Posted on 10/04/2009 12:13:44 PM PDT by Josh Painter
Sarah Palin enjoys considerable support among libertarian Republicans, and many libertarian independents are giving her a second look. Adam Brickley believes that the Sarah Palin John McCain scooped up out of Alaska to be his running mate was much more libertarian than the vice presidential candidate who had to support McCain's policy positions on the stump. What we are seeing now, says Brickley, is "more of the original, pre-McCain Sarah Palin":
"A lot has been said lately about the idea that Sarah Palin is positioning herself as a the libertarian in the 2012 field... This is exactly I have been saying for months, and exactly how I have seen a potential Palin run shaping up for years (VP run or no VP run)."Will Sarah Palin be able to bring libertarians and conservatives together to start rebuilding the coaltion that Ronald Reagan led to win two successive lopsided presidential election victories?
"So – that is my view of the brave new world of “Sarahtarianism” – which is really nothing more than the classic Sarah Palin finally emerging on the national stage. We’ll see just how libertarian she can get when we see her upcoming memoir Going Rogue, but I’m guessing that she will use that book to complete the transformation we’ve all been talking about."Some libertarians are still not comfortable with Palin, largely due to a perception that she is too close to the neoconservatives, as Phil Manger observed in an op-ed that was mostly supportive of the former governor:
"She was accompanied to Hong Kong by Randy Scheunemann, a foreign policy advisor to John McCain and advisor to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Scheunemann was also president of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, an organization that beat the drums for the Iraq invasion. Palin's pre-McCain-campaign views on Iraq were not very clear, although I got the impression she was harboring some doubts. I worry that she might be taken over and 'managed' by neocons, like she was during the campaign."But it was in that same Hong Kong speech that Sarah Palin said some things which should go a long way to allay such fears, according to Allen Caeden:
"Sarah Palin deliberately took numerous swipes at neo-conservatism in her Hong Kong speech. She gave the finger to George Bush’s 'compassionate conservatism' by using the term 'common-sense conservative' to describe herself, and she flat out rejected the golden egg of neo-conservatism which is to spread democracy around the world; she stated unequivocally that this is not the job of the United States. This was two fingers held up at once; one to George Bush and the other to the neo-conservatives in the Beltway."Her exact words were:
"I am not talking about some U.S.-led 'democracy crusade.' We cannot impose our values on other counties. Nor should we seek to. But the ideas of freedom, liberty and respect for human rights are not U.S. ideas, they are much more than that."Sarah's publisher promises that in her forthcoming book Going Rogue, she will present "her vision for an America that is strong, independent, and free." Reagan conservatives and libertarians alike are waiting to see if that vision resonates in both camps. We're betting that it will.
- JP
Sarah can win as a conservative Republican who believes government’s primary role is to preserve liberty and allow free people to prosper with as little hindrance from government as possible. She will go nowhere as a Libertarian. I know the left is desperate to split the Republican Party before 2012, and run an independent, Perot style, but beating Obama is too important a political goal for conservatives and Libertarians to allow that to happen. The only split I want to see happen is having pro American Democrats break from the NeoCom Bolsheviks that have taken over their party. Sarah is smart enough to know that the majority of Republicans are not of McCain’s ilk. Getting swept up in the myth of the Demopub/Republicrat, all party politics are the same nonsense is not something Sarah should do.
Why? Doesn't Sarah support legalizing drugs for all the freakin' potheads?
Actually, I believe the piling on by the mean spirited RINOs strengthens Sarah Palin's appeal with real America. A Republican candidate who isn't liked by the people who screwed up this country has a helluva lot to offer, imo.
Nobody said Reagan was a libertarian. However, he recognized how crucial libertarians were and how much influence they had on conservatives. Think of libertarianism as the skeleton of a human body, and conservatism the muscle.
Palin is not going to go around and foam at the mouth on the drug war, porn, pot, etc. Reducing the size and scope of government and fighting wars only when necessary are issues that libertarians and conservatives can agree with.
Do you want to win or not?
And that is precisely why the communist left and the global communist RINOs are teaming up to trash her.
Sarah is on the side of We the People; they are not.
Again Johnnie, you are not understanding the context of the thread.
Nobody is talking about Libertarianism, the Libertarian Party, or the stereotypes and misconceptions that are associated with Libertarianism.
The coalition that propelled Reagan to two landslides were a mixture of social conservatives, fiscal and small-gov't conservatives (i.e. libertarians) and national security hawks.
All Palin is doing is reuniting that coalition.
The LP has absolutely nothing to do with what Governor Palin is trying to accomplish.
It is truly stunning to see so many “conservatives” rally around Sarah Palin for her speeches. Her record as a conservative is spotted with pet boondoggle projects and quitting her governorship early. Admittedly, she gives good speeches and says things our Republican leaders don’t have the cajones to say, but that doesn’t make her the equivalent of Reagan. Reagan had a long career of fighting for conservatism before he became governor of a state with an economy that rivals most nations, and he didn’t quit early. As for Sarah Palin giving neo-cons the finger...she’s apparently taking foreign policy advice from Trent Lott and John McCain’s foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunenemann. So much for that theory. Sarah Palin is good at what she’s done lately - speak, but criminy, let’s keep it in perspective. I reserve the right to revise and extend my remarks if she throws McCain under the bus in “Going Rogue,” though.
yes, you are correct. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Happens a lot when libertarianism is brought up on FR.
That is perfectly in line with Adam Smith's view in The Wealth of Nations of the proper functions of government in a capitalist society.
Unfortunately, over the past couple of decades, the RINOs have sold their economic souls to the ghosts of David Ricardo, the hypocrite who preached Free Trade, all the while manipulating markets to enrich himself and buy himself a seat in Parliament. His policies devastated the British economy for much of the 1800s, and now the US economy is plunging toward the abyss for exactly the same reasons.
Agree whole-heartedly. If the LP'ers pull their noses out of Atlas Shrugged long enough to actually help out a bit, it would be nice, but I certainly wouldn't count on them. Ditto the Paulians.
We can argue amongst ourselves later, after the collectivists are turned back. It really is "us vs. them" right now. We need all the "us" we can get.
If you know the difference between libertarianism and anarchism, it is not evident from your posts. The rule of law is essential to libertarian philosophy. Without it there is no protection of property, no enforcement of contract. You are fighting a straw man.
bfl
Personally, I like the sound of it.
Sarah’s view on the war agains the IslamOfascists is the same as Bill Kristol, John Bolton, and other good Americans.
Ron Paul thinks Ahmadinejad and a nuclear Iran is no threat and we are looking for the boogie man so he says.
Thank goodness Sarah Palin is not in this libertarian - left wing progressive camp of cut and run.
“Shes closer the the Founding Fathers principles than anything weve seen in decades in this country.”
Bingo! Worth repeating, IMO.
Interested groups will try to identify her, making it easier to associate her with the errors of a particular group.
As she said in her final gubernatorial speech, she is supportive of candidates; dem, rep, or indy who are are the ‘right side’ of positions on the issues. Thus, neo-cons, RINOS, and lefty dems are filling their pants at the thought of her growing popularity. I love it.
think this fascination with Libertarianism is merely political nihilism....
Your post#26 was Spot On
Sarah Palin is a Conservative Republican, lives in the world of Reality not theory and wishful thinking as the
cut and run libertarians.
Nice piece, Josh! I agree 100%!
You are soooooo wrong!
I believe the ranks of independence have grown considerably. They are sick of both democrates and republicans. We’re waiting and watching, we know what we want and they will know to if they oppose the will of the people.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.