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Open Letter to Sarah Palin, Gary Johnson and the Libertarian Party
vanity | 4/16/2012 | mongrel

Posted on 04/16/2012 7:25:14 AM PDT by mongrel

I would appeal to Sarah Palin, Gary Johnson, and the Libertarian Party to make Sarah Palin the candidate for President at the Libertarian Party convention next month.

The Libertarian Party has never has a candidate that had a viable chance of winning. There is no reason to think that it will be different this year with Gary Johnson. Palin, however, has been vetted and would draw together a coalition of disenfranchised voters that would put her over the top above Romney and Obama. Romney has zero enthusiasm and hardly any group that could be considered his base. Only 25% of the country identifies as liberal and that is Obama's base. That leaves 40% enthusiastic conservatives as Palin's base which would join libertarians and Reagan Democrats to put her over the top. Palin's three groups of supporters would be enthusiastic, have great turnout, and get the mushy middle to join them. It would be the anti-establishment "cool" choice, rejecting the media and both "mainstream" political parties.

Gary Johnson would have a place in history as a king-maker rather than in a long list of forgettable 3rd party candidates. This coalition would pull together the core of what this country needs right now, a check on government power and corruption.

Palin is not the perfect fit for the Libertarian Party, but would provide significant support and movement for many of their goals. Neither Obama or Romney do that.

After the election, the establishment in both parties would be embarrassed and destroyed. The mainstream media would also take a significant hit. The conservative movement would have several potential moves to shape the future, with a great leader as the voice of that movement. A President Palin could keep the movement together to either take over the GOP, bring the Conservative Party to national prominence, or to continue with a coalition within the Libertarian Party. The GOP-E sunk to new lows this year in their disempowerment of rank and file voters this year and the voters will remember that when they reject Romney and vote for Palin.

I suggest the Libertarian Party because they are the 3rd party that has the best chance of getting a candidate on the ballot in all 50 states at this late date. They are the party that has some history and ties to Palin. Perhaps other conservative 3rd parties could make the same move and put Palin on their ballot also.

Palin has some history of social conservatism which is not a part of the Libertarian Party platform. However, at this point in history most social conservative issues are more about keeping government activism in check rather than imposing new restrictions. Libertarians do not support activist judges and government spending and social conservatives are fighting their wars on these same front lines.

This has the potential to be the disruption we are looking for.

I think winning is the easy part. The two challenges will be whether Palin would be willing to risk alienating the GOP-E in making the run. Secondly, is the Libertarian Party willing to set aside some of their pursuit of ideological purity to form a coalition with others.

A 3rd party run puts Palin's strengths front and center. She fought corruption and big government in Alaska and won. She would have a majority of voters nationwide that care about the same things and would rally behind her.

Taking the presidency in this way, along with strong conservative wins in Congress would provide Palin with the support she needs in both houses to enact legislation to draw down the debt, repeal Obamacare and roll back the Obama regulations.


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: constimatooshinparty; goingdumb; libertarian; libertarianparty; neverhappen; palin; pipedream; sarahpalin
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To: trackman; All
"The result would be splitting the ticket and we’d get a guaranteed 4-more years of Obama."

This sentence pretty much says it all.

41 posted on 04/16/2012 8:25:06 AM PDT by davisfh
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To: FrankR
Palin is politically somewhat libertarian but personally very social conservative.

It is very, very hard to see Sarah Palin reconciling herself to a Libertarian Party that is in favor of Roe v. Wade, despite the fact that they're all Hayekians over there.

Roe v. Wade is the killer for the Losertarians. It has nothing to do with Ending the Drug War and Legalizing Prostitution, which are old Libertarian tropes. No Evangelical Christian like Palin can make that straddle.

Can't happen.

Best,

Chris

42 posted on 04/16/2012 8:26:54 AM PDT by section9
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To: Dead Corpse
I don't think it is nearly as much of a mismatch as you appear to think.

So you think it's okay to pose as something your not in order to get elected and then turn on those who supported you? The Libertarians have already tried that - didn't work out real well, so I doubt they would entertain the notion again ...

43 posted on 04/16/2012 8:28:29 AM PDT by An.American.Expatriate (Here's my strategy on the War against Terrorism: We win, they lose. - with apologies to R.R.)
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To: chuckles
voting 3rd party doesn't work.

How do you know? Have you ever tried? Doing the same thing over and over like voting for a liberal like Romney doesn't work either. In fact there's a word for someone who keeps doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.

The Constitution Party is a more natural fit for Palin at this point. The GOP has been taken over by surrender monkeys and cowards. Newt's the only one who seems to have any fight in him.

44 posted on 04/16/2012 8:29:29 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (Sofa King Mitt Odd Did Obamneycare)
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To: mongrel

Palin definately has a distinct libertarian strain to her governance/ideology. But she additionally has a strong social-conservative strain, and a strong populist/reformer strain. Usually these particular elements don’t co-exist together very comfortably or very often, but with Palin it comes out in an amazingly seamless alliance. Which is one of the reasons I find her so exceptional. An ideal mix of conservatism, representing the best of every faction.


45 posted on 04/16/2012 8:29:57 AM PDT by greene66
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To: mongrel

I don’t think she could sign on with the Libertarian platform. There are some common interests in limited government and personal liberty, but there are other issues of family law, immigration etc. that I doubt she would sign up for. Who knows? The GOP is pushing someone to the left of Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter as their standard bearer, so almost anything is possible in this mental and moral riot that is campaign 2012.


