Return of the Conservative-Libertarian Coalition?

The Volokh Conspiracy ^ | November 6, 2008 | Ilya Somin

[FreeAmerica2009]

I doubt the social conservatives would ever let the LIBERTARIANS be in their Party. That is why the GOP lost.

[ex-snook]

Maybe coalition if either - Neocons leave the GOP or they kiss Ron Paul’s arse in Macy’s window next Election Day.

[greybull]

Man you got a closet full of straw men to attack dont you. “most libertarians think...” and “Rothard ‘most important libertarian thinker’” Are you for limited government under the federalist republic design of the constitution? If so, YOU may be a libertarian!

[greybull]

You better check your history pal. Lincoln via the emmancipation proclimation only put an end to slavery in the states which were in rebellion. Not the slave states who remained in the union. (Mo, KT, Md.)

Your arguement re segregation seems to leave ground for the Federal government to over run states rights in a way not limited to constitutional powers.

[rabscuttle385]

.

[bamahead]

Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or just reply to this post!

[jwalsh07]

Libertarians that suppport socialists are socialists, not libertarians. This is pretty simple stuff. Even the legal scholars in America should be able to get a handle on that.

[maclay]

Seems to me that anyone who voted AGAINST Obama should team up in these uncertain times, regardless of minor differences.

[amchugh]

Cowbird?

[mrsmith]

All right!!!!!

[slnk_rules]

REAGAN: If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.

[Drango]

sure any Libertarians that aren’t stoned....let’s meet at a booth in Denny’s

[mrsmith]

Both sides will just have to bite the bullet on this one and recognize it's better to have something all the time instead of trying to have everything all the time and getting nowhere. That's just the reality of politics.

And I think they will after a short time of Obama 'caring for' them.

[slnk_rules]

Not sure how we’ll reconcile the differences on the WOD unless social conservatives concede it’s not in the governments power to enforce.

That is the problem. Social conservatives really could care less what is in the constitution, they just want Government to do "good" things vs the evil who want it to do "bad" things.

Until social conservatives wake up to the fact that we are first and foremost a nation of LAWS and not MEN, and that the constitution spells out the balance of power between states and the fed, they will continue the Quixotic attempt to find "godly men" who will implement the right FEDERAL laws. In the meantime, they will give away huge blocs of power to government ( case in point: the Patriot act, and the abominable HR1255 ) which will then be used against them the first time a person is elected who is not a social conservative.

The really sad thing is that most social conservatives are .... sorry, don't know how else to say it.... too stupid to see that they stand a FAR better chance of getting their programs enacted by following the constitutional route of attempting to devolve the issues back to the states, where they belong. Homosexual marriage is now illegal in EVERY SINGLE STATE which has had a referendum on it, and is in danger of losing out in Mass due to citizen pressure. Prop 8 was crushingly enacted in California, arguably the most pro-homosexual state in the union. It is a colossal waste of time and very unwise to try and amend the constitution on issues like these. The best thing a social conservative can do is support federalism with the dope smokers and weirdos who are Libertarians. He may actually find friends outside his church and amazing enough, find that he likes them. I find them delightful and have had wonderful conversations about the gospel. However, if something like that does not happen, the republican party is going to become the equivalent of a really hateful bunch of fundamentalist exclusionists, damning almost every other group to hell for lack of doctrinal purity. By the way, I will match my credentials as a social conservative and biblical activist against ANYONE on this site.

[slnk_rules]

1. Why are most libertarians pro-choice? No liberty for the unborn.

"Most" libertarians are NOT pro choice. Many are, and many are not. The Randians are not the end-all of libertarians. There are many many evangelical libertarians.

2. Why do most libertarians favor same-sex marriage? No liberty for children (see also: my point about evolution and biological children).

"Most" libertarians do not. The thing that unites libertarians on this issue is the fact that we believe the issue rightly belongs to the states, not to the federal government.

3. Heck, Murray Rothbard think that parents have the right to stop feeding their children and let them starve to death!

Please cite where you find evidence for this.

[RockyMtnMan]

I completely agree, take as much power away from the fed as possible and distribute it back to the states or “Share the Power” to paraphrase “The One”. We need to unite behind all that we agree on and agree to relegate the remainder to the states.

I think at the federal level we can agree on:

- Much smaller government
- A strong defense
- Free trade (real free trade)
- A representative/fair tax structure (aka Fair Tax or Flat Tax)
- Privatization of schools
- Privatization of SS and Medicare or delegate responsibility to the states.
- Repeal the 17th amendment and 16th (if Fair Tax)
- Strong immigration controls and border defense but expanded legal immigration opportunities.

Things that we agree should be relegated to the states:

- Drug enforcement (end federal WOD)
- Traditional marriage laws
- Abortion rights (I am very pro-life)
- Gun laws (I am very pro 2nd)

I guess this is just a sampling but I suspect someone with more time and devotion could produce a more comprehensive platform/contract we could unite behind. Conservatives need to concede that federal power is not the place to concentrate power (for social or fiscal issues) or we will be crushed by progressivism like we are about to experience. Dismantle the federal machine and make our country a Republic again!

[murphE]

The thing that unites libertarians on this issue is the fact that we believe the issue rightly belongs to the states, not to the federal government.

I think marriage rightly belongs to churches, I think the government should stay out of it both state and federal level.

[JSDude1]

that’s funny since I am both a social conservative, libertarian, fiscal conservative, lean isolationist (though not totally), and a constitutionalist.

[Gondring]

I respectfully submit that you do not understand libertarianism, and perhaps are thinking more of a cartoon image you were given, or the term “libertine,” or are speaking of the Libertarian Party of America, or something else.

[ovrtaxt]

sounds good to me!