Libertarians are big time spoilers in Gov races

ma-firearms@world.std.com ^ | 11/6/02 | Ioffe

[pabianice]

* means NRA endorsment. Grade is the NRA grade.

Alabama:

*(D) Siegelman 674,052 A+

(R) Riley 670,913 A

(L) Sophocleus 23,242

Oregon:

(D) Kulongoski 493,385 C+

(R) Mannix 490,745 A

(L) Cox 47,444

Wisconsin:

(D) Doyle 800,958 F

*(R) McCallum 732,781 A

(L) Thompson 185,085

Wyoming:

(D) Freudenthal 89,407 A-

*(R) Bebout 85,556 A+

(L) Dawson 3,800

Not to mention that Thune will probably lose South Dakota Senate seat by a smaller margin that the Libertarian in that race got...

(D) Johnson 167,481 C+

*(R) Thune 166,954 A

(L) Evans 3,071

So basically Libertarians brought 2 anti-gun governors, and possibly kept Daschle's clone in power. My question is why Libertarians run against good pro-gun candidates? I realize that there are other issues besides guns. Meanwhile people of Wisconsin have to wait another 4 years for gun licenses...

[jayef]

What really needs to be understood is that it's MY DAMN VOTE. It doesn't belong to any party or candidate. EARN MY VOTE!!!

[u-89]

Your a libertarian.

Do they have police roadblocks by you just to check and see if your wearing your seatbelt? They do here.

[u-89]

that last responce should read "you are a libertarian". I typed that one too fast.

[dead]

I didn't.

Nothing wrong with that. I actually liked all the Pubbies on my slate this year. My new congressman especially - Scott Garrett - a real conservative.

I refused to vote for his horrific predecessor - liberal Republican Marge Roukema. There was no Libertarian candidate when she was the GOP candidate, so I left the line blank.

[Protagoras]

Strictly out of curiosity, how did you come to be a Democrat with those views? (not to mention Republican, which would have been my question if you had said you were one of them the day before yesterday)

[Protagoras]

What really needs to be understood is that it's MY DAMN VOTE. It doesn't belong to any party or candidate. EARN MY VOTE!!!

Bump

[1redshirt]

I was told by a friend that I am NOT a Libertarian because I don't believe that business should be allowed to run unchecked. I have VERY little faith in letting businesses or the market police business or their practices. I feel it's like letting the fox guard the hen house even with the best intentioned fox ... a fox is a fox.

[Rifleman]

Republicans can have all the libertarian votes that they want. Just support Constitutional and limited government and watch the Libertarian Party vote dwindle to nothing.

I voted a straight R ticket this time, but unless the Republicans deliver (lower taxes, less intrusive federal gov, and, especially a repeal of the Brady Bill and the expiration of the Ugly Gun and standard magazine ban) they won't get my vote next time.

[Moby Grape]

Again, I say, I will NEVER vote Libertarian...it is a matter of PRINCIPLE...I will not vote for any party wanting to legalize drugs, and that has a hand-in-the-sand approach to foreign policy. I may vote for a conservative third party that REALLY has a chance to win...right now, there isn't one.

[carenot]

I can appreciate that you vote for principle over expediency, but don't you think it would be wiser to support the candidate that is closer to you and has a better chance of winning with your support?

The candidate closer to me is usually a libertarian. I look at voting records and don't like the Ds or the Rs.

Or you can pull a Ron Paul, who wisely joined a more-electable party, garnered instant respect by doing so, was elected and is able to influence it from within.

Ron Paul for President! He votes what he believes, unlike Rs.

[1redshirt]

I was not a Republican because it seemed to me that the right always tried to force their vision of God down my throat with things like school prayer. I was NOT a Libertarian because I simply DO NOT trust big business to police itself. My grandparents lived thru times where big business was ruthless and cruel to their employees. The Republicans were also known for that but not as bad as the Libertarians. So that's how I became a Democrat. BUT now I feel that the Democratic Party is more communist/socialist than I can stand. I also hate the lies and out right dishonestly that seems to be epidemic in the Democratic party since Bill Clinton ... who I happen to despise BTW.

[Protagoras]

I was told by a friend that I am NOT a Libertarian because I don't believe that business should be allowed to run unchecked.

