In article , "G.R. Patterson III"
writes:

Wdtabor wrote:

This is a fight I have with my fellow LP members often. TO me, it is more
important that libertarian ideas prevail, not Libertarian candidates. If
that
means gently persuading Republicans and even some Democrats to become more
libertarian, then so be it.

Let's see if I understand you correctly. Your theory is that, if enough
people
vote Libertarian, the other candidates will start to adopt some of the LP
views
in an attempt to siphon off some of those votes?


Not exactly. I want to further libertarian ideas within the Republican Party.
There are more libertarians in the GOP than in the LP as it is, they just don't
realize it themselves.

There are many more who have a basic libertarian viewpoint in economic issues,
but they are big government advocates when it comes to controling morality.
They need to be made to understand that you cannot pick an choose your
freedoms. You cannot have economic freedom and property rights without also
having sexual and lifestyle freedom. Once they learn to trust their fellow
citizens to make their own personal choices, they can then better persuade them
to embrace economic freedom.

With Dems, it is another matter. Most of them are simply socialists and
collectivists and are beyond redemption. But some are in the Dem party based on
some single issue where they feel the GOP threatens them. I have had great
success in recruiting Libertarians from the Gay and Lesbian business community
in the artsy Ghent section of Norfolk. They were economic libertarians all
along, they just fled to the Dem party because it was seen as more permissive
of their lifestyle than the GOP. Once they understand that they don't need
permission if they have freedom, they are converted.



I would like to be able to agree, but I think that Dems and Reps would simply
be afraid of losing votes they already have and afraid of losing the support
of
the main party.

In any case, a vote is never "wasted" if you vote for the candidate you
prefer.


Well, would you vote LP if it meant that someone like Ron Paul would be
replaced by someone like Chuck Schummer?

What is important to me is that libertarian IDEAS prevail, and I really don't
care if they are put forth by someone who calls himself a Republican instead of
a Libertarian. (Of course, they cannot be put forward by a Dem, or his fellow
party members will stone him.)


--
Wm. Donald (Don) Tabor Jr., DDS
PP-ASEL
Chesapeake, VA - CPK, PVG