[3Fingas]

Conservative are about 40$ of the electorate. If we ever want to win elections, we have to convince people who call themselves libertarians and moderates to make common cause with us. How we do this and keep our core principles is the tricky part. I think the best way to accomplish this is to insist on smaller government and focus economic issues.

[3Fingas]

40 percent

[SoConPubbie]

Conservative are about 40$ of the electorate. If we ever want to win elections, we have to convince people who call themselves libertarians and moderates to make common cause with us. How we do this and keep our core principles is the tricky part. I think the best way to accomplish this is to insist on smaller government and focus economic issues.

No, you don't do it by offending your base (Social, Christian Conservatives, who also trend towards fiscal conservative).

You do the Reagan model, you give each group what is really important to it and demand that each group also has to compromise on their 2nd tier issues, i.e.:

1. You give Social conservatives strong support against Abortion and the Gay Agenda
2. You give Fiscal Conservatives strong support for limited and reduced government
3. You give Neo-Cons strong support for a strong, muscular Military

It just so turns out, that your core base agrees with all three of those approaches and if the those individuals that fall strongly in those three groups, to the exclusion of one or two of the others, are smart, they will agree to this strategy.

It is the only way we are going to win.

[christx30]

But there are lots of ways that libertarians do not agree with the conservatives at all. In fact, they think the conservatives are as bad as dems in a few cases. Things like drug legalization, abortion, gay rights. In some ways, there are big government conservatives. “More control over certain groups of people, less control over me.”
Where would a libertarian find common ground with conservatives in that case?