Serious Question...how can you possibly NOT be a libertarian?

[Artema]

I honestly don't believe such a thing is really possible... Gipper did put it best: "The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program." - Ronald Reagan.

And to all these folks who continue voting for Libertarian candidates thinking it will somehow one day change... How's that been working out for you? Again, Gary Johnson .9% of the vote, Hess 1.8% of the vote. Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over expecting different results? When one way doesn't work, it's probably time to step back, reassess your tactics, come up with a new plan and give that a shot. I think throwing a candidate on the ballot, and then saying "You republicans aren't winning us over by insulting us," isn't working. I don't think you'd ever allow the republicans to win you over. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Tough, both sides of already thrown rocks. The Libertarians are claiming that the republicans are calling them lazy and delusional. Are you guys so free from fault? I think it was the libertarians that continue to spout "The lesser of 2 evils is still evil." So when someone calls someone else evil, getting called lazy and delusional in return somehow makes them the ones who are at fault? I hear criticism on both sides. But one thing I don't hear from the libertarians (don't get me wrong, who I support) is any attempt to try new tactics or even try to work with the republican party to make things better.

And what will the libertarians accomplish once they do finally get someone elected? You think the Rs and the Ds are just going to welcome them into the fold with open arms and listen to what they have to say? I doubt we'll see a Libertarian president or governor anytime in my lifetime, but I don't doubt they'll make it into congress... at which point they'll be 1 vs 99 who don't see things the same way in the senate, and 1 vs 434 in the house. What exactly will they accomplish? They'll be that one voice of dissent, silenced by the rest.

The things you say, to me and many others, are just horrible realizations of how much the current authoritarian parties are, and how much they need to go if this is really their viewpoint. This is disgusting.

[buffalobo]

When was the last time a Republican candidate showed up at Libertarian function to recruit support?

Appears to me that Republican's have no interest in working with Libertarians in mutually beneficial manner. They appear to want Libertarians to fall in line supporting them and then complain that Libertarians who do not fall in line are the reason Republican's lose elections.

[PugnacAutMortem]

I think people mistake people's support of libertarians with the dogma that republican and democrat supporters have. The cool thing about libertarians is that I am as likely to vote for a libertarian candidate as I would be to vote for a republican or a democrat. I haven't seen a republican or a democrat that I would like to vote for in awhile, but I can tell you that if Rand Paul or Ted Cruz run in 2016 you can defintiely count my vote in the R column for the Presidential race. And yes, I would vote for them over the libertarian candidate (which sounds like it's going to be Gary Johnson again).

That's the interesting thing though...it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to try and find a republican that would vote for a democrat or a libertarian and equally as difficult to find a democrat that would vote for a republican or a libertarian.

I can't speak for all my libertarian brothers and sisters (?) on here...but I don't hate republicans or democrats in any way, shape or form. Most of my family are republicans and most of my friends are democrats with the exception of a couple of libertarians sprinkled in there. But it seems pretty darn clear that there are people on here who hate libertarians, and just because of the type of forum this is, it's coming exclusively from republicans. Which brings me back to my earlier point, if libertarians make you so angry...why not try and catch flies with honey instead of the vinegar you've been throwing our way?

[davsel]

What is this "honey" you speak of?

[Bailey Guns]

I seriously doubt anyone here hates libertarians. The "dissenters" don't understand/agree with the logic of voting for libertarians or agree with all the libertarian ideals...it's not a matter of hating them. At least that's how I feel.

Hell...I don't even hate democrats. I do hate their methods, ideals and policies most of the time, though.

[Artema]

I mean, granted, L and R viewpoints are not terribly far off

Woah, what? Are you feeling alright? This is the biggest lie I've ever heard. I don't believe you know you're being dishonest here even. Authoritarian and Libertarian are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

[Bailey Guns]

Guess you didn't see the (Heavy sarcasm) disclaimer at the end of the paragraph... Blinded by outrage?

[Zundfolge]

Woah, what? Are you feeling alright? This is the biggest lie I've ever heard. I don't believe you know you're being dishonest here even. Authoritarian and Libertarian are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

THIS is why conservatives and Republicans don't want to have anything to do with you Libertarians ... y'all are just disconnected from reality.

You would rather live in a world where Progressives control everything just so you can claim "At least we didn't join up with them goddamn Republicans!"

The simple fact is that Libertarian and Conservative Republican viewpoints ARE very close, there's only a handful of issues we differ on and frankly we can have honest debate about those (can't have honest debate on these issues with Democrats). And despite the fact that the Establishment GOP types (aka Rockefeller Republicans, aka RINOs) have way too much power in the party it doesn't mean the entire party is nothing more than "conservative progressives" nor that we couldn't (especially with the help of you L's) push the party back where the rank and file are (constitutional conservationism).

We're stuck with a two party system for now ... if you want to dismantle that and replace it with the chaos of a multi party system where we end up being ruled by coalitions of parties that only represent 20% of the people then fine, but for now the only way to implement your ideology is through this two party system. That's not an endorsement of the system that's simply an acknowledgement of objective reality (which as a side note I find it funny how libertarians, many of which are Randian Objectivists have such a hard time with objective reality and instead rely on magical thinking).

But instead y'all tilt at windmills (while high on weed and not wearing a helmet).

[Bailey Guns]

Bingo.

[Artema]

Right, the Republicans are ALMOST like the guys who want freedom and liberty. I get it.