Pew: What If The Libertarian Movement Doesn't Really Exist?

[DonViejo]

By DYLAN SCOTT Published AUGUST 25, 2014, 2:21 PM EDT

New York Times Magazine boldly wondered this month if the "Libertarian Moment" had finally arrived. They splashed their cover with an image of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), widely seen as the man precipitating that moment and the most talked-about 2016 presidential candidate outside of Hillary Clinton.

But what if there is no movement for the moment? Who are the libertarians, really? That was the question posed by the Pew Research Center in a Monday blog post. And their findings could create some skepticism about whether there actually is any libertarian movement to speak of.

"There are still many Americans who do not have a clear sense of what 'libertarian' means," Pew's Jocelyn Kiley wrote, "and our surveys find that, on many issues, the views among people who call themselves libertarian do not differ much from those of the overall public."

Some of the tell-tale signs were there. Self-described libertarians who could actually define the term -- about 11 percent of Americans, Pew found -- were more likely than the general population to support marijuana legalization and to believe government aid does more harm to the poor than good. That corresponds with their expected small-government philosophy.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/pew-research-libertarian-study

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Just as another bogeyman to push the "Not as Bad" voters into voting for Hillary.

[DonViejo]

2. Great believer in conspiracy theories, huh?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Conpiracy? Look at all the EEEK! Rand Paul! and EEEK!! Libertarians!! threads here.

[DonViejo]

4. Yep, like I said, "a great believer in conspiracy theories..."

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. OK. Let's see how many people buy into the "not as bad" meme come 2016.

I don't think erecting the Rand Paul/Libertarian bogeyman is a "conspiracy", just SOP for 3rd Way candidates who have nothing to offer except more of the same.

[phantom power]

5. Most people don't know what "socialist" means either. 40% can't name the Vice President.

A huge swath of Americans know almost nothing about politics, but almost certainly think they understand it just fine. Like economics, or science.

[Matrosov]

7. Libertarianism = narcissim

The libertarian movement does exist, but thankfully it is never going to be able to win the Presidency in this country.

Libertarianism sounds nice on the surface. Freedom for everybody. Live and let live.

But anybody who knows a little bit about Friedman, Rand, other libertarian heroes, and the reasons why libertarians are typically so interested in "freedom," knows these people are selfish and narcissistic to the extreme.

Libertarians think everybody is a victim of their own actions and choices and never of their circumstances. If you can't afford health insurance, it's because you didn't get yourself a better job. If you couldn't get yourself a better job, it's because you didn't get yourself a good college education. If you couldn't get yourself a good college education, it's because you didn't pay enough attention in school.

That's why libertarians are so for freedom. "F**k you, I got mine."

[JI7]

8. they are mostly racists from what i have seen

mostly republicans who are angry with those in their party such as Boehner and others for not doing enough to keep blacks from becoming president or browns from coming into the country and similar shit.

the racism always comes out.