Update: Welcome Instapundit readers!
As the Tea Party movement continues and many Americans grow more concerned by government expansion, the interest and support for Libertarian style Republicanism is knocking loudly at the front door of conservatism. The GOP would be wise to answer.
Consider this report from The New Ledger:
“Part of what is harming the Republican party these days is the disillusionment of the Republican base, and many of the members of the base are small-government activists who feel as if the party has abandoned their pet issue. Getting those people back would help tremendously in the revival of the Republican party, and a more libertarian turn to Republican politics would serve to re-energize the small-government base.”
I know what you’re thinking. That’s just an isolated incident, right? What about the poll from Right Wing News today that says a majority of conservatives would vote for an atheist president?
6) Would you vote for an atheist for President?
Yes: 67.2% (41 votes)
No: 32.8% (20 votes
That doesn’t mean there isn’t room under the tent for conservative Christians, it means the opposite actually. Atheists, Agnostics and religious conservatives can co-exist under the same tent because they’re united by conservatism, not their religious views.
Eric Dondero, the editor of Libertarian Republican, has reported booming traffic at his website and was recently mentioned by Jonah Goldberg at National Review.
There are other signs too. Ron Paul (ever the Libertarian) still has many supporters who are happy that Dr. Paul’s “Audit The Federal Reserve” bill is gaining steam.
“Paul, as of Tuesday, has won 245 co-sponsors to a bill that would require a full-fledged audit of the Federal Reserve by the end of 2010.”
“Paul attracted just 18 co-sponsors when he authored a similar bill, which died, in 1983. While the impact Fed policies have on inflation is once again a concern, fears about loose monetary policy and excessive federal spending appear even more widespread in 2009.”
Finally if there’s any doubt left in your mind, Greg Gutfeld host of the FOX News program Red Eye, was recently interviewed by the ultimate authority on Libertarianism, Reason Magazine.
The money quote? 2:51
“I became a Conservative by being around Liberals and I became a Libertarian by being around Conservatives.”
Click the image below to watch the video:
July 1st, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Two points: 1) Dondero is no Libertarian. He’s a cheerleader for warmongering; Ron Paul fired him for a reason. 2) Reason magazine is not the “ultimate authority on libertarianism”, and indeed the idea of an authority on libertarianism is an oxymoron.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Limited government would be in the interests of social conservatives as well. By keeping the government from thrusting their version of what is acceptable onto people, there will be less need to resist this action through SoCon legislation.
We all win when the government leaves us alone.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:17 pm
An enjoyable 20 minutes from Greg, but frustrating because the questioner was so poorly miked.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:38 pm
[...] of the day, by Greg Gutfeld: I became a Conservative by being around Liberals and I became a Libertarian by being around [...]
July 1st, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I would not vote for an atheist, and I’m not particularly religious and I do not attend church. I probably qualify as a small l libertarian conservative.
Atheists, such as communists and others, tend to believe nothing is higher than man. This belief is generally associated with a gross lack of humility. There can be no morality if there is a lack of humility, and again I say this as a fairly non-religious person. Skepticism and agnosticism are acceptable, because they indicate a curious, inquisitive mind coupled with a mind open enough to the possibility of God. Most of us who are not devoutly religious have toyed with both atheism and agnosticism at some point and usually settle between devout belief and rabid atheism.
Too, there is the atheism movement, which is overwhelmed by rabid hatred and efforts to eradicate all instances of God and religion from our culture. The repugnance of this movement colors the tolerance the rest of us have towards atheists in general. Live and let live, but get offa my lawn, is my motto. The activists seem to want to ruin (private) atheism for others. The best atheists are people whom no one knows are atheists. No president should ever admit – which would in fact be bragging – that he or she is an atheist. I fear for a populace that would embrace what many of us consider a form of nihilism. I don’t believe we’re there yet. (If we are, I didn’t vote for it.)
