I don’t think libertarians are necessarily a conservative vote. The “liber” part of their name is not accidentally reminiscent of “liberalism”.
They are pro-abortion, pro-gay, pro-drugs, and anti-foreign defense footprint.
Just looking at that list makes me wonder why folks think the everyday liberatarian would vote for a conservative.
Maybe the GOP ought to work on being inclusive to the Libertarian-minded folks instead of kicking them out? Just a thought.
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Great insight into the rationalizing mind of the RINO. Forget freedom and liberty, limited government, fiat currency and the damage the Fed is enacting on Americans, wars of aggression - lacking Congressional approval, but they prefer to focus on the win/loss of the Republican Party above all.
John Boehner is the perfect example of how the country got into this mess by continuing the drifting leftward within the progressive wing of the Republican Establishment. If the RINO’s had listened to the conservative Tea Party base about how Romney was a weak candidate, they never should have run him against Obama. But they didn’t listen when they ran McCain in 2008, they didn’t listen when the ran Romney in 2012, and they won’t listen when they run Christy in 2016. They prefer to attack Libertarians and Tea Party as the reason they lost the election and ignore their contribution to the massive debt and drift to larger government through the Bush years.
A libertarian ensured Harry Reid’s victory over John Ensign in 1998.
Well said. I personally know of one LOSERtarian who voted that way in this election. The individual is on call/email block for eternity.
I 100 percent blame the Republicans who wanted Romney to begin with. Anyone with a brain knew he was the worst candidate ever chosen to be the Republican candidate. The problem I have with us conservatives is that we are forced to settle for the lowest denominator each and every time. When have we ever had the candidate of choice? We keep voting for the crap they put in front of us. I still believe that if Bloomburg somehow got the Republican nominee in 2016, that most on Free Republic would be talking about how great the guy is. I just think that we have not taken a stance on principles in so long that we forgot what it is like to do so.
Every time a Republican loses an election some whiney Republican cheerleader comes out of the woodwork and rather than blame the candidate that lost, blames the libertarians because they didn't vote Republican. Well I have a bit o news for ya Jack:
As one of the other posters pointed out, Libertarians are not Republicans. Think about it.
AND, because they're NOT Republicans, why do you think that they should vote for Republican candidates? From a Libertarian perspective there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two major parties. Both are hell bent on increasing the size of government and making it more intrusive. Think back as to who gave us the
Until the Republicans decide to stop embracing socialism and being Democrats Lite and actually represent CONSERVATIVE values, then don't expect Libertarians to vote for anyone BUT libertarians. You don't expect Republicans to vote Libertarian do you? SO why the hell should you expect Libertarians to vote Republican?
It seems a pretty simple concept, but one that eludes many Republicans.
Maybe some of the Conservatives out there who value their values more than the 'elephant brand' had just had enough.
The GOP ran the most liberal candidate they had. If Ron Paul was more liberal, and the GOP (now) thinks it needs to be more "moderate" (read:LIBERAL) then why didn't the GOP run Ron Paul? Obviously, he would have gotten more votes if the analysis and claims here are correct.
You can't have it both ways, but We can clearly see: It is every one elses' fault.
Not the GOP,
Not the people who have thrown pro-lifers, pro liberty, pro-Constituion , anti-police state people under the bus EVERY ELECTION SINCE REAGAN!
You figured the guy from the other side was enough to drive people to the polls to vote for the candidate who was last on this side of their list? Kinda 'hopey/changey stratergy, ain't it?
How dumb do you think the people are?
We can plainly see the ongoing march toward totalitarianism, no matter which party is in power, right foot, left foot, all in the same direction.
Talk about an "Entitlement Mentality"!
The GOP isn't entitled to anyone's vote just because their candidate smells a little less like crap than the other guy.
You reach a point where people won't vote for either. Some of the American people spoke: "None of the Above", some protested the Major party tickets, and voted third party.
That is the Right of every American, right down to writing in their grandma if they so choose.
In a POTUS election year, if you want votes down ticket, you run someone at the top who will get the base out.
That did not happen. So just what did you expect?
The GOP has been tossing the base under the bus throughout the campaign, and here you are, instead of courting the libertarian (small 'l') vote for the future, you're putting the boots to people who voted their conscience, blaming them for YOUR loss. You think that is going to bring people into the GOP tent? Not without a firebrand.
