The Libertarian's Dilemma
Which of the two statist presidential candidates should lovers of liberty vote for this Tuesday? That's the question I take up in my column this week.
In the final countdown to what promises to be a close election, the libertarian finds himself without a comfortable home in either political party. Political parties and their presidential candidates offer market baskets of policy prescriptions on a large array of different issues. We do not have the option of picking out from each basket the policies that we like and rejecting the rest. Politics do not come served a la carte in our two-party system.
As an academic, my objective is to analyze each package inside each market basket. As a voter, I don’t have that luxury; choosing between baskets means taking the bitter with the sweet. That means voting for a candidate whose policies I may oppose on many key issues. For most voters, those choices are less painful than they are for libertarians. A typical Republican or Democrat believes in most of the policies that his candidate puts forth. For a libertarian, voting for either candidate causes internal philosophical dissonance.
Unfortunately, neither Obama nor Romney is running as a libertarian on economic issues. So how should libertarians vote on Tuesday? In an age of bloated government, the correct vote goes to the party that is more likely to limit the rate of government growth, if not shrink the size of government altogether. I explain further in my weekly column for Hoover's Defining Ideas.
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Comments:
Feb '12
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
I don't think a libertarian's misgivings are all that much more severe than a conservative's in this election. I also don't think that the choice is any less obvious either.
Sep '12
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
I take issue with your analysis of the abortion issue. On the one hand, you categorize Roe v. Wade as a "constitutional fabrication", yet you argue that it would be a mistake to pursue a reversal of that decision, since the legality of abortion over 40 years "has produced a stable set of expectations that would be shattered in unpredictable ways if the issue went to the states." Perhaps you could elaborate on what you mean by "a stable set of expectations" and why upsetting these expectations should hinder a future Supreme Court from overturning "a constitutional fabrication".
Or maybe someone here can point me to some more extensive analysis of the Professor on this issue.
Edited on November 5, 2012 at 1:44pmMay '10
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
With Romney we have the possibility of slowing our plunge into the abyss of debt and national decline.
With Obama we have the certainty of strapping on the jet pack rocket boosters and accelerating that plunge.
Sep '10
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
Libertarians (I include myself in this category—mostly) like to think of ourselves as being above party. In my case, for example, I like Mitt Romney the man. He's a lot straighter than I am, but he seems obviously decent and a good problem-solver, which I respect and which is greatly needed. (Also, I want to see Ryan grow politically. I think he could be historically great.) But I have a real hard time with the way the national GOP tends to address social issues, and that makes it difficult for me to pull the lever for RR, fearing that to do so sends the wrong message, especially if it's a blowout (which I'm hoping for). But then I look at Gary Johnson, and I think: the Libertarian Party (IMHO) is whacked when it comes to the military and international issues, and they're so far from winning that voting for Johnson doesn't really count as a vote against the status quo. So, again, the party becomes a problem. The Democrats are simply not tenable, local state or national. I expect to vote for the man and hope for the best with the party.
May '12
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
There may be a program or two that R&R may reduce, but your analysis is spot on. This election is a choice about how fast we want the bloated over reach of the federal government to continue expanding. Make no mistake it is going to expand until the federal reserve collapses our currency or the bond market enforces some form of discipline.
Aug '12
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
Who do you want picking the next 2 or 3 SCOTUS judges?
Jun '12
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
An immensely important and mostly ignored point floating near the bottom of the election river.
Ad social issues. Let me put it this way and as always--in my humble opinion: Fiscal conservatism reflects on intelligence, social conservatism on morality.
Sep '12
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
Tom Trebicky
An immensely important and mostly ignored point floating near the bottom of the election river.
Ad social issues. Let me put it this way and as always--in my humble opinion: Fiscal conservatism reflects on intelligence, social conservatism on morality. · 32 minutes ago
I think that's a false dichotomy. A fiscal conservative like Milton Friedman understood that capitalism is better at making people wealthier. But he then argued that this fact makes capitalism morally superior. So one may understand that capitalism is economically more efficient, but it takes a further step of moral reasoning to conclude that this makes capitalism superior to some form of collectivism.
Furthermore, I would point out that libertarians, by definition, hold position based on the fundamentally moral principle of liberty. I am disappointed when my fellow libertarians then reject the notion of morality as if it were some dirty word.
Edited on November 5, 2012 at 4:06pmOct '11
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
As someone with strong libertarian leanings I still can't escape the equation that a strong Libertarian Party will create a mathematically unbeatable Democrat party. Nor that there are enough people within the current culture with enough clarity of thought to see beyond the fear of losing the (often comforting) overreaching hand of the federal government.
I can only hope the long game becomes the preferred libertarian strategy and that it's philosophy consumes the culture and Republican party as the progressives/liberals have successful achieved with the Democratic party and the current culture for the last hundred years.
The greatest hindrance to the libertarian acceleration strategy is the the weakened moral fiber of us as individuals and the culture. The development of a robust libertarian culture requires the ascension of man to a degree generally only assisted by Divine providence.
While the acceleration of the progressive/liberal philosophy relies on the entropy inherent to man, culture, and nature, ending in an inevitable despotic power structure.
