GOP in desperate need of libertarian infusion

The Nashua Telegraph, Nashua, NH ^ | 2009-04-30 | Ed Lopez

[rabscuttle385]

Over a year ago, Mitt Romney was losing primaries to John McCain, and conservative pundits from Ann Coulter to Rush Limbaugh predicted the end of the GOP – Coulter went as far as promising she would campaign for Hillary Rodham Clinton if McCain became the party's nominee.

By November 2008, the GOP had embraced a nominee who had considered switching parties twice, had opposed tax cuts, and had failed to advance an aggressive shift in a foreign policy that left the GOP discredited in an area it had always trumped in.

It's not that McCain's willingness to reach across the aisle was condemnable. On the contrary, had McCain been able to do that as a conservative, he would've had more than tepid support from voters.

It also has less to do with the reasons conservatives disagreed with him when they should have found common ground. For example, McCain angered many conservatives when he opposed the federal ban on same-sex marriage.

Here in New Hampshire, congressional candidate Grant Bosse was among the few Republicans who understood the importance of leaving some decisions for adults to make with God and their state, not judges and the federal government.

It's precisely the reasons many couldn't support McCain – even conservatives who stuck by their guns and refused to send him to the White House – that merit serious reflection.

So far it's difficult to sense the fundamental message shift required for the GOP to make inroads in 2010 and 2012, but it seems no state is better poised to nurture these than the state of New Hampshire.

They key to doing this successfully? Allowing New Hampshire's libertarian spirit to infuse the GOP grassroots and allowing that to spread nationally.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

They need to get back to the fusionist coalition of the Reagan era that brought conservatives and libertarians together to roll back federal spending and statist expansionism. But they will need charismatic candidates who can speak coherently and connect with the people. If they replay the disasters of the Bush-Cheney and McCain type, business as usual, statist expansion and adventurism, Obammunism just rolls on.

They will also need to figure out how to pick up some of those Reagan Democrats in a few blue states if they want to win the presidency.

[steve-b]

The GOP generally offers libertarians nothing but scorn.

You're forgetting whines and recriminations, especially after they lose a close race by less thant he LP vote total.

[TheBigIf]

Republicans need not support open borders, a weak National Defense, homosexual marriage, lax drug laws, a lack of public decency standards, or any of the other bad ideas that the libertarian party represents.

Let the libertarian party members decide for themselves if they want to infuse the republican party in order to achieve more limited government (which is what conservative republicans want to achieve already) but I am not compromising my conservative principles to attract libertarians.

[Pantera]

Libertarians for national office!
Conservatives for Local and State!

Limit the federal governments power in EVERY way possible... no federal mandates on abortion one way or the other, no federal mandates on gayness one way or the other, no federal mandates on drugs one way or the other...

Here's the key... STATES are fully capable of managing these issues in their own way.

IMHO, This is the only way to get this country back in line with the constitution.

[villagerjoel]

McCain is a thousand times worse in retrospect.

[ChrisInAR]

The GOP needs a CONSERVATIVE infusion. Conservatism is a three-legged stool — free markets, national defense and traditional values.

I admire what you have said here, but the problem is that those who consider traditional values to be one of the legs of the GOP have ignored the fact that our nation has a federal system of government, & instead of leaving the traditional values part to the States (& getting the federal government out of the way) as the 10th Amendment requires, they have turned them into national issues that have increased the size & power of the federal government over the States.

They ended up turning the GOP into a big-government party whose only difference w/ the Dims are the issues that an all-powerful national government should control.

[Beagle8U]

Didn't NH just vote to allow queer marriage?

I don't think Republicans need to take advice from NH Liberalterrians.

[dirtboy]

GOP in desperate need of libertarian infusion

I disagree to an extent. It was libertarian laisse-faire economic views that played a considerable role in the financial meltdown. What we need is to scale back government where it is a waste but have government where it is needed, such as adequate regulation of derivatives and banking.

