Huckabee attacks Libertarianism

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

How long will it take for Huckabee to realize that socially liberal and economically conservative is not a completely description of libertarianism?

Oversimplified for sure, but that's basically it. I find the two biggest issues among libertarians to be promoting home schooling and gun rights.

Don't forget legalizing drugs!

[Хahar 🤔]

I like Mike, but the GOP does not need to move in a populist direction. They need to care less about social issues and focus on economic ones. I do agree with him that a lot of the libertarians are crazy as hell because their views are so extreme, but I agree with some of their policies. If the GOP were to move to a more populist economic policy, they would just become blue dog Democrats. In fact, that's what Huckabee sounds like half the time.

So you want to concede the blue dogs to us and reach out to an ideology so unpopular no major party currently covers it? I like that.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I like Mike, but the GOP does not need to move in a populist direction. They need to care less about social issues and focus on economic ones. I do agree with him that a lot of the libertarians are crazy as hell because their views are so extreme, but I agree with some of their policies. If the GOP were to move to a more populist economic policy, they would just become blue dog Democrats. In fact, that's what Huckabee sounds like half the time.

So you want to concede the blue dogs to us and reach out to an ideology so unpopular no major party currently covers it? I like that.

What ideology is that?

I am saying that Huckabee is a big government guy. If he had his way, the GOP would be no different than the blue dog Democrats, and the majority of the base and drawing of the party comes from people who want less government and lower taxes. Fortunately, though, the blue dog Democrats are mostly Republicans now.

[dead0man]

How long will it take for Huckabee to realize that socially liberal and economically conservative is not a completely description of libertarianism?

Oversimplified for sure, but that's basically it. I find the two biggest issues among libertarians to be promoting home schooling and gun rights.

Don't forget legalizing drugs!

and prostitution.  We shorten it (and make it sound better) by saying we're against the punishment of victimless crimes.

[Хahar 🤔]

I like Mike, but the GOP does not need to move in a populist direction. They need to care less about social issues and focus on economic ones. I do agree with him that a lot of the libertarians are crazy as hell because their views are so extreme, but I agree with some of their policies. If the GOP were to move to a more populist economic policy, they would just become blue dog Democrats. In fact, that's what Huckabee sounds like half the time.

So you want to concede the blue dogs to us and reach out to an ideology so unpopular no major party currently covers it? I like that.

What ideology is that?

I am saying that Huckabee is a big government guy. If he had his way, the GOP would be no different than the blue dog Democrats, and the majority of the base and drawing of the party comes from people who want less government and lower taxes. Fortunately, though, the blue dog Democrats are mostly Republicans now.

Libertarianism, of course.

And the quasi-blue dogs are the bread and butter of the Republican Party. The neocons and businesses may set the agenda, but they know that they don't have the ability to win elections on their own. And that's what you're advocating.

[specific_name]

Huckabee is a populist, this does not surprise me.

[StateBoiler]

If the GOP were to move to a more populist economic policy, they would just become blue dog Democrats. In fact, that's what Huckabee sounds like half the time.

Fortunately, though, the blue dog Democrats are mostly Republicans now.

And that's why the Republican Party is getting more of a populist direction AHDuke. All those old southern Democrats that were extremely conservative socially while being incredibly economically populist (remember, the South was much poorer than the rest of the country for a long time) shifted toward the Republican Party in the 1980s. What, you think they're not going to try and get their views out there as the party's guiding force?

Anyway, as a small-l libertarian myself, I'll agree that the anarchist/radical wing of the libertarian philosophy has a lot of nuts in it. There are certain things government does I could not fathom getting rid of cause I don't see a better alternative. Public education being one. I spent every day of my education in public school, from kindergarten to my bachelor's degree in college, partly cause I live in the South where private schools do not traditionally exist, partly cause my parents couldn't afford it anyway. And with the way the world is going nowadays with the global competition market, we need to have our children taught just to ensure businesses want to put their operations there, so they have a ready workforce they can call upon, which helps enrich the residents cause they have more money. Military is another cause I disagree with the idea of our country and the military being dependent on mercenaries, although that is the direction that the government has been doing for the last 20 years with having more military functions done by private contractors.

