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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAmericans hate Rand Paul’s libertarianism. They just don’t know it yet.
By KEVIN D. WILLIAMSON
Rand Pauls admirers, and more than a few of his enemies, believe the country is having a libertarian momentfrom Tea Partiers in Topeka to Silicon Valley techno-separatists who dream of going Galt. Weve had these moments before, but each time they come and go without the elevation of a libertarian to high office or the advancement of libertarian ideas. Theres a reason for that, and Sen. Rand Paul is just learning why now.
The problem for libertarian politicians is that Americans hate libertarianism. They like Social Security and minimum-wage hikes, they are still somewhat wary of free trade and they resent that the world is full of conniving and frequently swarthy foreigners who are scheming to provide us with goods and services in exchange for little green pieces of paper. Four times as many Americans support pulling out of NAFTA or renegotiating it as support staying in. Paul, on the other hand, wants to make the whole world a free-trade zone: He scores 100 percent on the libertarian Cato Institutes free-trade index. Libertarian ideas might appeal to voters on principlein a poll last fall, 22 percent of Americans said they identify as or lean libertarian. But in the voting booth Americans dont have principles; they have interests.
Nearly every election cycle, a poll comes out suggesting that many Americans, and a big chunk of swing voters, think of themselves as fiscally conservative but socially liberal, and therefore possibly open to libertarian candidates who want to police the deficit but not your sex life. These voters are the political equivalent of people who describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. Its basically an empty formulation to avoid picking a side or a fight; its shallow, but it sounds good. The problem, at least for Rand Paul, is that fiscally conservative but socially liberal is not a long way of saying libertarian. Pauls libertarianism is intended to offer a little something for everybody, on the left and rightspending cuts for the Republican base, legal relief for potheads, a presidential pat on the head for gay people. But if he gets serious about substantive reform along these lines, his libertarianism is instead going to offer something to outrage everybody.
Start with the so-called fiscal conservatives. Spend a few hours listening to second-tier talk radio or engage with some real-life American voters for a few hours, and you will discover that there is practically no market for fiscal conservatism. Ask them how they think we should go about balancing the budget, for instance, and theyll inevitably respond: by cutting foreign aid, which American voters believe makes up about a third of the federal budget. Rand Pauls repeated calls to end foreign aidto Egypt, to countries where the American flag is burned, to anybody else he can think ofis a reliable applause line for the gentleman from Kentucky; giving away aid is just one more of those foreign entanglements George Washington warned us about. But what many of his admirers do not understand is that his opposition to foreign aid isnt principally fiscal but ideological: Foreign aids portion of the budget is actually minisculecloser to 1 percent. Even if we cut it all, the savings would be trivial.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/rand-paul-america-hates-liberterians-104858.html
MindMover
(5,016 posts)""
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)Last edited Sat Mar 22, 2014, 07:54 PM - Edit history (4)
The only reason Libertarians get attention is because they say some of the right things re: reining in warmongering, curbing the drug wars, and stopping the outrageous surveillance state. People do NOT like their willingness to scrap social programs and gut Social Security.
All Democrats have to do is re-embrace the policies they are supposed to stand for. Stop the outrageous corporate war on marijuana and marijuana users. Stop pandering to the corporate One Percent with private prisons and draconian drug policies. Be the party that not only ends the outrageous drug wars, but also reins in Wall Street, stops the spying on Americans, restores our Constitution, reduces inequality, and STRENGTHENS social safety nets.
Third Way Democrats would not have to worry about Libertarians at all if they would crawl out of their corporate Masters' pockets for long enough to own the issues they SHOULD own.
busterbrown
(8,515 posts)A dangerous concept, loved by many in the center..
Jgarrick
(521 posts)Libertarian-leaning Republicans are another matter.
Democracyinkind
(4,015 posts)Jgarrick
(521 posts)Democracyinkind
(4,015 posts)...and what you get is a conservative, 9.9 out of 10 times.
Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Like Orcs.
Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Libertarianism goes right out the window as they try to legislate women's bodily functions every chance they get.
Democracyinkind
(4,015 posts)Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)He attached earmarks to bills he knows is going pass, take the money and runs home with it and because he voted no on the bill says he never votes for spending. It should be if Congress members does this they will not be able to run back to their districts with the money unless they vote yes on the spending. Paul also opens his mouth and inserts a big foot. Other issues will probably get resolved in time.