I don't know any real libertarians who think anyone should be allowed to "run unchecked".

Government's rightful role in a free society is to defend rights. Businesses (Or anyone else) who violate rights are not allowed to do that in a libertarian system.

How government defends those rights is a point of contention for many.

[Monitor]

There were years that T.Thompson could have gotten anything passed that he had a mind to.

"Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a Democratic Party controlled Senate. Able to pass pro-gun legislation in a single bound --- 'Look, up in the sky,' 'It's a bird,' 'It's a plane,' 'It's Super Tommy....' "

But back here on Earth, the reality is that Ed Tompson - Libertarian - set back every conservative issue in this state by getting a very liberal Democrat elected to office.

Say bye bye to welfare reform.

Say bye bye to school choice.

Say bye bye to owning ammunition.

Say bye bye to concealed carry legislation.

[1redshirt]

My discussion with my Libertarian friend was that I felt that drug testing by companies was wrong because it violated my rights. My friend told me that my "rights" ended at the doorway of the business. I'm sorry BUT I don't buy that for a minute. So that is why I guess I'm not a Libertarian. Old time Democrats like myself do not believe that just because a company hires a person that that person gives up their rights at the door. Granted there are exceptions ... like the freedom of speech where an employee can't devulge company secrets or dressing properly for work but that is like yelling fire in a crowded theater. There are somethings that are appropriate and some things that are not appropriate for an employee to "lean" on a persons rights. Drug testing is not one of them ... (except maybe a school bus driver). IMHO.

[BikerNYC]

If a Right-to-Life voter tells me she's voting for that party's candidate because the issues the candidate stresses are very important to her (and it doesn't have to be because she believes abortion is murder, it could be because she thinks the issue belongs out of federal hands) and a Libertarian voter tells me the same thing about the issues her party's candidate streeses, I take them at their word and think the both are quite justified in voting as they do.

Might doesn't make right and just because the two major parties typically get more votes than other parties doesn't mean people must be reduced to having to vote for one of them (the Soviets had one party, we can do better than having just one more than they had). Major party voters sometimes get upset that their candidate didn't win and wonder why others voting for candidates in other parties didn't vote for their candidate. But those other party voters can wonder the same thing about major party voters.

[BureaucratusMaximus]

I will not vote for any party wanting to legalize drugs

So...I can assume you don't drink AND you haven't voted since the 1920's? But you won't argue about that, because alcohol is a GOOD drug and has not cost society anything.

Please...you people take the high-moral-ground stance on the drug issue and slam the whole libertarian philosophy because of it. It comes down to this: Are you capable of making your own choices?(freedom) or Do you need someone making them for you?(socialism) I prefer freedom myself. Perhaps the Nanny State has made you dependent on them for just about everything.

[carenot]

If this is your one issue, it is time to realise that you are being given lip service by those you vote for.

That is why I vote for libertarians. Ron Paul for President.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Exactly!!! Had it not been for the Libertarian vote siphon, the sweep to victory by Republicans would have been a true Tsunami!

Yes, everyone has a right to vote however they want to.

But for heavens' sake - WHAT IS SO DIFFICULT ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THE RESULTS OF ONE'S VOTE IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE VOTE ITSELF????

[jmc813]

Tin Foil Hat Alert!

Oh, Jeez, please tell us why you support the Patriot Act, Roscoe. This should be good.

[u-89]

My grandmother went to work in the silk mills of Paterson, NJ at age 12. I know what you mean about big business and a need for unions. I myself came to hate unions in a big way by observing first hand how they operated when I was a carpenter in my youth not to menition their historic ties to communist organizations and organized crime. Speaking of the history of labor, Government and crooked pols enabled much of the buisness abuse of the working force and retarded reforms. Sending in the National Guard and all that.

On to your point about which party to join. If you believe in God, then you believe that man is corrupted by sin and therefore we will never perfect society totally here on earth however freedom is still the best route to go. Remember government is force. It says you can do this or can't do that and to get you to comply will either fine you, jail you or kill you. And the more government controls societal activities the more reason people have to bribe politcians to get their way. More government breeds more corruption. Limited government is the only cure for that. To those in charge now it is not in their self interest to reduce government influence. Maybe tinker around the edges just to fool some suckers into voting for them but that's about it.