The Libertarian Effect

Real Clear Politics ^ | 11/13/06 | ROSS KAMINSKY

[Purple GOPer]

Great comments by someone who knows his stuff

[TeenagedConservative]

It's better in the long run if the Libertarians steal enough elections from the Republicans. As long as Bush and gang get out of there and let us reset the Republican Party back to conservatism.

I, like the author, love it when the Libertarians have an effect.

[MamaLucci]

What I love about libertarian voters is that they vote on principle, not on party.

What leftists love about libertarian voters is that they elect democrats.....

[kinoxi]

What leftists love about libertarian voters is that they elect democrats.....

That is generally not the case.

[catholicfreeper]

Its a tough coalition to pull together. The problem is the GOP need it all to win. The tension between the libertarians and the social conservatives will always be there but when it fractures the results are evident.

[Drango]

It's better in the long run if the Libertarians steal enough elections from the Republicans...

I don't understand why losertarians hang here? They thump their chest, proclaim their lofty ideology is near the conservative goal, yet different...then they applaud when their ideology sucks votes frpm Republicans and elects liberal Democrats.

[Lexinom]

Republicans on the other hand have acted in just the opposite way: they believe in economic liberty and they know we do not work for government. But they do not believe in personal liberty. The failure of the strategery of the Republicans, to focus on "the base" by trotting out social issues such as the South Dakota no-exception abortion ban (which lost, I'm pleased to say) demonstrated two things: First, social issues do not have long coat-tails. Second, the GOP base is fiscal conservatives more than it is social conservatives.

Internal contradiction contained in this statement: without foundational rights, the very liberty he speaks of cannot exist. If the second part of his statement is true, and a majority of people reject the moral presuppositions upon which our founding documents rest, America as delineated in those documents is finished.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Conrad Burns, possibly JD Hayworth... look at the vote spread... libertarians put Harry Reid in charge of the Senate.

[devolve]

[Arizona Carolyn]

Hey, it's going on right now on another thread. If we elect a candidate that can beat Hillary the unhappy people will take their votes and go third party, which is what she is counting on.. a repeat of Perot.

[kinoxi]

I don't blame libertarians for voting for their party. If you want them to vote GOP get the GOP to spend less, it seems pretty simple to me.

[wku man]

So how is JD's vote recount going? Is he going to contest it if it's close?

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[RegulatorCountry]

More "Dixie Chicks" logic ... it's not what we said or did, it's those stupid fans, lol.

[Arizona Carolyn]

They actually did (spend less) compared to GDP than the Clinton admin.... 1.9 vs 2.6...

[jjm2111]

Good for the libertarians like me. (Though I hate abortion. It's a life, not a "choice")

[tpaine]

"-- In other words, in these two critical Senate races and if the Republican had gotten the Libertarian's votes, the Republican would have won. --"

If Rinos had wings they could fly.

[technomage]

I don't understand why losertarians hang here?

Well, they need some place to go and show just how selfish, egotistical and immature they are.

[UpAllNight]

--If you want them to vote GOP get the GOP to spend less, it seems pretty simple to me.--

But what about the key issues for Libertarians: drugs, sex, open borders and no troops overseas?

[kinoxi]

Do you have a link to that info? I've yet to see the numbers (per %GDP) broken down.

[LibertarianInExile]

Marked.

Great article.