Libertarians are big time spoilers in Gov races

ma-firearms@world.std.com ^ | 11/6/02 | Ioffe

[Britton J Wingfield]

They aren't. I'm all for picking your battles. That's why I voted Republican on tuesday :)

I'm taking a good look at the RLC, too. There it's just a matter of L or l.

[Moby Grape]

YOU ARE ELECTING DEMOCRATS!!! Explain this twisted version of PRINCIPLE. It is bad enough that you have among your ranks people who dye themselves blue, who run illegal "Law Schools" in Texas, who have campaign photos showing them holding their pet ferretts (and these are some of your BEST offerings), but you have the dumbest political platform issue of all time (legalizing drugs...defeated handily in four states in the last election), and you dare suggest that you laugh at US!!!!! When it comes to funny, there is no better Saturday Night Live material to be found that the Libertarains.

[Roscoe]

D) Doyle 800,958 F
*(R) McCallum 732,781 A
(L) Thompson 185,085

"I . . . want to express my thanks to the countless volunteers and contributors who helped make this campaign the most successful third-party campaign for Wisconsin governor in 60 years," Thompson said.

They succeeded in electing Doyle.

[cruiserman]

Libertarians Republicans are Democrats who can't bring themselves to vote for Democrats.

[dead]

Only the 400th or so thread started about the idiotic notion that, if a Libertarian were suddenly removed from a race, all or most of his votes would automatically be transferred to a Republican with whom they don't agree.

Whine, whine, whine.

BTW, I voted straight Republican.

[jayef]

I don't know any Libertarians who would cast a vote for a leftist. Regardless of their stand on personal freedom/responsibility issues.

[cruiserman]

But more to the point, I suspect many of them would not vote at all. Having a Libertarian candidate to vote for gives them a way to vent their frustration with the system, which is probably good. Without that pressure release valve, I think many would simply have nothing to do with the whole process.

Right on the money. Lots of libertarian candidates here in the Gem state, but they rarely get above 4% of the vote.

[steve-b]

We Republicans continue to agonize over this problem

No, you don't, or you would get off your butts and do somethign to earn the votes you want.

Well, now you have a two-year, no-excuses opportunity to do so... or shut up, forever.

[u-89]

YOU ARE ELECTING DEMOCRATS!!! Explain this twisted version of PRINCIPLE

Yes please explain the principle of the Republican governor of NJ and the entire party apparatus working for Democrats rather than a Conservative Republican candidate, Bret Schundler.

[Moby Grape]

I will go nowhere near the stupid gaggle known as Libertarian...EVER!!!...the stupid idea of legalizing drugs, the arrogant postering by a bunch of phone booth convention gaggle of honking geese, the attacks on republicans who fall short of their defintion of principle, the galley of looney tune canidates (from dying themselves blue, to running illegal law schools, to holding their pet ferretts in campaing photos, and their ELECTING democrats, is ALL I NEED TO KNOW to assure that I will NEVER vote Libertatian...I may someday vote third party IF the canidate has a chance of winning and doing so won't elect a democrat...and NOT electing democrats is the HIGHEST principle we can hold to in these times.

[gore_sux]

Yeah, it sure is stupid to vote based on principles rather than expediency, isn't it? The important thing is to get elected, not to actually stand for something. How silly those Libertarians are !

God forbid if someone should get involved with the party and change it from within. We do have caucuses and primary elections in the Republican party, but you have decided to take your ball and go home instead of fighting within the party.

Instead you choose to vote against the Republican party, which makes you a Democrat in my book. (I mean "you" in the generic sense, not you personally, of course.)

[jayef]

Why do you need a NOTA. Can't you just NV. That's what I do.

[steve-b]

I voted libertarian on Tuesday BUT there was no Republican running against the RAT.

When the Lib-bashers take the position -- which is absolutely required by their argument -- that GOP voters are expected to vote LP in those races where the GOP doesn't show up to oppose the 'Rats, then I'll believe that they're being sincere. Not before.

[A2J]

My question is why Libertarians run against good pro-gun candidates?

Another question can be:

If the libertarians claim to be the strict constitutionalists they claim to be, then why do they put candidates who support the constitution (i.e., conservatives) in jeopardy by running a losing campaign against them?

Sounds as if they run on a "sour grapes" platform against other, more electable, conservatives.

[Letitring]

It amazes me this goes on day after day. It seems to me there are so many other battles to fight, the Libertarians would get busy on them. Why is it they are ALWAYS carping about the Republicans when we are the only Party trying to help? I don't get it. What is their goal? I can't tell. Is it to tear apart the Republican party? Is that what they want? If so, why? Then what? Leaving themselves to combat the Democrats? Is that what they want? To be the second Party in a 2 party system? WHY for the love of God don't they concentrate on getting rid of the Democrats? If they are the Conservatives they claim to be, seems to me to be no contest. Democrats are not remotely conservative. That would leave Republicans and Libertarians. Evidently, not part of their plan, whatever that is, if they even know. I honestly can't tell what they believe in. Everything, I guess. Seems to me it's the Party of 'do as thou will.'

[anniegetyourgun]

Voting for a party that has no intention of winning is stupid. That's not what political parties are for.

But, alas, it really doesn't matter. Emjoy irrelevance.

[BlazingArizona]

Stupidity, pig-headedness, political kamikaziism, silly notions of 'sending a message', etc., etc., etc.....

I'm more of a realist about politics. I support the Republican in close races unless there is some highly specific reason for me to not like that person. When the gap is large in either direction, I go Libertarian.

[cruiserman]

Libertarians are Constitutionalists

That's debatable.

[Triple]

Are you sure it isn't reupbs spoilers against Libertarian candidates?

Who owns those votes anyway Republican party, Libertarian party, or the individual who cast them in their best interest?

[Saundra Duffy]

Didn't make any difference in California. Simon won in 40 of our 58 counties. As usual, Los Angeles & San Francisco did us in. BUT IF ALL THE REPUBLICANS WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THEIR LAZY BUTTS TO THE POLLS AND VOTED FOR SIMON, HE'D HAVE WON. So we're stuck with "Gay" Davis for FOUR MORE YEARS! Ack!