When you folks are done in the blame-placing echo chamber, turn out the lights. We won't wait up for you.
You are right, because republicans should get every vote that is not for a democrat, no matter how out-of-touch, liberal, or careerist politician they are.
How dare these people vote for the candidate that most closely matches their political views.
Don’t these voters see the price of sticking to their principals!
Some people vote their conscience, and others vote 3rd party to send a message to the GOP.
In either case, they obviously weren’t going to vote for the GOP candidate no matter what.
I can’t stand Ron Paul and his followers, but I voted for Gary Johnson because I wasn’t voting for Obama or his GOP doppelgänger. Now, I live in NY where it wasn’t a contest anyway, but I’d have done the same had I live in Ohio or Florida.
Reading through the posts on this thread, I see a lot of emotional name-calling and finger-pointing by Republicans and some reasonable responses by libertarian-minded people.
The GOP has completely lost its way. You’ve turned into your own biggest enemy.
The GOP should have learned to be more fiscally conservative after 1992 and 1996, when disaffected conservatives pulled the lever for Ross Perot rather than go for “Democrat Lite”, giving us Bill Clinton as a result.
They haven’t. No matter how many times the lose with “Democrat Lite”, they keep trotting them out. Well, you get what you deserve.
This is a really research study on the psychology of Libertarians I thought I’d share:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0042366
Basically what it ends up showing is that Libertarians are neither contemporary Liberal nor Conservative, but form a unique 3rd strata of political disposition.
This is a really interesting research study on the psychology of Libertarians I thought I’d share:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0042366
Basically what it ends up showing is that Libertarians are neither contemporary Liberal nor Conservative, but form a unique 3rd strata of political disposition.
Why not learn about monetary policy, inflation, business cycle and the gold standard, reach out to libertarians, support auditing the Fed and other pro-freedom issues?
I was in the LP, the LP vote is under 1% typically. If that vote gets above that, the politician should look in the mirror and ask, what I did wrong?
When you have the highest elected Republican, Boehner, out there agreeing to raise revenues, how is anyone wrong to vote Libertarian Party. The GOP is hardly the team that is going to reduce the size and scope of the Federal Government. They haven't done it, when they had the White House, the Senate and the House.
As a libertarian, I know the greatest threat to this nation is the leviathan of the Federal Government. And when I see the Republican Party expand it, succor it and do nothing to stop it, how am I to believe that the GOP is the place I have to vote?
It's the political party's role to get out there and reach out to libertarians with policies and actions. The GOP has not done this, so how can you blame the voters?
even rr figured things out and began calling himself a libertarian-conservative....true conservatives are libertarians (small l)...the issues libertarians are said to endorse and are criticized for are simply issues that gubmint has no business sticking its nose in...true conservatism is basic libertarian in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson, Robt Taft, Barry Goldwater, RR and Dr RP, etc.
Would-be conservatives attempt to fit their own confused dumbed-down beliefs into the label...
Keep it Simple, Stupid! (kiss)
Truth is, if this Republic is going to survive libertarianism is the only way forward. It offers a workable solution for peaceful coexistence within a nation of laws primarily advancing individual liberties. Let's take just one thing as an example...
Abortion: Regardless where you are on this issue you will have to admit it is never going to go away as long as we are in a push and pull death match wherein the winner forces their position on the other. Any conservative that thinks in this 21st century they are going to put that genie back in the bottle are deluding themselves. Libertarianism offers the only real solution for a free republic - allow each person to choose this if they want, pay for it themselves, and then accept the ramifications (moral, psychological, etc). For conservatives you are not required to financially support it and can wash your hands of involvement completely if you so choose. And note, you are still allowed/encouraged/permitted to engage in social persuasion and private institutions to encourage the better choice.
I suspect this position applied to most issues would appeal to a vast range of voters - left AND right and form a workable coalition. Of course, this would require an actual discussion of idealology in a party that only nominates the "next guy in line." Probably never going to happen. So give us your Christie, your Santorum, or whoever the next guy in line is deemed to be. Enjoy your status as the faithful opposition party.
I didn't vote for Romney because he's pro-abortion, anti-gun, pro socialized medicine, and pro big government.
GOP wants my vote, they need to earn it and quit running moderates and liberals.
/johnny