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Losing Libertarians
Washington Times ^ | 11/6/06 | David Boaz

Posted on 11/07/2006 7:01:57 AM PST by libertylovinactivist

Take a look at independent voters. There are more of them than before, especially in the West. More than 25 percent of Arizona voters now register as independent or third-party voters. And according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, they've shifted sharply toward the Democrats in this fall's elections.

(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 3rdpartylosers; elections; gop; greenpartyrejects; liberaltardation; liberaltarians; libertarians; republicans
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To: jmc813
"Did you know that Ronald Reagan disagreed with you and called libertarianism the "heart and soul of conservatism"?"

I also know that Ronald Reagan dedicated a mandatory death sentence law for major drug dealers to Nancy. It's very apparent the libertarianism of today is far from that which the Gipper spoke of.

161 posted on 11/07/2006 3:00:56 PM PST by CWOJackson
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To: jmc813
"Did you know that Jim Robinson has endorsed the small-l libertarian Republican Liberty Caucus and allows them to host their forum here on FR"

Yes, I noticed the Libertine Republican Liberty Caucus...it's that side room where paint is drying isn't it?

162 posted on 11/07/2006 3:03:18 PM PST by CWOJackson
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To: Dead Corpse
"How about you ASK a libertarian before making crap up on your own."

Making crap up is the heart and soul of the "small l Libertarian" movement. "I don't agree with the LP on "x", which is why I'm a small l Libertarian." Fill in the "x" with any pet issue you wish...make it up, there are no restrictions.

163 posted on 11/07/2006 3:05:15 PM PST by CWOJackson
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To: Small-L

I wouldn't call Reagan a sourpuss either. He was downright beaming whenever he signing tough anti-drug laws.


164 posted on 11/07/2006 3:06:45 PM PST by CWOJackson
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To: Beelzebubba
What Libertarian is voting for Dems? Get serious.

The DU'ers claim the Libertarians as their voters, then claim that's why they have the majority. Then the Libertarians post over there, and the DU'ers rip 'em a new one for being conservatives. It's sort of funny to watch. Also proves that DU really is a playground for clowns.

165 posted on 11/07/2006 3:10:21 PM PST by Hardastarboard (Why isn't there an "NRA" for the rest of my rights?)
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To: CWOJackson
""...just another term for someone perpetually pi$$ed off about something and want a better term to call them self then "sourpuss"."

SmileyCentral.com

166 posted on 11/07/2006 3:11:34 PM PST by verity (Muhammed is a Dirt Bag)
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To: tacticalogic

So you're spun up about social conservatives because some of them would take your pornography away if they could? Just because some people talk about it, doesn't mean it's going to happen. There's no large scale push by social conservatives to ban pornography. How long has Playboy been around, anyway? Last I heard, it was still being published. Although I don't think you should be able to access pornography at the public library where children may be present, what you do in the privacy of your home is your business.

Bottom line is, Libertarians can't win nationally. Open borders and a barebones military are nonstarters to the vast majority of Americans, thank God. And Republicans can't win without Christians, who are at least 1/3 of the electorate, and climbing.


167 posted on 11/07/2006 3:12:53 PM PST by LadyNavyVet
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To: steve-b

Social conservatives have just as much right to compete in the arena of ideas as any other citizens.


168 posted on 11/07/2006 3:15:45 PM PST by LadyNavyVet
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To: LadyNavyVet

Christians are a valuable part of American conservatism.


169 posted on 11/07/2006 3:17:58 PM PST by CWOJackson
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To: tpaine
Here's the thing. Reality check...

Ninety+plus percent of people don't initiate force, fraud or coercion against other persons. Generally, republicans and democrats support initiating force, fraud and coercion against persons -- libertarians don't. Libertarians don't support any person or government agent initiating force, fraud or coercion against any individual or their property. Republicans and democrats support only government agents initiating force, fraud or coercion against individuals and their property. Libertarians accept government agents as their equals. Republicans and democrats accept government agents as their betters.

170 posted on 11/07/2006 3:21:59 PM PST by Zon (Honesty outlives the lie, spin and deception -- It always has -- It always will.)
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To: steve-b

Gary Bauer speaks for Gary Bauer, just like Robertson speaks for Robertson and Falwell speaks for Falwell, and I speak for me. I bet if you took a poll, the vast majority of social conservatives would support private social security accounts. I know I would. Support for keeping the failing current system comes more from the left side of the spectrum than the right.

As for private property rights, you have a right to sell whatever you want wherever you want, as long as you own the property where you're selling it. However, if your company is publicly traded and I own stock, I get a say in what is sold. And as a consumer, I have the right to not shop there if I'm offended. Trust me, as a social conservative I spend a great deal of effort keeping me and mine away from things I consider inappropriate. That includes all popular music, most TV shows, movies, video games, public schools, etc. I was speaking more of Kelo. It was not the social conservatives on the Court who passed that travesty.