[dfwgator]

Libertarians for national office! Conservatives for Local and State!

Exactly!!!! That needs to be the blueprint.

[ChrisInAR]

But a vote for Palin was a vote FOR McCain. HIS name was the 1st name on the ticket, not hers. “Conservatives” who had any principle should have done what I did, & either vote for Pastor Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party( or Bob Barr (Libertarian Party)....I voted for Baldwin.

[rockrr]

The Republican party needs some more time in the wilderness in order to return to its roots and act like a viable entity once again. Unfortunately, a wilderness is all we will have left if they don’t get their stuff together and start presenting a decent alternative to the madness that has been foisted upon this nation!

[Oztrich Boy]

It was libertarian laisse-faire economic views that played a considerable role in the financial meltdown.

It's not laisse-faire economic views if the lenders know the Gubbmint is going to bail out bad sub-prime loans

[djsherin]

***It was libertarian laisse-faire economic views that played a considerable role in the financial meltdown.***

Really now?

[WOSG]

“The GOP needs a CONSERVATIVE infusion. Conservatism is a three-legged stool — free markets, national defense and traditional values. Abandoning any of the three spells doom for the Republican party”

Good comment.

FWIW, there IS a libertarian infusion of the GOP grassroots going on. I was at a meeting of precinct chairs in our county exec meeting, and many new and young precinct chairs were sworn in, several of them are Ron Paul supporting Republicans. The ‘campaign for liberty’ is highly organized here.

It’s a good thing overall. My only concern is that we dont neglect or lose the other aspects/wings of the conservative movement.

As the patriots said in the revolution: UNITE OR DIE.

[dfwgator]

It's not laisse-faire economic views if the lenders know the Gubbmint is going to bail out bad sub-prime loans

Bingo!!!

But that is the argument for anti-trust laws, because once a company gets to be "too big to fail", in essence, it becomes a public trust, even though it is private in name.

[ChrisInAR]

free markets, national defense and traditional values

Language...Culture...Borders...you bet!

- - - - -

I like both of your comments, but how about this:

LIFE...LIBERTY...& THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

[dirtboy]

Yes. Credit default swaps were exempted from regulation by Phil Gramm's CFMA legislation, and look at the mess that created. Greenspan thought for years that the financial sector could effectively self-regulate itself. He was wrong, and has acknowledged as much. And the decision to not regulate ICE terminals played a key role in the commodities bubble of last year.

There needs to be basic regulations in place for the financial and insurance sectors to ensure adequate reserves to cover obligations, and to prevent speculators from manipulating commodities markets.

[WOSG]

“I agree with that. Libertarians have a bunch of stuff that I dislike, and in my experience have no interest in compromising. Of course, I’m hard to please — I’m upset with the Republicans because they compromise too easily with the Democrats, and I’m upset with the Libertarians because they refuse to compromise with Republicans. I’m a curmudgeon.”

How do you get independent-minded curmudgeons to work as a team?
How do you herd cats?

Maybe the answer is found in this question:
Why is Obama trying to bankrupt America with $16 trillion in spending over the next 4 years?

[dirtboy]

It's not laisse-faire economic views if the lenders know the Gubbmint is going to bail out bad sub-prime loans

If adequate regulations regarding reserves had been maintained and enforced, we wouldn't be looking at bailouts now.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Sarah as VP again? She definitely will be ready to run for ‘12 POTUS, if she really wants it and if the dominating leftists even allow there to be elections in ‘12. Why do you think that many leftists, including the MSM and entertainment world, are still attacking her today? Because they already know that she may possibly be the GOP front runner in ‘12. Sarah continues to take on everything negative associated with Sarah Palin as best as she can, and, so far, she’s doing just fine. I just hope that she also doesn’t eventually become “politically burned out” by the time that the ‘12 election cycle starts up (if, I repeat, if the leftists even allow the ‘12 elections to occur). Leftists, including the MSM and entertainment world, are trying to make Sarah have “political burn out” asap.