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This libertarian activist is now running for Senate as a Republican – here’s why
The Blaze ^ | July 14, 2017 | Pat and Stu

Posted on 07/14/2017 1:07:37 PM PDT by TBP

What do you do when you realize you may be too conservative to be a libertarian?

Austin Petersen, best known for running for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination in 2016, is giving the Republican Party a try. Advocating “pro-life and pro-Constitution” values, Petersen is challenging incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri for the 2018 midterm elections.

His decision came after thousands of phone calls reaching out directly to his supporters, who overwhelmingly urged him to run as a Republican, Petersen explained on Wednesday’s “Pat & Stu.”

“I decided to take their advice because they’re the ones who are putting all of their money and their time and their energy into these campaigns,” he said of his supporters.

Even though Republicans hold Congress and the White House, they haven’t managed to fulfill platform promises like repealing the Affordable Care Act. Petersen’s main mission is to join his voice to conservative senators clamoring for real reform.

“I’m running because I want to go in there and help people like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee and Rand Paul,” he said.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Politics
KEYWORDS: beatmccaskill; libertarian; petersen; republican
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To: Concentrate; BillyBoy
I'm personally Libertarian, but I could never vote that way.
21 posted on 07/15/2017 4:04:49 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Je Suis Pepe)
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To: BillyBoy

If she thinks Petersen is a “progressive”, then she’s out of touch. Petersen tends to the libertarian side, but he’s a constitutionalist, free market liberty advocate, which is antithetical to progressivism.


22 posted on 07/15/2017 11:56:11 AM PDT by TBP (0bama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

If he wins the nomination, he’ll get that *itch reelected again.


23 posted on 07/15/2017 10:00:53 PM PDT by Impy (End the kritarchy!)
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To: BillyBoy

LOL!


24 posted on 07/15/2017 10:01:10 PM PDT by Impy (End the kritarchy!)
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To: TBP; Impy; fieldmarshaldj
Petersen tends to the libertarian side, but he’s a constitutionalist deranged open borders/homo-marriage-for-all Paulbot, which is antithetical to progressivism Mike Lee/Ted Cruz style conservativism, no matter how much he claims otherwise.

His supporters can pretend otherwise, but Austin Petersen has far more in common ideologically with Mark Kirk than he does with Mike Lee.

25 posted on 07/15/2017 10:23:28 PM PDT by BillyBoy (Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: BillyBoy
Austin Petersen has far more in common ideologically with Mark Kirk than he does with Mike Lee.

Simply untrue. As I said, he is a small-government, constitutionalist. he found himself too conservative for the LP (although he's vastly more libertarian than Gary Johnson will ever be.) If you look at his views -- all of them -- you find a lot in common with Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, and the rest of the conservatives in the Senate.

26 posted on 07/16/2017 2:34:22 PM PDT by TBP (0bama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: BillyBoy

https://www.austinpetersen.com/


27 posted on 07/16/2017 2:35:16 PM PDT by TBP (0bama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: BillyBoy

If Petersen were in the Senate now, how do you think he would vote on 0bamacare repeal? On tax cuts? I am certain that he would support the Cruz-Lee-Paul position on those issues.


28 posted on 07/19/2017 2:25:20 PM PDT by TBP (0bama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: TBP; Impy; fieldmarshaldj; AuH2ORepublican
Heh. Unfortunately for the Austin Petersen fanboys, I just found out he came in a distant third place finish in the Senate primary last month. He not only lost to Trump's endorsed candidate, but ALSO to the other conservative Republican in the race. Petersen got a pathetic 8.3% of the vote.

But hey, if it makes his fan club feel better, I "personally" supported his candidacy and in my ideal world, he'd be Senator right now. I just have no right to force MY views on millions of OTHER citizens, so I couldn't actually, y'know, help him win and thus cause other people to live under his policies. I'm sure he understands about the importance of NOT inflicting your PERSONAL beliefs on others.

Not to worry though, by the Austin Petersen standard, that makes me a PROUD Austin Petersen supporter!!! Go Austin Go!!!

29 posted on 09/17/2018 1:48:01 AM PDT by BillyBoy (States rights is NOT a suicide pact.)
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