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As Barnett aptly notes, via the creation of a Libertarian Party, libertarians have prevented themselves from gaining influence in either the Democratic or Republican parties.

Libertarian ideas have plenty of influence outside the LP, just as socialist ideas long were influential outside the Socialist Party and other explicitly socialist groups.

"If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism."

Apparently that comes from a 1975 interview Reagan gave to Reason, a libertarian magazine, when he was getting ready to run for President. It fit his campaign in that year, but may not always be true.

[ALPAPilot]

"If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism."

The heart and soul of connservatism are the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

[Nicholas Conradin]

Libertarian ideas have plenty of influence outside the LP, just as socialist ideas long were influential outside the Socialist Party and other explicitly socialist groups.

True, but the LP is an antagonist primarily to the Republican party. It diverts votes that would normally go to the GOP, and there have been instances (albeit few) where the LP vote exceeded the Democrat margin of victory.

I was once a member of the Libertarian Party, left it when I began to see it as a diversion of resources and effort from better ways of promoting the ideology.