Mike Gravel, a former senator and 2008 Libertarian presidential candidate, told an audience of about 20 students in Textor Hall on Monday that representative democracy isn’t working — and the only way to fix it is to take action.

“I know representative government is broken,” Gravel said. “You have to believe you’re powerful [to change it].”

The lifelong Democrat, who represented Alaska for 12 years in the U.S. Senate, was booted from the Democratic debates by NBC early in the presidential race. NBC’s parent company, General Electric, said Gravel did not meet the criteria for participating in the debates. Gravel, who in the past weeks has publicly said he is fed up with his lack of media coverage and being otherwise “marginalized,” announced last week he would run on the Libertarian ticket.

“I’ve very much been a misfit in the Democratic Party,” Gravel said.

He said he has no ill will towards the idea of the traditional Democratic Party but does not like what it has become today.

“I have rancor towards it as a war party, and I didn’t want to be a part of that,” Gravel said.

Gravel said he had mixed feelings about leaving the Democrats but has always felt he’s more of a Libertarian.

“It was [difficult to leave] in a sense you get attached to a label and you have a certain loyalty to that party,” Gravel said.

At the same time, he said he has views that are really Libertarian, which made the Democratic party a difficult fit for him.

Gravel said he entered the race as a Democrat because he wanted to be included in the debates, unlike Ralph Nader, who has run as a third party candidate every year he has run for president.

Still, Gravel said he didn’t get much airtime.

“I only got four minutes in the debates,” he said. “But if you watch those four minutes, I made the most of them.”

Gravel said he has spent only $350,000 on his campaign, much less than any other candidate.

He said other candidates see him as a threat, which is why none of them spoke up when he was barred from participating in the debates.

“They’re scared to death of me,” he said.

Gravel said he didn’t have to change his platform when he became a Libertarian, despite the fact that two of his key issues ­­— universal health care and higher spending for public education — contradict traditional Libertarian beliefs.

Another key aspect of his platform involves Americans voting directly on legislative policy.

“Freedom is participation, and participation is power,” Gravel said. “We don’t share actual power. If you have no ability to make laws, you’re not free.”

The IC Democrats hosted Gravel’s visit to the college, but it was his campaign staff that organized the entire event.

Junior Brittany Mason, president of IC Democrats, said she had been following the progress of Gravel’s campaign and was shocked when his staff contacted her.

“I was very excited,” Mason said. “It was right after he just announced he was running for president again on the Libertarian ticket, so it was more of a coup.”

She said the event wasn’t confirmed until Monday morning, so there wasn’t much time to publicize.

Junior Liz Kratzer said she thought Gravel would draw a bigger crowd.

“A former senator and presidential candidate is visiting our campus — that’s a huge deal,” Kratzer said. “That’s disappointing to me that a lot of people didn’t know about this.”

Mason said she was happy with how many people showed up on short notice and felt Gravel’s visit showed a good alternative to college Democrats.

“As president of a Democrats club, a lot of people say Democrats aren’t liberal enough for them,” she said. “So I think a lot of Ithaca College students can relate to and appreciate his politics.”

Junior Elliott Feedore said he was glad he got the opportunity to see Gravel.

“You don’t get to hear much about him,” Feedore said. “I’m glad we’re getting a viable alternative on campus.”