46 posted on 04/16/2012 8:35:03 AM PDT by Psalm 144 ("I'm not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support. I am who I am." - Willard M Romney)
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To: Hardraade
Obama and Romney are exactly the same

I agree that Romney is no conservative and I am deeply disappointed that he is likely to be the Republican Party nominee. But to say Romney is "exactly the same" as Obama is simply not true. Obama is openly dedicated to destroying both our Constitution and our traditional American values. Despite his many shortcomings, you cannot honestly say the same about Romney.

In this election conservatives must either:

-- Compromise our values and vote for Romney, or
-- Compromise our values and help re-elect Obama by voting for someone other than the Republican Party nominee or by not voting at all, which will result in more Americans being hurt and the Constitution continuing to be undermined.

I don't like the alternatives, but the decision is not that hard.

47 posted on 04/16/2012 8:35:29 AM PDT by glennaro
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To: mongrel; mnehring
Problem is that there are a large number of leftist Libertarians, particularly Ron Paul supporters, who can't stand Palin and have worked just as hard as Romney and Obama's minions to undermine her potential candidacy. Heck, two years ago, mnehring actually caught a bunch of them plotting at Paul's Liberty Forest forum to attack her here at FR. Once alerted, the mods' cut the exposed infiltrators down fast.

IF (and that's a big IF) she wanted to go the third party route, then I think the Constitution Party would be a much better fit for her, since the GOP-E has essentially declared war on both her and us.

Just MHO...

48 posted on 04/16/2012 8:36:00 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: Sirius Lee

Agree with all of your points, but want to highlight this one:

“The Constitution Party is a more natural fit for Palin at this point.”


49 posted on 04/16/2012 8:37:48 AM PDT by Psalm 144 ("I'm not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support. I am who I am." - Willard M Romney)
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To: Sirius Lee
The Constitution Party is a more natural fit for Palin at this point.

Great minds think alike.

50 posted on 04/16/2012 8:39:09 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: Sirius Lee

Rather than wishful dreaming look at the numbers. Probably forty percent of the electorate are broken glass Democrats. Giving you the best case scenario let us assume that twenty percent of the electorate are dyed-in-the-wool Republicans. Adding together the highly committed voters of the two major parties brings the committed voters to 60. So the third party ticket would have all of the uncommitted electorate just to tie Obama which would be almost completely impossible.

In addition to the statistics, the third party would have qualify in all the states and would have raise huge sums of money in a short period of time. Furthermore, one cannot ignore the hostility of the MSM to Palin. The MSM will absolutely do its utmost to destroy Palin. Conversely, the MSM will support Obama and MSM support has been estimated to provide about a five percent edge.


51 posted on 04/16/2012 8:49:11 AM PDT by monocle
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To: mongrel

I think a better strategy is for her to announce (as soon as possible) her intention to run with Newt in the Fall. That would boost Newt’s campaign to levels it has never seen, and destroy Mitt’s chances of clinching the nomination.

Those two would make the winningest ticket we’ve seen in our lifetimes, and would be precisely what the country needs in these dark times.


52 posted on 04/16/2012 8:52:45 AM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: chuckles

IMO no libertarian can be intellectually honest if he is not pro life.


53 posted on 04/16/2012 9:02:35 AM PDT by Daveinyork
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To: mongrel; TADSLOS; taildragger; The Cajun; TheConservativeParty; TheCornerOffice; TheOldLady; ...
Can you ping the Sarah Palin ping list?

You betcha, but I think she is a better fit with the Constitution Party. She would have to re-do the Libertarian Party. Drop the dope, the dopes, the open border crap, and Bomb-bomb-bomb Iran.




STOP ROMNEY! VOTE NEWT and keep PRAYING!
54 posted on 04/16/2012 9:41:34 AM PDT by onyx (SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC, DONATE MONTHLY. If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, let me know.)
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To: mongrel; onyx

Wrong political party. Agree with onyx.


55 posted on 04/16/2012 9:49:40 AM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists, call 'em what you will, they ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: onyx
Sounds good to me Onyx!

Count me as a "Palin Libertarian"

Sarah Loves Libertarians and We Love her back!

56 posted on 04/16/2012 10:16:53 AM PDT by KC_Lion (I will NEVER vote for Romney, the GOP will go the way of the Whigs if they nominate him)
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To: An.American.Expatriate
"Something you are not"? Like what? Liberty minded? Smaller government advocate? Enforcer of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?

Oh heavens forbid someone should have to change an initial next to their name because their Party no longer appears to give more than scant lip service to any of the above.

57 posted on 04/16/2012 10:21:50 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Steampunk- Yesterday's Tomorrow, Today)
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To: mongrel

The problem is that Governor Palin’s views are not congruent with most Libertarians. Would she come out for drug legalization? Massive cuts in defense spending? Legalized prostitution? No government control over abortion?


58 posted on 04/16/2012 10:21:57 AM PDT by Kevin C
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To: Dead Corpse

“Something you are not”?

Palin is NOT a Libertarian.

Posing as one just to get elected is dishonest and immoral. I doubt seriously that she would even consider it (she’s not that kind of gal!).

Further, should she decide to change an initial next to her name, I would hope it would be because she truely identifies with the new party.


59 posted on 04/16/2012 10:34:19 AM PDT by An.American.Expatriate (Here's my strategy on the War against Terrorism: We win, they lose. - with apologies to R.R.)
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To: Kevin C

I think a bigger problem is that the establishment has perfected the two party system to keep corruption in place. There preferred method is to take an issue that appeals to the majority (smaller government) and keep that majority fractured into little groups over other issues.

Is the Libertarian Party so focused on legalized marijuana that they couldn’t put it aside for one election with the issues that are at stake? My point is, we need to learn that building ooalitions does not mean you are selling your soul. It simply means a willingness to work with people on certain issues and to oppose them on others. There is nothing dishonorable about that.


60 posted on 04/16/2012 10:44:30 AM PDT by mongrel
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