Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
I hope this, linked by Instapundit, signals a trend:
Wayne Allyn Root, 2008 Libertarian Party’s Vice Presidential nominee and political commentator, resigned this morning from the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) to, according to his resignation letter, “elect good people and change the direction of this country outside of a third party.
In the letter to the LNC, which is available at Independent Political Report, Root explains that his decision much is not unlike those of previous Libertarian Party presidential candidates, including Ron Paul and David Koch; both of whom left the LP to become prominent Republicans.
When I asked if he was now backing Mitt Romney, Root responded, “I am,” adding, “I don’t deny that Romney and Ryan aren’t libertarians, but Romney is a pro-business capitalist and Obama is a Marxist-socialist.”
“The economy has been trashed. This is about my kids’ future, it’s about my businesses,” said Root. “There is no hope for America if Obama is re-elected.”
Sometimes political purity has to give way to pending disaster. I hope Root has some influence in the Libertarian Party and can wake them up to the folly of feckless third party loyalty.
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Comments:
Jun '12
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Mel Foil
The Religious Right are "leave me alone to live my life" voters. They'd just like some of the more unsavory parts of our culture to leave them alone as well. "Call me a Neanderthal, but let me be a Neanderthal in peace." They'd even like little unborn babies to be left alone. That's where they start to get in trouble. · 8 minutes ago
AMEN!
Nov '10
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
The thing to remember about the RNC/"GOP Establishment" is not that they dislike conservatism, its that their primary goal is to win elections. Nothing more and nothing less. They backed Crist over Rubio because they felt Rubio could not win. Once it became clear Rubio not only could but would win, they left Crist on the metaphorical side of the road.
As much as it may annoy movement conservatives, a center-right country is not the same as a right-of-center country. The RNC believes that it's better to have a Senate of 60 John McCains than 40 Rand Pauls. The fact that they don't believe 60 Rand Pauls is possible doesn't mean they hate conservatives.
The GOP is a political party, not a PAC; their job is to win elections. If we want them to move to the right, we need to prove to them that conservatism wins elections. Otherwise they're going to keep playing it safe, and I, for one, can't blame them.
Nov '10
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
That's the problem with identity politics, and a lot of libertarians are just as bad about this as leftists; they want your sexuality to be the entirety of your identity. Even if you disagree with 99 out of 100 elements of the Democratic Party platform, if that 1 happens to be gay marriage, they expect you to suck it up and vote for 99 policies you hate, because your being gay trumps everything else. And the same applies to race and gender; the idea that a black person, or a woman, or a homosexual, or, G-d forbid, a gay black woman, might place free markets and/or small government above her alleged grievances is incomprehensible to them.
Jun '12
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Kate, our eldest son (very fine) is in Kings Point NY. He considers himself Libertarian but I think he is too shy to admit he is actually conservative.
Jan '11
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Three cheers for Mr. Root!
Like Molly, I've little patience -- and even less love -- for the Republican Party, but it's the only via right-of-center political vehicle available. Small-l libertarians are have a better chance of changing the country from within that party than without; it may not give the satisfaction of being pure, but it's more likely to actually accomplish something.
Jun '12
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Tom Meyer: Three cheers for Mr. Root!
Like Molly, I've little patience -- and even less love -- for the Republican Party, but it's the only via right-of-center political vehicle available. Small-l libertarians are have a better chance of changing the country from within that party than without; it may not give the satisfaction of being pure, but it's more likely to actually accomplish something. · 0 minutes ago
And another AMEN!
We can't fix the problems with the country solely by sitting on the sidelines Monday morning quarterbacking.
We need to actually elect people that agree with us on most things, rather than waiting for the ideologically pure Secular Savior who will swoop in, cape fluttering, to save us all.
Jun '12
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Highlama: Root:
Hemingway:
In the Republican Party many have come to terms with the reality that finding ideological consistency across millions of independent minded people is unlikely. Such is the nature of a republic.
The Democratic Party is looking for across the board ideological consistency in by offering entitlements and special considerations for supporters. Such is the nature of demagoguery. · 1 hour ago
In the long run, they should all die out at the rate they are pushing for birth control and abortions.
Oct '10
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Mel Foil
The Religious Right are "leave me alone to live my life" voters. They'd just like some of the more unsavory parts of our culture to leave them alone as well. "Call me a Neanderthal, but let me be a Neanderthal in peace." They'd even like little unborn babies to be left alone. That's where they start to get in trouble. · 24 minutes ago
Mel, the picture you paint of the Christian Right is my dream of what they should be, but are not now. At least, not enough. On too many issues they'll accept the nannystate as long as it enforces biblical principles. They're right to oppose abortion and I can even understand the desire to not change the legal definition of marriage, but much beyond that is too far.
Oct '10
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Con't-----The Libertarian position on Marijuana is the classic example, but legal constraints on sexual freedom and first Amendment issues are other areas that Christians sometimes approve, thinking that by voting to legalize something they're giving their tacit approval. They need to understand that on issues that don't impact others directly, they should stand back and let people make their own--often wrong--decisions. After all, that's what God does. Free will and all.I acknowledge that huge strides have been made. Pat Robertson speaking out in favor of pot legalization is stunning. The phrase 'you can't legislate morality' is so misused I hate to mention it, but I think Robertson understands its extent correctly.
Mar '12
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Severely: I wonder what the percentage of Ricochet members would describe themselves as at least somewhat Libertarian. I think it must be very high.
