|
![]() |
|
Sapere Aude
Join Date: Jun 2001
Casino cash: $18037
|
The GOP Doesn’t Have a Libertarian Problem
The GOP Doesn’t Have a Libertarian Problem
A friend shared this interesting post with me the other day. Basically, with Romney losing the election and the Republicans trying to blame everybody but themselves, the question of the party having a “libertarian problem” arises. The author makes a couple of points that are worth considering. Mitt Romney ran against libertarian ideals. There was almost literally nothing libertarian about the GOP’s presidential ticket. They ran on a platform of government a little smaller than the Democrats would prefer. Expand the war on drugs. Expand globally with aggressive (“preventative”) war. Expand spending. Balance the budget at some point in the distant future. None of that sounds libertarian because none of that is libertarian. The GOP has to have libertarians before it can have a libertarian problem. In the Senate, they’ve got Rand Paul. Mike Lee isn’t so bad, either. In the House, there are a handful of decent members, but only 1 that I’d trust to make the right stand, no matter what. (I’m looking at you, Justin Amash.) That’s not much of a libertarian presence in Congress. In the presidential race, there were two libertarians. One, the Good Doctor, was mocked and ridiculed. Ironically, that was still a better than his treatment in the 2008 campaign. The other candidate, Gary Johnson, wasn’t just pushed to the side; he was shoved all the way into the Libertarian Party. He was a two-term Republican governor with a history of cutting government, balancing budgets, and vetoing stupid bills. And the GOP wanted nothing to do with him. Truly, before they can have a libertarian problem, the GOP needs to have libertarians. Maybe they’ll come around for 2014 and 2016. Should we hold our breath while we wait? http://www.unitedliberty.org/article...tarian-problem |
Posts: 61,330
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
In Search of a Life
Join Date: Aug 2008
Casino cash: $34597
|
The libertarian movement is terrific for shaping the direction of the party. The problem comes when they go on crusades to speak their ideology. I know a lot of moderates who refused to vote Republican because of a few diehard libertarians who always insist on jamming their ideology down their throat.
|
Posts: 31,189
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 | |
Akhilandeswari
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: In Partibus Infidelium
Casino cash: $37580
|
Quote:
|
|
Posts: 43,627
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 | |
For The Glory Of The City
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Kansas City
Casino cash: $13868
|
Quote:
|
|
Posts: 47,161
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 | |
Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Casino cash: $5180
|
Quote:
|
|
Posts: 803
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 | |
In Search of a Life
Join Date: Aug 2008
Casino cash: $34597
|
Quote:
Don't pretend this isn't part of the image problem. This part of the party has made the right seem horribly unsympathetic to the poor. And unappreciative of teachers and cops. And it helped raise a stink about public funding for birth control that should never have been an election issue. Again, it is terrific to move the right in a fiscal conservative direction with liberal principles. But there is a reason this is a niche movement versus a mainstream one. |
|
Posts: 31,189
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 | |
Independent Moderate
Join Date: Mar 2010
Casino cash: $22875
|
Quote:
|
|
Posts: 12,246
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 | |
In Search of a Life
Join Date: Aug 2008
Casino cash: $34597
|
Quote:
Minimalist government is an interesting direction, but absolute minimalism isn't populist and it never will be. I admire libertarians for their passion and sticking to their core beliefs. But it's not a formula that will ever win elections. |
|
Posts: 31,189
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Be HEALED!!!!!!!
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Pale(Chloros) ville
Casino cash: $23281
|
That's fine, we can have endless versions of Obama because the GOP doesn't really stand far away from those positions. The Republican party has lost it's way, Mitt Romney really? He could have run as the Democrat and no one would have noticed.
__________________
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father ... And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." "If the people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." - Thomas Jefferson |
Posts: 27,383
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 | ||
Bucs, Pats, Noles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: None of your business
Casino cash: $70063
|
Quote:
You also paint with a broad brush. I have a commie relative who jams her Facebook wall with bashing Republicans and hailing Obama. She even links Daily Kos and Move On.org articles and puts them on the Timeline of others. The ones that were Paul supporters did none to very little of that...and there were more than a few. Quote:
In addition to that gains were made by Paul-type candidates at the state level too. The Ron Paul movement is in ascendency. You also need to understand process. Such as the ability to form coalitions as I showed above. Then in terms of reducing the size of the govt—exactly why we have this "fiscal cliff" and deficit. Really, that's what you're supporting with your argument. More of the same. We didn't get into this massive burgeoning nanny and police state overnight, although the last ten years has dramatically sped things up. We are getting excessive law breaking by recent presidents, SC justices re-writing bills and even elsewhere. So libertarian views need to aired and considered if the direction of the country is just going to move back to a moderate amount again. Or we are finished. Process matters. Other than that, including the gloating by the Democrats, who were far more united and excited about their candidate, the people voted for the status quo. They'd rather stick with the devil they know than choose a candidate that didn't offer much different and as seen as not having principles. In short, just your kind of guy.
__________________
![]() “Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked about such a thing.” ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower |
||
Posts: 98,274
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 |
Bucs, Pats, Noles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: None of your business
Casino cash: $70063
|
Seriously, Brainiac, this at least is a message board with a designated political forum. That's where it's supposed to be done. For some reason it's only okay when it's the mainstream candidates. Everyone here is jamming what they think down each other's throats, so why not let us. This tells me more is needed.
__________________
![]() “Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked about such a thing.” ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Posts: 98,274
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 |
Bucs, Pats, Noles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: None of your business
Casino cash: $70063
|
”Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Martin Luther King
__________________
![]() “Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked about such a thing.” ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Posts: 98,274
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 | ||
In Search of a Life
Join Date: Aug 2008
Casino cash: $34597
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
Posts: 31,189
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 | |
A huge dick
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Where the hell is SNR
Casino cash: $55849
|
Quote:
If you mean prior to that, sure I can see. |
|
Posts: 71,839
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 | ||
Bucs, Pats, Noles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: None of your business
Casino cash: $70063
|
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
![]() “Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked about such a thing.” ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower |
||
Posts: 98,274
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|