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After Ron Paul, What Now For Libertarians?
New York Times ^ | Brian Doherty

Posted on 02/09/2013 2:39:36 PM PST by JohnPDuncan

RON PAUL, Republican of Texas, has retired from the House, after winning more than two million presidential primary votes in 2012. He took the party’s libertarian wing from ignorable fringe to significant faction. His son, Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, is angling to lead that faction, very possibly as a presidential candidate himself.

The libertarian wing’s dissatisfaction with Mitt Romney led the Libertarian Party to earn 1.2 million votes in the presidential election for its candidate, the former New Mexico governor (and former Republican) Gary Johnson. That was its largest vote total ever. In at least seven national House and Senate races a Libertarian beat the spread between a winning Democrat and a losing Republican. From the Republican point of view, losing the libertarians can mean losing elections.

“There’s a whole swath of people not getting adequate attention from Republicans or Democrats,” Senator Paul told me recently. These are independent voters who want to seriously cut government spending the way the Tea Party faction does but who also want a “foreign policy more of defense and less offense,” as Senator Paul put it, and a “more socially tolerant attitude.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: libertarian; paultard; randpaul; zot
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To: JohnPDuncan
Conservative yes, Rand Paul, not a chance.

CC

41 posted on 02/09/2013 3:52:32 PM PST by Celtic Conservative
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To: MinuteGal

Sorry to disappoint Leni, we’re not going away. We’re taking over, one county and one precinct at a time. We already control some state parties and will continue to make progress until we get Rand - a true conservative who wants to balance the budget and cut government - on the ballot


42 posted on 02/09/2013 3:54:06 PM PST by JohnPDuncan
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To: JohnPDuncan

If the intention had been the states can “do whatever they want”, there would be no federal government at all. The USA wouldn’t be a country. Alabama and Florida would be independent countries. The fact is, states have a lot of power (which is being encroached upon), but the federal government, as in ANY sovereign country, makes decisions for the nation.

I’m sick of you morons whining “if you don’t vote for the guy I want, I’m going to make sure you get liberals on the Supreme Court! Haha!” Do you have any idea how pathetic that sounds?

Why don’t you just go the Netherlands? You’ll have all the drugs you want, all the prostitutes and gay marriage forms and abortion drugs you can hope for.


43 posted on 02/09/2013 3:54:06 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: JohnPDuncan

Do you not understand the difference between libertarians and conservatives? They are DIFFERENT. When will you accept this fact?


44 posted on 02/09/2013 3:55:30 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: Viennacon

You are correct, they are different philosophies. (L) believe in the Liberty brought about by the Constitution, (C) believe in the status-qua (defined as: disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change).

By their own brand, they are not trying, nor willing, to roll back, but to keep static. Let’s say they were wanting to roll back...to what/when?

Nobody, since Reagan, has done more than pay lip service to the Constitution, let alone Liberty and Freedom. It was Nixon who foisted the EPA, W. Bush who expanded Eduction and Medicare. That is NOT Conservative.

You mention a moral and religious people. The same church that is willing to allow gay marriage; against their own dogma? The same people who, just recently, are voicing support to ‘save’ SS and Medicare; both known Ponzi schemes that rob Peter to pay Paul? The same people that make deals in smoke-filled back rooms and force these Laws upon its Citizens?? THAT Conservative?

Gov’t was not created to SERVE the People. It is there to defend the borders, make treaties/war and most importantly guarantee that OUR Rights, Liberty and Freedom are not infringed. It’s the Dem, with the help of the GOP/Conservatives, that have flipped the Constitution on its head.

Basic decency does not come from the threat of incarceration or from the end of a gun (as gov’t is ‘Lawful’ force); as much as charity comes from gov’t giving away taxpayer $$.

The (L) party has never had ‘power’ representation in Congress. Even Dr. Paul was roundly ostracized by the GOP/Conservatives in Congress. They were not the only ones not wishing to ‘rock the boat’ or have the Public’s prying eyes upon their misdeeds.

Cast the stones in your own glass house before berating us of the (L) bend.


45 posted on 02/09/2013 3:55:30 PM PST by i_robot73
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To: Viennacon

I could go to Nevada and have prostitution and I could go to Colorado and have drugs. See, 10th amendment works and yes the States themselves formed the Federal government which was meant to be limited in size and with enumerated powers under the constitution. I dont see drug prohibition there. When the treaty with the King was signed it was signed by the colonies not with a Federal government. It was always understood that the states are independent.