Recently someone at Ricochet published a site where you answer the questions and find out where you are on the political scale. I am a social and fiscal conservative, which is exactly what I thought I was. I am not a Dem, I am not a Libertarian, and I am not registered as a Republican, mostly because the professional Republicans are sometimes repulsive to me. (Think McCain.)
I don't remember if many of our peers took that test, but perhaps the editors would dig up the email address and publish it for you and others who might be interested.
Dec '10
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
This is great news! Now if we can just get libertarians within the Republican fold to stop demonizing social conservatives as SIXHIRB (sexist, intolerant, xenophobic, homophobic, Islamophobic, racist, and bigoted), just like the lefties do(!), we might actually make some progress.
I have this silly notion that libertarianism and social conservatism are completely logically consistent. That someone's fundamental rights should not be superseded by someone else's emanated rights. That someone else's preference for same sex relations should have no more effect on my life (for instance, in what I teach my children about sexual morality) than my preference for Catholic Christianity has on hers. And I don't know any social conservatives who believe differently, although I'm sure they're out there -- just not in the numbers presumed. Social conservatives are not the aggressors.
C'mon, folks. The Left has no ideas. Nothing. All they have is demonization of the Right. It's been an extremely effective weapon. Please don't take it up against your own side.
Mar '12
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Umbra: The RNC believes that it's better to have a Senate of 60 John McCains than 40 Rand Pauls. The fact that they don't believe 60 Rand Pauls is possible doesn't mean they hate conservatives.
So far as I can tell, McCain sounds like a conservative to win election, and then votes like Maverick, which is why he is every Dems favorite Republican until it comes to a presidential election.
I have a difficult time swallowing one McCain. 60? Really?
Edited on September 7, 2012 at 6:50pmJun '12
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
I like this to the fullest extent of the word "like."
Libertarians like to complain about the Republican "circular firing squad," (i.e. Akin), but frequently it's them shooting us for our social positions.
Aug '12
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
I probably lean more Libertarian?
I am distrustful of Libertarians who gladly call themselves by that label.
Whatever issues I have with the Republican's tendency to use the government for their own pet social issues are offset by two things:
1.) Line it up side by side and the Democratic party seems to want far more control over my life than the Republican party.
2.) If the economy tanks, most of the issues that I disagree with the Republican party on won't matter one bit.
Nov '10
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Donald Todd: Umbra: The RNC believes that it's better to have a Senate of 60 John McCains than 40 Rand Pauls. The fact that they don't believe 60 Rand Pauls is possible doesn't mean they hate conservatives.
So far as I can tell, McCain sounds like a conservative to win election, and then votes like Maverick, which is why he is every Dems favorite Republican until it comes to a presidential election.
I have a difficult time swallowing one McCain. 60? Really? · 19 minutes ago
Edited 13 minutes ago
I just picked him at random as a well known right-leaning moderate. Replace him with Bob Dole, or Scott Brown, or any number of so-called "establishment" Republicans, and the point stands. The point is, as others have pointed out quite well, that we do the conservative movement no favors by insisting that Rick Perry be the left edge of the party. When I talk about 40 Rand Pauls, the implication is that we have 60 Joe Liebermans and Bill Clintons if we're lucky.
Oct '10
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Donald Todd: Severely: I wonder what the percentage of Ricochet members would describe themselves as at least somewhat Libertarian. I think it must be very high.
Recently someone at Ricochet published a site where you answer the questions and find out where you are on the political scale. I am a social and fiscal conservative, which is exactly what I thought I was. I am not a Dem, I am not a Libertarian, and I am not registered as a Republican, mostly because the professional Republicans are sometimes repulsive to me. (Think McCain.)
Fred Cole set up a quick and easy poll to measure the extent of Ricochet's libertarian leanings in the member feed.
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
KeystoneStater
I'm curious as to what problems you have with the religious right versus the left Mollie and how does that play out for you.
I have a 28 year old son who leans libertarian, voted for Obama, abhors the Republican party and disavows my religious worldview.
Any light you could briefly shed on the subject would be appreciated. · 2 hours ago
My situation would be very different from your sons. I'm extremely libertarian and as such would never vote for a statist such as Obama. Also, I'm highly religious, it being the most important thing in my life.
Briefly, my beef with the religious right over the religious left is probably just because I'm closer to them. The way that your own family members anger you in a way that strangers don't. I'm a very conservative, orthodox Lutheran. I don't like the way that religious left or right try to defend their big gov't ideas via Scripture. But since I'm personally a very conservative religious person, it bothers me more when people do it in my name.
Nov '10
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Hi, Leslie. We need to hang out again soon, by the way, and disagree with each other, which I think we do quite happily.
Just wanted to say, surely even this is a strong way to put how religious social conservatives relate to you: wouldn't it be more accurate to say that we disagree on ideas? I get that you were trying for a parallel verbal construction, but "disagree with who you are" sounds pretty global. I pretty thoroughly like who you are, while disagreeing with some of your ideas.
Apr '12
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
Joan Greathouse
In the long run, they should all die out at the rate they are pushing for birth control and abortions.
That's one of the reasons they believe Bush was able to win against Gore and Kerry, it's also why they need the illegal alien vote.
Nov '10
Re: Libertarian Root Transplanted To Republican Soil
I doubt he has much influence at all, as this is less of a transplanted root than a return of the prodigal. Keep in mind that Root wrote Millionaire Republican in 2005 before he wrote Conscience of a Libertarian in 2010. I'm happy to have him back in the libertarian wing of the GOP, but I suspect the Libertarians see him as a flip-flop-flipper.