July 1st, 2009 at 3:58 pm
>That doesn’t mean there isn’t room under the tent for conservative Christians, it means the opposite actually.
No, it does not. You offer no evidence of this claim. Wishful thinking, not political reality.
July 1st, 2009 at 4:03 pm
And, Mormonism SHOULDN’T be a factor for conservatives (Huckabee crashed Romney’s chances in WV and FL with assistance from the RNC). He would have been a great alternative to McCain.
Also, look out for October surprises – like the 500 billion drawdown on Atlanta Federal Bank in Sept (18th?) which started the Democratic push to take over government. We can’t be so independent that we let these things happen without CITIZEN oversight.
July 1st, 2009 at 4:37 pm
30+ years ago, I was a liberal who decided liberalism was foolish and thus became a libertarian. Though I often vote Republican because the alternative is the idiocrats, I would definitely welcome a renewed interest in limited government ideals from the no-child-left-behind-Medicare-part-D-cap-and-trade-lite Republicans.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:12 pm
I couldn’t really agree more with the need for the Republicans to wake to the need for a party that actually has principles…and policies. I’ve been a Republican all my life but I now believe that the Republicans are doing as much damage to the fabric of this country as the Democrats. You can hype principles all you want but without a policy to draw people to your cause you really are left alone voting “NO” to the other party that is controlling the agenda. When over 60% of our taxes goes to “entitlements”, it is easy to see that forcing working people to report their income via W-2’s and IRS form 1099’s but not requiring it of the people’s whose income was gained through redistribution just makes a political slush fund of our taxes for buying votes with unreported income. 1099 for All
July 1st, 2009 at 5:14 pm
But are Libertarians politically savvy enough to run a candidate that can win?
July 1st, 2009 at 5:27 pm
The natural extension of Libertarianism is a relative trend toward (dare I say it?) anarchy, not the bomb throwing type, the less government type. Our goal will be met when government has been downsized not eliminated.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I like the trend, but they have got to remix the sound on that thing. The only way to hear her is to turn it up so high you get blasted by Guttfeld. It’s unwatchable, which is unfortunate because I’d like to watch it.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I think this would be a winner for Sarah Palin. I get the impression that her governing style has always been more libertarian/constitutionalist than theocratic or “national greatness” neo-conservative. She has not lifted a finger to enact the theo-con agenda in Alaska.
If she came out for strict constitutionalism, real cuts in the size and scope of government, governmental and financial-services transparency and ethics reform, an end to the War on Drugs, and a healthy respect for the limitations of foreign military adventurism, I think she could reel in a ton of support from moderates and disillusioned Democrats.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Man is a social animal. Groups of humans constitute ’societies’. Societies are defined as “groups of individuals competing for conventional goals by conventional means.” Goals and means define the society and hold it together. Leftists and Libertarians refuse to conform to natural human conventions and, therefore, disintegrate any existing society, and make the formation of another society impossible. Life in the resulting non-society is accurately defined as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”. Especially short because such a non-society, lacking any ability to act together in a co-ordinated manner, is defenseless (what is the Libertarian stand on the military draft?). Other humans, living in a natural society and in the ever-competitive world, will soon displace it.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I’m a Conservative with strong Libertarian leanings. I really want a smaller government. I do. I do believe, however that there is a proper role for government to “promote the general welfare”. I voted for the Libertarian candidate in the last general. McCain is unacceptable as a Republican, because he’s really, when you look at his positions, a Conservative Democrat. He and Lieberman are two peas in a pod. I don’t have much problem with such. They just can’t be Pubs, in my book. I also live in deep blue Washington State.
