[QUOTE=Danalan]
Most Libertarians would vote Republican rather than Democrat? What the fuck are you smoking? Would you care to expound on this thought?
[/QUOTE]
But it seems to be true. Certainly true of PJ O’Rourke, who couldn’t be more Liberatarian. He once wrote that Republicans were like God and Democrats were like Santa Claus, and that Santa Claus was preferable in every way except one – there is no Santa Claus.
This wasn’t a statement of faith (I think he’s agnostic), but of his belief that liberal Democratic types are living in a fantasy land. Additionally, he finds them more dishonest intellectually; that is, he thinks many liberals’ preoccupation with certain causes is not based in altruism but ego and the desire to control people.
Anyway, this is well in line with other Libertarians I’ve known. They are very conservative fiscally and into small government, and socially liberal. Actually, I’m surprised you’re surprised. What do you think a Liberatarian is?
Oh my god, what did I do, just type l-i-b and then let my fingers flail at the keyboard until the word seemed done? I’ve never wished more for the ability to edit. LIBERTARIAN.
[QUOTE=Danalan]
Most Libertarians would vote Republican rather than Democrat? What the fuck are you smoking? Would you care to expound on this thought?
[/QUOTE]
You know how folks say that when someone self-identifies as an Independent, they’re really a Democrat in disguise?
Many a right-Leaning person I’ve known has self-identified as a Libertarian rather than a Republican. They’re happy to attack the left much more often than the right but they call themsevles Libertarians. I would assume these people would be more apt to vote Republican than Democrat. Hell, I’ve heard ole Rush Limbaugh himself call himself a Libertarian (no cite, I heard it). Anyway, I see later posts past yours where others agree with me so I know I’m not so far off the mark.
[QUOTE=Ensign Edison]
Oh my god, what did I do, just type l-i-b and then let my fingers flail at the keyboard until the word seemed done? I’ve never wished more for the ability to edit. LIBERTARIAN.
[/QUOTE]
Pardon me, young man, what did you say? Librarian? Terrarium?
[QUOTE=Lama Pacos]
The vitriol towards third parties can only be explained by an incredible sense of entitlement on the part of the Democrats and (occasionally) Republicans. So your party would have won if the Greens didn’t run. Your party would have won even more crushingly if the Republicans didn’t run. I like how liberal independent voters are treated as if they owe something to the Democratic party. How about you support the values I support, dumbasses? Asking left-liberals to pledge their votes to a centrist party just demonstrates a severe ignorance-- Green (for example) voters aren’t just uppity Democrats. We actually have different political beliefs than you.
[/QUOTE]
Ding! This deserved quoting.
[QUOTE=Jophiel]
If you want a 3rd party candidate who swung the election, it looks as though the GOP lost control of the Senate due to some fellow named Jones in Montana who picked up 10,000 votes on the Libertarian ticket.
[/QUOTE]
Another race in which a Libertarian arguably played a spoiler role was Indiana’s 9th Congressional District, won by Democrat Baron Hill, who had served from 1999-2005 until being ousted by Republican Mike Sodrel two years ago. From this article:
I don’t live in this district, but I got to see ads for both candidates courtesy of the Indianapolis TV stations my cable provider carries, and would have voted for Schansberg just because he didn’t enter the mudslinging fray. (My district is the “safe seat” 4th, in which the GOP’s Steve Buyer was re-elected by nearly a 2-1 margin over Democrat David Sanders despite the fact that membership in the Republican Party seems to pretty much be Buyer’s sole “qualification” for the job.)
Put the three aforementioned US political parties on a continuum: Greens on one end, Republicans on another, and Democrats clumped somewhere a little to the left of the GOP. So step out of the ring, Democrats, and stop spoiling the vote for the Greens. :rolleyes: Grow a fucking pair and support instant runoff voting if you’re so scared of third parties.
[/QUOTE]
What? Are you unable to understand the very structure of the American voting system makes this arrangement totally unstable? It’s like saying the ideal position for a pencil is balanced on it’s tip. It’s excellent in theory but the first past the post system means that the political process is only stable as a two party system. If you truly care about the independant voter, lobby your local district to adopt some sort of runoff voting.
[QUOTE=Shalmanese]
What? Are you unable to understand the very structure of the American voting system makes this arrangement totally unstable? It’s like saying the ideal position for a pencil is balanced on it’s tip. It’s excellent in theory but the first past the post system means that the political process is only stable as a two party system. If you truly care about the independant voter, lobby your local district to adopt some sort of runoff voting.
[/QUOTE]
Doh, sorry, it’s late at night and I totally misread your post. I retract my comments :embarrased:
[QUOTE=Danalan]
Most Libertarians would vote Republican rather than Democrat? What the fuck are you smoking? Would you care to expound on this thought?
[/QUOTE]
If the Libertarians had any say in the matter, he could be smoking whatever the fuck he wanted, couldn’t he?
I suppose I’m an ‘O’Rourke libertarian’. I believe the government should stay out of my wallet as much as possible, and out of my bedroom completely. It used to be that I identified more with the Republican party, but given the Republicans’ recent willingness to play ‘tax and spend’ with the worst of 'em, these days I’m feeling more sympathic to the Democrats. At least they tax and spend peacefully.
And count me with those who get really irked when I’m told that by following my conscience, I’m ‘wasting my vote’. I’d rather stand by my principles than cast a ‘lesser of two evils’ vote just to appease a particular party for being almost worth voting for. You can blame me for ‘making your side lose’ if you wish. After all, the absent are never without fault, nor the present without excuse.
[QUOTE=John Mace]
Are you speaking as a SF resident, where run-off voting is the norm? Is instant run-off voting now practiced up there, in that den of wickedness? But like **Lemur **said, all elections are controlled at the state or local level-- even presidential elections. It’s one of the few aspects of federalism still around these days.
[/QUOTE]
It was (practiced) this election. cracks whip It took me just a second to realize that it’s not more widely practiced because of lobbyists, rather than being ‘complicated.’ How depressing.
But like **Lemur **said, all elections are controlled at the state or local level-- even presidential elections. It’s one of the few aspects of federalism still around these days.