171 posted on 11/07/2006 3:26:09 PM PST by LadyNavyVet
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To: CWOJackson

And I thank God there's a Republican party for us to go to. The Republicans aren't perfect, far, far from it, but the alternative is the Dems.


172 posted on 11/07/2006 3:29:21 PM PST by LadyNavyVet
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To: LadyNavyVet

Open borders and a barebones military are nonstarters to the vast majority of Americans, thank God.



No libertarian I have ever heard advocated opening the borders before ending the welfare state. Get your facts in order.


173 posted on 11/07/2006 3:31:22 PM PST by Atlas Sneezed (Your FRiendly FReeper Patent Attorney)
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To: LadyNavyVet
So you're spun up about social conservatives because some of them would take your pornography away if they could?

No, actually I'm "spun up" because they won't stand an honest debate on the issue. As soon as I start asking questions about how much it's going to cost or if it's really the federal government's job they start accusing me of being afraid of "having my pornography taken away".

Open borders and a barebones military are nonstarters to the vast majority of Americans, thank God. And Republicans can't win without Christians, who are at least 1/3 of the electorate, and climbing.

I've never had a disagreement with any of them over open borders or the military. I've heard the "we own the Republican Party, and we don't need you" song and dance before.

174 posted on 11/07/2006 3:42:19 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: Beelzebubba

Don't assume. I flirted with Libertarianism in my early 20's and am quite versed on their platform. Even went to a few party meetings and came tha-a-a-t close to voting for Ed Clark in 1980. Your post points up exactly why Libertarianism will never work. It must all be implemented at the same time or none of it will be successful. You cannot have open borders with a welfare state, therefore, all forms of welfare must go away first. You cannot have a barebones military without a safe world, so the terrorists and nutjob dictators in North Korea and Iran must go away first. You cannot legalize drugs for all unless emergency rooms are free to ignore destitute people overdosing in the waiting room. And so on.

Libertarianism won't work because our political system operates in a piecemeal fashion--a bill about this, a law about that, a ballot initiative over here, a Supreme Court decision over there, etc. Since the odds of everybody agreeing to implement the Libertarian platform all at once are exactly nil, it's a pie-in-the-sky political party, not a serious movement with a chance of gaining national power.


175 posted on 11/07/2006 3:48:47 PM PST by LadyNavyVet
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To: fhlh

Unless they believe the Republican will be insignificantly better (or even worse) than the Democrat, in which case it's certainly in their interest to vote third-party to send a signal.

Even if this isn't true, but the Republican is far more liberal than he needs to be to win in his district, a vote for the Libertarian candidate could be a good strategic move if the Republican's too entrenched to lose a primary.


176 posted on 11/07/2006 3:51:08 PM PST by Young Scholar
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To: tacticalogic

Since nobody's taken your porn away, I'd say it's cost the treasury exactly nothing. And I'm not advocating it be taken away. I wish it to be filtered out of libraries, schools and other public places. That is a nominal cost.

I'm a social conservative, and I have a huge problem with open borders and a barebones military. If I hope to exercise my 1st Amendment right to freedom of religion, a nation with borders and the means to defend them is a prerequisite. If we don't have that, none of our rights is guaranteed, including your right to porn, and mine not to bow to Mecca five times a day, a basic idea concept that seems to be lost on Libertarians.


177 posted on 11/07/2006 3:57:30 PM PST by LadyNavyVet
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To: LadyNavyVet

Your post points up exactly why Libertarianism will never work. It must all be implemented at the same time or none of it will be successful.



The point is to operate under the principles of libertarianism, not whether a particular (disputed) proposal "will work."

Godwater "worked."

Arguing against the extreme scenario borders on straw man rhetoric, and does not defeat the principles.


178 posted on 11/07/2006 4:09:16 PM PST by Atlas Sneezed (Your FRiendly FReeper Patent Attorney)
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To: eleni121; y'all
I realize that Libertarians are not Communists...although at times they have the same glassy eyed stare that some marxists I know display.
And their origins share many similarities.
- eleni121 -


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I realize that Rinos are not Communitarian's...although at times they have the same glassy eyed stare that some majority rule prohibitionists I know display.

-- And their origins share many similarities.


Goodbye Justice, Hello Happiness
Address:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1732867/posts
179 posted on 11/07/2006 4:11:15 PM PST by tpaine
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To: Beelzebubba

How exactly do you "operate under the principles of libertarianism" without implementing all of it?

What would you implement first? What would be the priorities for the first 100 days of a Beelzebubba Libertarian administration?


180 posted on 11/07/2006 4:23:34 PM PST by LadyNavyVet
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