What keeps me from being a Libertarian is the sheer number of kooks involved, not balanced by more mainstream types. It’s all the troofers and the tinfoil hat crowd. Ugh. I do not want to associate with them.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Peg C. -
Have you ever studied Objectivism? http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/humility.html
As for nihilism, the populace is well on it’s way there. How can you convince non-religious people that they should adhere to a morality that is somewhat based on faith (which most of them reject for good reason, because they can reason) and somewhat based on the reality of human nature? It can’t be done, and any attempts to do so are obviously failing. Until you provide them with an objective moral system, one that adheres to reality, the amount of nihilists out there will continue to multiply.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:03 pm
“Dondero is no Libertarian. He’s a cheerleader for warmongering; Ron Paul fired him for a reason. ”
The above statement displays another problem with many Libertarians… these types wear thier label like a snobby goth kid who loves to not fit in, and get beat up in the locker rooms.
Compared to an ostrich like Ron Paul, I guess a promoter of the rights and liberty of the individual internationally is a “warmonger”.
And thats why I didnt vote for Ron Paul. He, as well as his peacenik supporters, are absolutely blind to and/or uninterested in standing up to the irrational totalitarian forces in the world. And themselves engage in the epithets and caricatures promoted by the leftists. Liberty for me, but not for thee. Lame!
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:17 am
Republicans need to get serious about voting out Rinos and focusing on fiscal conservatism. If they can do that & they’ll win the growing Libertarian vote. Libertarians don’t want to cast a protest vote, they want a winner who will shrink government.
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:24 am
“I became a Conservative by being around Liberals and I became a Libertarian by being around Conservatives.” Great quote. Now what’s left for those of us who are equally repulsed by all three groups? I started off as a liberal Democrat, was exposed to a lot of libertarian thought and came to agree with much of the small-government principles but have been so turned off by the Libertarians that I’m more likely to feel kinship with conservatives these days even though that fit isn’t quite right either. There’s the extreme…..quirkiness of so many libs. And then there’s the fixation on things that are really far down on the list of priorities of most sane people. And finally, my total break with libertarians came after seeing how hateful, idiotic and irresponsible their response to 9/11 was. I guess I’m just a neo-con when it comes to foreign policy – I sure haven’t heard any convincing arguments from libertarians about how to interact with the world. The “truthers” seem to be heavily libertarian and let’s not forget Ron Paul – a vile anti-semite (and I can quote you statements from his newsletters going back 20 years – my SO used to subscribe to them). (I’m not a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen but I swear to God I’m going to se Bruno just to see Ron Paul exposed as a horse’s ass.)
I really wish there was a party (or even the occasional candidate) that championed small government fiscal conservativism, was moderate on social issues and was committed to a strong national defense. That’s what I’m looking for. Any suggestions as to where I might find it?
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:25 am
Maybe it’s time for the reborn Whig Party, written half in jest.
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
JonC, as it happens I’m reading (listening to the Audible version, rather of) Atlas Shrugged now. There is a lot about Objectivism that I like but, while I’m not religious per se, I believe in a higher power. Humans need this belief to keep us humble and I personally believe it’s programmed into our genes. Maybe it will be bred out in a few 1000 years but then I still believe we’ll destroy ourselves before then. (No, that’s not an environmental wacko statement and I’m no AGW believer.)
I like Rand a lot but disagree with her atheism. I respect it, however. There is no good to come from us separating humans into groups – believers and disbelievers – to club each other over the head with the hammer of superiority. This is what is happening now.
Also, on the bigger issue, esca pretty much encapsulates my opinion on politics with this:
“I really wish there was a party (or even the occasional candidate) that championed small government fiscal conservativism, was moderate on social issues and was committed to a strong national defense. That’s what I’m looking for.”
This is why I wish Fred Thompson had really, really wanted to run. And yes, I’m a FredHead.
December 8th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
[...] Barry Goldwater’s Revenge: The Libertarian Shift Among American Republicans As the Tea Party movement continues and many Americans grow more concerned by government expansion, the interest and support for Libertarian style Republicanism is knocking loudly at the front door of conservatism. The GOP would be wise to answer. [...]
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:39 pm
[...] IT WAS ME. [...]