[PreciousLiberty]

“But do Libertarians really push hard to make government smaller? I would say No.”

Then you would be uninformed. Look at Ron Paul, who despite his odder ideas is clearly in favor of much smaller government than either 0 or Romney.

Libertarians want much smaller government, much less regulation of all kinds, and generally a return to the legal framework of, say, 1850. Note that “drugs” (meaning drugs that are illegal now; a myriad of drugs are currently available legally, with or without prescription) and prostitution were both perfectly legal at that point, at least in much of the US. There is certainly a “freedom” argument to be made in favor of both issues - especially considering they both remain rampant despite many years of trying to control them.

It doesn’t get much more “conservative” than to wish to roll the clock back 150 years or so. ;-) Practical? Well, that’s a different story...

ABO ‘12!!!

[ClearCase_guy]

Look at my reply at #14.

Ron Paul has one vote.
Ron Paul supporters have many votes. And I believe those votes will go to Obama.

[ansel12]

Drugs were not ‘legal’, they were ignored, they just had not become an issue yet, for instance San Francisco finally had to start dealing with opium by passing a law in 1875, similar to polygamy, the federal government did not have to respond to it until 1862.

1850 America would have been lynching libertarians pushing homosexual marriage, abortion, polygamy, open advertising and selling of porn, prostitution, homosexualizing the military and adoption, homosexual teachers and youth leaders, etc., not praising their traditional Americanism. Libertarians and the left have made their imprint in the last 60 years.