That said, my being a libertarian is more toward driving efficiency. We have a program that the government provides. What is its purpose? Is it performing its job well? And would it do the job better than a private company would? I am in my twenties and the country is severely f***ed in the future unless we either cut costs or raise taxes a ton. If you're around my age and you think there's a chance that your Social Security check will be any form of significant when you reach retirement, I don't know what to tell you other than I bet you failed 8th grade math. And yet we keep adding more and more expenses while we cut taxes. How does this make sense? I agree entirely with Mike Huckabee on this point:

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If John McCain does not win in November, or if he has a bad presidency a la Hoover or Carter and draws primary opposition, 2012 is going to be very interesting. Cause in those circumstances, we all know Mike Huckabee will be back running for the Republican nomination, and he will be looked at as a major candidate this time. I personally enjoyed his candidacy this past time around. All those Republicans that pretty much told the libertarian wing of the party "to go f*** themselves, you're not wanted" and then got horrified that the members of their own party were voting en masse for a previously unknown Arkansas populist preacher got exactly what they deserve.

[SPC]

How long will it take for Huckabee to realize that socially liberal and economically conservative is not a completely description of libertarianism?

Oversimplified for sure, but that's basically it. I find the two biggest issues among libertarians to be promoting home schooling and gun rights.

I agree with BrandonH here. The lunacy of descibing libertarianism is fiscal conservatism and social liberalism is what leads "libertarian" magazines like Reason to promote Giuliani and diss Paul, even though it is clear that the latter is far more libertarian than the former. Social liberalism is many times just as invasive of personal liberties as social conservatism is. To name a few examples:

1. Social conservatives want to infringe on the personal liberties of some women by denying them an abortion. Social liberals want to infringe on the personal liberties of everyone by forcing taxpayers to pay for her abortion.
2. Social conservatives want to infringe on the personal liberties of drug users by making them illegal. Social liberals want to infringe on the personal liberties of everyone by forcing taxpayers to pay for needle exchange.

Also, I can't speak for other libertarians, but my two big issues are monetary policy and gun rights.

[StateBoiler]

How long will it take for Huckabee to realize that socially liberal and economically conservative is not a completely description of libertarianism?

Oversimplified for sure, but that's basically it. I find the two biggest issues among libertarians to be promoting home schooling and gun rights.

I agree with BrandonH here. The lunacy of descibing libertarianism is fiscal conservatism and social liberalism is what leads "libertarian" magazines like Reason to promote Giuliani and diss Paul, even though it is clear that the latter is far more libertarian than the former. Social liberalism is many times just as invasive of personal liberties as social conservatism is.

I personally am a libertarian and on most social issues I'd call myself mildly conservative, although I understand that most of my views on social issues should not become federally mandated, it's more just a matter of my personal opinion that should be formed person to person instead of something I want the government to enforce.

[SPC]

How long will it take for Huckabee to realize that socially liberal and economically conservative is not a completely description of libertarianism?

Oversimplified for sure, but that's basically it. I find the two biggest issues among libertarians to be promoting home schooling and gun rights.

I agree with BrandonH here. The lunacy of descibing libertarianism is fiscal conservatism and social liberalism is what leads "libertarian" magazines like Reason to promote Giuliani and diss Paul, even though it is clear that the latter is far more libertarian than the former. Social liberalism is many times just as invasive of personal liberties as social conservatism is.

I personally am a libertarian and on most social issues I'd call myself mildly conservative, although I understand that most of my views on social issues should not become federally mandated, it's more just a matter of my personal opinion that should be formed person to person instead of something I want the government to enforce.

I agree that I'd also call myself culturally conservative, except for the whole 'athiest' thing.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Huckabee was probably my favorite Republican for the 2008 Primaries.

Libertarianism is a mental disorder, and they are evil.

Showing why Libertarians are simply superior to everyone else

[jesmo]

Huckabee was probably my favorite Republican for the 2008 Primaries.