Sep '12
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
My first thought after reading Epstein's post was to realize just how blind any vote is. Exhibit A: How many of Obama's voters got what they expected? So my first rebuttal is that libertarians can't know what they'll get from either candidate but can only vote expectations based on... well, on what? Prior bad acts and omissions, professed ideological proclivities, past political trends, I guess. Still, no guarantees.
Second, a libertarian interested in getting power ASAP would vote straight-ticket Democrat because they seem most likely to destroy the union in the short term, and in the resulting chaos opportunity for libertarians will abound. (Voting straight-ticket libertarian will produce the same result, of course.)
Finally, the libertarian who loves his country and believes that his ideology prescribes policies for remedying what ails it should vote straight-ticket GOP because they seem least like to destroy the union in the short term. He should then join the Tea Party and work at the grass roots level to keep the GOP honest and the moderate Republicans uncomfortable.
Apr '11
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
BrentB67
There may be a program or two that R&R may reduce, but your analysis is spot on. This election is a choice about how fast we want the bloated over reach of the federal government to continue expanding. Make no mistake it is going to expand until the federal reserve collapses our currency or the bond market enforces some form of discipline. ·
The bond market can only impose discipline in a catastrophe. The CBO believes that the Ryan Plan would not bring us to that catastrophe, but would be enough to avoid bankruptcy. Even if the CBO is wrong, the Ryan Plan would bring enough change that it would make further disaster avoiding change possible.
You keep saying, across different threads, that R/R wouldn't reduce spending, but this isn't true if you measure spending as a portion of GDP. Of course if you measure it in nominal dollars, spending will go up, but why would you care about that metric?
Jun '11
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
That is a great article, and as a libertarian I would totally agree with the analysis - if I lived in a swing state. But I think it ignores the situation most people are in; it is already a foregone conclusion where their state's electoral votes will land.
Based on that premise, I think it would be wiser to vote for whomever you have the most policy positions in common. For me, that is Gary Johnson.
If Romney loses a race he surely should have won, the GOP will be looking for the reason why. Some will say it is because he is not conservative enough, others will say the GOP needs to cater towards libertarian-minded people. I hope they conclude the latter. A strong turnout for Gary Johnson will help in that decision.
I certainly agree Romney is the better choice as compared to Obama, but the calculus is different if you know your vote won't help yield him any electoral votes.
Jul '10
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
Ecdysis: ...
If Romney loses a race he surely should have won, the GOP will be looking for the reason why. Some will say it is because he is not conservative enough, others will say the GOP needs to cater towards libertarian-minded people. I hope they conclude the latter. A strong turnout for Gary Johnson will help in that decision.
A strong turnout for Gary Johnson simply won't happen. One of two people WILL be the next president, and while the republicans may wish to re-evaluate their processes should Romney fail, the nation may have lost any serious ability to rebound in any meaningful way with a second Obama term. He has demonstrated such ideological rigidity, there would be NO reason for him to change. AND with a second term, his lawlessness would show no bounds. Great outcome for all you libertarians.
FAR better would be the Tea Party course. Unlike libertarians they weren't around for all these years while attracting pretty much no one to their side. Instead, they rose in a brief span of 3 years, and to this date have significant influence. Work with them - you'll get "a more harmonious result".
Jun '11
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
Devereaux
One of two people WILL be the next president, and while the republicans may wish to re-evaluate their processes should Romney fail, the nation may have lost any serious ability to rebound in any meaningful way with a second Obama term.
I am not suggesting to the contrary. Which is precisely why if you live in a swing state, you should vote for Romney. But if your vote has no chance whatsoever of bringing Romney any electoral votes, why not try to use it for something.
"FAR better would be the Tea Party course. Unlike libertarians they weren't around for all these years while attracting pretty much no one to their side."
In fact, studies have shown that the Tea Party is made up of roughly half libertarians, and half social conservatives.
http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/libertarian-roots-tea-party
Libertarians should continue to be an active voice in the Tea Party, but they should also use their vote to show the GOP they are not happy with the current state of the party. Again, only if your state's electoral votes are a foregone conclusion.
Apr '11
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
What is it about third parties that makes them think that the proper path to power is to be elected President?
Lets just imagine for a second that Gary Johnson was elected. What would he do? There are zero, nada, Libertarian legislators for him to work with. Will he act like a king? Exercise executive power?
All third parties that put up Presidential candidates without first getting some of their party elected to the legislature are acting out of pure ego and laziness. They deserve no respect in any way, regardless of their positions.
Imagine if a Libertarian Senator or two were elected or 4-5 Representatives. They could truly act as swing votes.
May '11
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
Temporary solution...
http://garymittvoteswap.org
Heard on Dennis Miller.
Jan '12
Re: The Libertarian's Dilemma
What truth is there to the idea that Romney could win the popular vote, loose the electoral college on election night, yet win the electoral college a week later due to various National Popular Vote laws passed in various states, like California (55 electoral votes). I ran across this tidbit on another blog describing California passing such a National Popular Vote law http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/08/08/californias-popular-vote-bill-signed-into-law/