The GOP needs libertarians more than libertarians need the GOP right now
There are all sorts of self-described libertarians out there: Ron Paul libertarians, Libertarian Party libertarians, Club for Growth libertarians, Cato libertarians, Reason libertarians, Next Right libertarians, Neal Boortz libertarians and Lew Rockwell libertarians. There are also millions of people who don't even know they are libertarians.
During the Goldwater-Reagan years, Republicans knew they needed libertarian votes to win the White House. After George H. W. Bush disregarded his "read my lips" pledge, libertarians felt pretty isolated until the Republican Revolution. Once the Republican Party gained control of Congress, libertarians and the goals of the Republican Revolution were simultaneously flushed down the commode of win-at-all-costs politics.
Republican leaders were warned time and time and time and time again that they would pay a price for dismissing potential libertarian supporters. Republicans did pay a significant price in 2006, but continued on as if nothing had changed. Immediately after it
They need us! Without Libertarians they can't win.
Thomas Jefferson once said, "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground."
Well, I guess he called that one.
A Republic, If You Can Keep It
Another type of libertarian
This is one of the things that confuses people most, when they try to generalize about a group which is based on individuality:
You can be authoritarian business manager
You can be an authoritarian soldier
You can be an authoritarian teacher
You can be an authoritarian parent
You can believe in an authoritarian God
You can be or prefer any or all of the above, and still be a libertarian, politically.
Politically, you don't need to believe in all the things that libertarian managers, teachers, and parents believe in: you are a libertarian, politically, as long as you don't believe that your authorities should be forced upon you or others.
The only requirement to join the Libertarian Party is the pledge not to advocate the initiation of force as a way of making social or political changes. In other words, a free market of ideas.
IMissLiberty
IMissLiberty
Good article!
Thanks for that ...but the GOP as a whole are too busy "blaming" everyone and everything but themselves ...I really don't think most of them see anything wrong with their lack of principles and integrity and the only thing they are looking for is a good "marketing ploy" a "re-branding" ...but nothing of any real substance as far as an honest assesment or ability to accept a true "big tent" effort or open mindedness!
*****
"I truly wish that real life would no longer surpass the worst excesses of my nightmarish imaginings... Arthur Silber **
"I think we are living in a world of lies: lies that don't even know they are lies, because they are the children and grandchildren of lies." ~ Chris Floyd
Isn't that the REPUBLICAN LIBERTY CAUCUS
Logo in the article?
WWW.RLC.ORG