Libertarianism is a mental disorder, and they are evil.

Showing why Libertarians are simply superior to everyone else

You live in a fantasy land.

[RouterJockey]

I used to be a registered Republican.  Now I'm a Libertarian.  I consider myself a right-leaning libertarian.  What drove me to change from an R to an L is that I see government getting too big and too powerful.

However, I think it is a balancing act.  I do believe the governmnet should provide some functions/services (education, defense, safety-net for the poor/old/disabled, etc.) - within reason.  IMO, we've gone too far toward big government.  But, I'm not an anarchist, I don't want to see all programs/government abolished.  I just want to see it reduced to what I consider a reasonable level.

[Bono]

Huckabee was probably my favorite Republican for the 2008 Primaries.

Libertarianism is a mental disorder, and they are evil.

Showing why Libertarians are simply superior to everyone else

You live in a fantasy land.

[jesmo]

This is why I hate fiscal conservatives:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei0E4IyVEQM&feature=related

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Don't forget legalizing drugs!

and prostitution.  We shorten it (and make it sound better) by saying we're against the punishment of victimless crimes.

Except that prostitution isn't a victimless crime.  However, we should stop making being a victim (i.e., a prostitute) a crime.  Life without parole for being a pimp and a month (first offense) for being a john sounds about right.

[War on Want]

My opinion of Mike Huckabee is constantly increasing.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I used to be a registered Republican.  Now I'm a Libertarian.  I consider myself a right-leaning libertarian.  What drove me to change from an R to an L is that I see government getting too big and too powerful.

However, I think it is a balancing act.  I do believe the governmnet should provide some functions/services (education, defense, safety-net for the poor/old/disabled, etc.) - within reason.  IMO, we've gone too far toward big government.  But, I'm not an anarchist, I don't want to see all programs/government abolished.  I just want to see it reduced to what I consider a reasonable level.

But don't you think that the only way for Libertarians to gain any power is by joining forces with the GOP?  The LP has been incredibly unsuccessful

[Albus Dumbledore]

Enjoy a merger which doesn't work. The republican party is turning into a blue collar populist movement. Basically the opposite of the LP.

[J. J.]

If you took the worst characteristics of the Republican Party aned put them into one person, you would have Mike Huckabee.

[Albus Dumbledore]

If you took the worst characteristics of the Republican Party aned put them into one person, you would have Mike Huckabee.

Well said.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

While the best way to defeat Socialism certainly isn't to kiss up to it, Hucks got a way with words when on the attack (unless he's telling Alan Colmes to go to Sunday School) While he's not my favourite it's nice to see him take a shot at the anarchist white supremacist libertarians.

[Albus Dumbledore]

We need a new right party that's not focused on the fundies for support. Then we can get the 'ideal' some people want of most of the LP's members working with this movement. Think a secular conservative center-right party which economically ranges from center to center-right and socially from permissive leaning to center-right(Note how I don't say socially liberal or progressive).

[StateBoiler]

But don't you think that the only way for Libertarians to gain any power is by joining forces with the GOP?  The LP has been incredibly unsuccessful

That's what most libertarians argued through the 1980s and 1990s. Guess what, the Republicans told their libertarian wing f*** you and George W. Bush is about as un-libertarian as you can get. So that failed.

I've personally advocated to both libertarians and Libertarians entryism. Act like an organism inside the party but really only caring about the results of our like-minded members. Have people registered and in election on both the Democratic and Republican party lines, focus on winning primaries in areas where only one party has a chance at winning. Then, one day when they have large enough members to be the kingmaker and neither the Democrats or Republicans have a majority, all members split off and form their own party.

[StateBoiler]

We need a new right party that's not focused on the fundies for support. Then we can get the 'ideal' some people want of most of the LP's members working with this movement. Think a secular conservative center-right party which economically ranges from center to center-right and socially from permissive leaning to center-right(Note how I don't say socially liberal or progressive).

Good luck with that. Here's our country's politics: Choice A and Choice B.