I’ve been reading some random history recently, and this reminds me of the old differences between the Puritans and the Separatists, two of the groups involved in the early colonization of America from England. The Puritans wanted to purify the church; the Separatists thought it was so hopelessly corrupt that they needed to break away and start their own.Mitt Romney is not the man to ride this change. It's not clear who is. It's also not clear that there is a man who can or should - rather, the Team Party seems like the Open Source software movement: decentralized and motivated by a common core philosophy.
Similarly, many libertarians have completely abandoned the Republican party as corrupted beyond repair. But there are others working to change it from the inside. While the “Separatists” struggle to even get on ballots as Libertarians and then maybe end up with 1% or 2% of the vote, there are “Puritans” managing to get on some ballots as Republicans and actually getting sent to Washington. Many Separatists would argue that Rand Paul isn’t even close to being a real libertarian, but, come on, he’s actually getting millions of people to listen to his arguments about cutting back the military. He might even have more influence on Washington than his father right now – let’s take what we can get!
The advantage is like what OSS saw against Microsoft. While Microsoft was able to kill Netscape, there's "nobody" to go after in OSS. Similarly, the Democrats and their running dog lackeys in the Media have tried to demonize the Tea Party, but there's nobody as a focal point. Alinksy said to personalize and freeze, and that's been a big failure so far.
But it seems that some day there will need to be that candidate who is the focal point, if the Tea Party wants to get its big Philosophical goal (actually reducing the size of government) accomplished.
As to Romney, keep your eye on his appointments once he's elected. Just as Obama filled his administration with lefty true believers, we'll know that there's home from Romney if we see a bunch of non-establishment types taking major posts. Confidence is not high.
8 comments:
The reason I, and many other Libertarians, have given up on the Republican party is the extreme social conservatives. When Republicans elect representatives who believe that science is a tool of the devil and then put him on the House Science committee, how can we even consider voting for Republicans.
C'mon. Microsoft didn't kill Netscape, AOL killed Netscape.
Listening to the Republican primaries I heard: "Small Government, Lower Taxes, Cut Entitlements" and I was happyish until I heard what amounted to "Crucify Favgots, Sodomy is an Abomination, and Baby Killer". So, once again we get to see which pile of shit stinks less as we hold our collective nose and vote. I cannot say I am enamored of Romney, but I fear him less than I loathe Obama Biden socialism.
If there's one thing more reliable than the sun coming up, it's libertarians blaming social conservatives for all of their failings.
I have been in the Libertarrian wing of the Republican Party since the Ford Administration. I was also a three term Precinct Chairman.
There is only one reason the social conservatives are so strong, they are the ones that work the phone banks and walk the precincts.
If you libertarians would quit cryin' tears the size of horse turds all the time you too could have power in the Party. There are only two ways to have any power, money or work. Whining doesn't cut it.
Great anaolgy. I quess for now I would fall into the puritan category. I realize that the GOP is in fact corrupt and has been for a long time. However, there are still a few within its ranks that fight for us and our rights. RINOS and the establishment republicans are the main problem. Its just for now, going to a third party I feel I would lose any voice I may have at all.
This is a make or break election for the country, if Romney wins and like a lot of people think, he breaks all of his promises he has made to conservatives I am done with the republican party. Tired of being lied to.
If Obama wins, the same thing. If the republicans can't beat the worst president in american history, they may as well disband roll up the tents and go home.
Libratarian is looking better and better.
"If you libertarians would quit cryin' tears the size of horse turds all the time you too could have power in the Party."
There's a fundamental contradiction in that sentence, if you can find it.
Oh, and by the way: we had a libertarian candidate in the Party. He was deliberately and maliciously excluded from the early debates, and from many polls, so that he could be prevented from raising his numbers and eventually forced to drop out of the nomination process.
So, sorry, but the Republican Party can bugger off.
Thanks for the link. If Romney wins I will definitely be interested in his appointments. Either way I'm looking forward to Cruz joining the Senate and hopefully Mourdock, Flake, and Akin to at least add some voices who are supposed to be legitimately more small-government than their predecessors.
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