46 posted on 02/09/2013 3:56:25 PM PST by JohnPDuncan
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To: i_robot73

The same church that is willing to allow gay marriage; against their own dogma?

(That’s not a real church. That’s a fake church)

The same people who, just recently, are voicing support to ‘save’ SS and Medicare; both known Ponzi schemes that rob Peter to pay Paul?

(Please be specific as to who you’re talking about, give names. Those are benefits that were destined to collapse, however we now have a population who were promised a load of crap they paid into but we can’t afford to hand out because we spent their money on other garbage)

The same people that make deals in smoke-filled back rooms and force these Laws upon its Citizens?? THAT Conservative?

(Are you talking about Boehner? He’s a RINO. Where have you been?)


47 posted on 02/09/2013 4:01:23 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: JohnPDuncan

The Pauls are both fake conservatives just not of the usual RINO type. We need real conservatives not libertarians.


48 posted on 02/09/2013 4:05:50 PM PST by Grandma Conservative (Take back the GOP Now, not in three years or be prepared to vote RINO once again.)
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To: JohnPDuncan

Gaty Johnson for now. Tens of millions to follow if that doesn’t work.


49 posted on 02/09/2013 4:06:25 PM PST by elkfersupper ( Member of the Original Defiant Class)
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To: JohnPDuncan

Gary Johnson for now. Tens of millions to follow if that doesn’t work.


50 posted on 02/09/2013 4:07:15 PM PST by elkfersupper ( Member of the Original Defiant Class)
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To: Grandma Conservative

Rand is not fake. He has proposed a budget that cuts 500 billion immediately. No one else has done that. He’s serious about balancing the budget and returning to growth.


51 posted on 02/09/2013 4:07:42 PM PST by JohnPDuncan
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To: JohnPDuncan

Okay, let’s answer this very easily. Conservatives and libertarians are different. It’s a different perspective. You believe that the constitution alone can function perfectly in today’s world. Conservatives believe that unless we restore decency in this country, we’re going off a cliff whether we follow the constitution or not.

It’s okay to disagree on this fundamental idea, but I’m just making the point that bitching about how if you don’t get Rand Paul on the ticket (who is not 100% libertarian by the way)you’re going to stay home and we’re gonna lose again, is pointless and annoying.


52 posted on 02/09/2013 4:07:42 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: Dysart

No, the problem with the Libertarian Party is some of their principles.


53 posted on 02/09/2013 4:09:22 PM PST by Grandma Conservative (Take back the GOP Now, not in three years or be prepared to vote RINO once again.)
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To: Viennacon

I’m sorry if the truth offends you sir but there it is. We will not participate if the candidate is committed to big government like Dole, Romney, McCain and Bush.


54 posted on 02/09/2013 4:10:19 PM PST by JohnPDuncan
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To: JohnPDuncan

Good for him. Still doesn’t make him a conservative.


55 posted on 02/09/2013 4:18:36 PM PST by Grandma Conservative (Take back the GOP Now, not in three years or be prepared to vote RINO once again.)
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To: Viennacon
Thank you. This is a conservative site, not a libertarian one. Conservative also means, socially conservative. In fact, it's not conservative at all without the social conservatives. I will never support anyone who supports baby murder and sodomite "marriage", or sodomites in the military. Never.
56 posted on 02/09/2013 4:19:56 PM PST by mrsmel (One Who Can See)
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To: Viennacon

Good idea. I’m outa’ here.


57 posted on 02/09/2013 4:20:53 PM PST by elkfersupper ( Member of the Original Defiant Class)
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To: Viennacon

And neither is murder. Abortion is murder. The states cannot decide that murder is OK.


58 posted on 02/09/2013 4:22:28 PM PST by mrsmel (One Who Can See)
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To: Grandma Conservative

So what does it make him?


59 posted on 02/09/2013 4:22:28 PM PST by JohnPDuncan
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To: Grandma Conservative
The Pauls are both fake conservatives just not of the usual RINO type. We need real conservatives not libertarians.

Who is "we", Kemosabe?

60 posted on 02/09/2013 4:25:11 PM PST by elkfersupper ( Member of the Original Defiant Class)
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