I think that Libertarians have much to offer the public discourse. They are consistant in their ideas.
Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds and libertarians are the living proof.
The Ron Paul faction in the last 25 years has ruined the libertarian ideology and the party. Ron Paul is not a Libertarian. The confusion over Ron Pauls political philosophies has led to much misunderstanding of libertarianism.
Ron Paul is more of a mix between a Paleo-conservative on economic issues and a Neo-leftist liberal on everything else. And when it comes to foreign policy, Ron Paul and his supporters are not only not conservatives, but left wing to an extreme. Going further than most libertarians.
It is clear that one look at the social Platform and Ron Paul is nothing more than a new version of a liberal.
The differences between a liberal and a progressive are confusing as it relates to today and the modern left. It has gotten to the point that some people call themselves progressive or liberal without knowing much about the words.
So my point is that Ron Paul has more of a traditional liberal stance but progressives embrace most of it.