Anyone familiar to the world of internet politics knows of the burgeoning communities for out-of-the-way groups and ideologies. Like tiny subterranean creatures, one needs only to search under the rocks of mass media and internet salons to find them. From the satirical (like activist “Vermin Supreme’s” following) to the disconcerting (such as radical anarchists or embittered paleo conservatives), there is a hive of bizarre stances and incoherent arguments to be found. However, I doubt any such parties are like the Transhumanist Party—a group so small, yet so refreshingly moderate—to warrant at least some mainstream attention.

The Transhumanist Party (but not the movement) was founded by Zoltan Istvan, a futurist and eccentric man who toured the nation in a giant “immortality bus” that is made to look like a coffin. Zoltan was running to be the US President on a platform calling for (among other things) campaign finance reform, more investment in education and science research, and a Transhumanist Bill of Rights for humans and other “future advanced sapient beings like conscious robots and cyborgs.” Some parts of his platform are surprisingly mainstream (like reducing the prison population and reforming immigration policies) to the more… interesting, such as advocating for “morphological freedom” and the implementation of “partial direct democracy”. His personal campaign site has a button for campaign donations that redirects to a page talking about how he doesn’t accept such gestures, as his platform is dedicated to the curtailing of lobbying and similar acts of campaign finance abuse. He has enjoyed some coverage from “alternative” media outlets such as VICE Motherboard and Gizmodo, and has even enjoyed some attention from the BBC. Though it is overwhelmingly obvious that he cannot become the president of the United States in the near future, it is refreshing to see that such an engaging man is at least trying to capture the hearts and minds of others. For those of us dissatisfied with the current two party system, the Transhumanist Party provides a breath of some long overdue fresh air. Even better, it seems far less divisive than our current politics—a trait that will hopefully be adopted by other candidates and parties in the future.