Posted on 11/08/2006 2:27:12 PM PST by quidnunc
New York Glum Republicans might turn their attention to the Libertarian Party to vent their anger. Libertarians are a generally Republican-leaning constituency, but over the last few years, their discontent has grown plain. It isn't just the war, which some libertarians supported, but the corruption and insider dealing, and particularly the massive expansion of spending. Mr Bush's much-vaunted prescription drug benefit for seniors, they fume, has opened up another gaping hole in America's fiscal situation, while the only issue that really seemed to energise congress was passing special laws to keep a brain-damaged woman on life support.
In two of the seats where control looks likely to switch, Missouri and Montana, the Libertarian party pulled more votes than the Democratic margin of victory. Considerably more, in Montana. If the Libertarian party hadn't been on the ballot, and the three percent of voters who pulled the "Libertarian" lever had broken only moderately Republican, Mr Burns would now be in office.
Does this mean that the libertarians are becoming a force in national elections, much as Ralph Nader managed to cost Al Gore a victory in 2000? Hope springs eternal among third-party afficionadoes, but the nature of the American electoral system, which directly elects representatives in a first-past-the-post system, makes it nearly impossible for third parties to gain traction. The last time it happened was in the 1850's, when the Whig party dissolved over internal disputes about slavery, opening the way for the emerging Republican party to put Abraham Lincoln in office. And acting as a spoiler is dubiously effective at achieving one's goals. In theory, it could pull the Repubicans towards the Libertarians, but in practice, it may just elect Democrats, pushing the nation's economic policy leftwards.
(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...
That's the national LP talking. Lots of Libertarians disagree with the national LP and think they're nuts. Besides, the GOP has its share of liberal looney tunes too. Log Cabin Republicans. Republicans for Choice. Main Street Partnership funded by George Soros. So your comparisons are specious and disingenious.
Spin it any way you want. As long as we're all paying for your entertainment, we should at least get to see you enjoying it.
pro-drug
The GOP is pro-drug too - pro-drug enforcement with their big government alphabet federal agencies.
pro-unrestricted immigration party.
You're kidding, right? At least the welfare programs & baby anchor status will cease under the Libertarians.
Libertarians didn't cost the Republicans anything. quit your godforsaken whining and clean your own house instead of pointing fingers.
You should be enjoying it now...before the bill comes due.
Why wouldn't we vote Libertarian? After all, we are repeatedly told that there's no place for us in the GOP, but then you expect us to vote for you?
There is nothing but GOPers spewing hate towards libertarians on this thread. Yeah, I can't imagine why we might not think you guys are the greatest.
This is your party, hero. Save the world from me.
From the last LP convention or just a diagram of their platformn?
Hey, don't get so worried...the bill won't come due for a couple of years yet. Time enough for conservative folks to savor your achievements.
I've never said that libertarians have taught anyone a lesson. I haven't seen anyone on this thread say that.
What I am saying is that people like you--people who whine and moan and gnash their teeth and spew hate towards libertarians--merely drive them further away from the GOP. If that's your goal, you're doing a bang-up job, dude. But hey, that's a great strategy--you don't need the votes or anything, do you?
No one drives them away...they drive themselves away with their perceived injustices and bitterness.
This is not the first time. Slade Gorton's margin of loss to (Cantwell? or Murray?) was less than the number of libertarian votes.
They have hurt us here in local races too. ANY close race that is 2-4% libertarian, we lose to the Democrat.
And you want what from Republicans? What your party and your candidates did was provide dhimmicrats with enough margin of victory to win the Senate.
The GOP is defeated. Terrorists are encouraged by the outcome.
Enjoy your pyric victory.
The nation is learning the ugly truth Washington state has learned.
"libertarians continue to be irrelevent."
"Well, who'da thunk it, with the multitude of threads condemning Libertarians for supposedly "deep-sixing the GOP". What an odd way to demonstrate irrelevance, lol."
Irrelevent in the sense that the result of their political activism is more socialism via Democrat victories.
The bill's due now, Chief. You think you get this on a deferred payment plan? Sometimes I think there's some kind of stupidity field that's emitted by government paychecks.
LOL! Yes, the results of the Democratic victory is due but the bill for LP treachery won't arrive for two years. Enjoy yourself.
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