“Picking Libertarian is the smart choice for voters” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar