I once did an informal FR poll to determine what most of the FR libertarians do for a living. As it turns out, many or most of them are in technical fields, which explains a lot, IMHO.
My experience has been that technical people tend to treat "people problems" as technical problems that can be solved using time-honored engineering techniques. If you look closely, the key phrase always boils down to something along the lines of "if everybody would just...."
The problem, of course, is that people almost never "just..." and the engineering solution therefore almost never works. Libertarians are thus at a loss as to what happens next.
In the case of libertarianism, the "just" is that everybody will somehow respect the rights of others, of their own accord. The problem, of course, is not just that there are plenty of people who won't respect those rights, but also (and more importantly) "rights" are nowhere near as clear-cut as the libertarian "engineering solution" would need them to be.
The usually-awful Libertarian candidates -- Copeland, or Rick Stanley here in CO -- are actually a good example of this. The only way these whackjobs could actually get elected is if "everybody just" agreed with them on their pet issues.
Interesting, insightful.
I have often thought the LP is where "high autistics" would feel most comfortable. "High autistics" tend to have flat affects, and are often technically oriented and humorless. Human unpredictability confounds and bewilders them. They are the Dr. Spocks to everyone else's Captain Kirk.
I guess when they do ignite emotionally, they burn very hot--just as this candidate did in California.
There is another component of libertarians who are opportunistic single-issue 'droids--usually dope warriors--who like the LP because it panders to their infantile appetities and arrested emotional development.
As has been pointed out, what this idiot did should be considered an assault.
What has also been pointed out, time and again, is that Libertarians feel that the ONLY function legitamate government serves is to protect equal Rights from violation. Such as the assault commited in the article.
Some of you Bushbots just can't stand the idea that the LP espouses policies that would protect more of an individuals freedom over their own lives than you would allow them to have.
This candidates behavior was reprehensible. Charge him and try him in court. Kick him off the ballot and replace him with someone who can keep his sh!t wired right.