Libertarian

Almost everyone I ran into yesterday wished me a “safe” Fourth of July. I realize this is just one of those inane things, like “have a nice day,” that we are programmed to utter. Just the same, I was a bit annoyed. I suppose, to the extent they mean anything, these well-meaning people are admonishing me not to drive blotto, blow my fingers off with a cherry bomb, participate in unsafe sex

As some may have already noticed, I am proud to announce a major change here at Publius Endures. Effective today, I am happy to say that I am no longer the sole author of this blog. Instead, I am now joined by the anonymously named, but always thoughtful, East Coast Libertarian of the site of the same name (his excellent first contribution to this site is here). But that's not all! Also joinin

I've been reading a lot of right wing blogs lately, and the only one I actually enjoy is The Next Right. While I don't agree with hardly any of the policies or values, it is thoughtful and timely. And they tend to beat up on their own party a lot, which makes me smile. Soren Dayton has a post up on libertarianism and how it relates to the right wing. While libertarianism can be accurately be descr

I was pleasantly surprised to see that my post on Will Wilkinson’s proposal for liberal/libertarian alliance drew some interest. My thanks to Will Wilkinson for his response, and to Robert Kaercher for making it one of the links of the day when he was guest editor at Strike the Root. I’ll probably have some more thoughts on this later, but for now I just want to hit a main point and give a

Have you heard about the children’s book called Why Mommy Is A Democrat, and its companion book, Why Daddy Is A Democrat? The author, Jeremy Zilber, claims on his web site that the books “bring to life the core values of the Democratic party in ways that young children will easily understand and thoroughly enjoy. [...]

Why isn't Tom DeLay in jail yet?But since he isn't, we got an opportunity to hear him expound on the royal shellacking the Republicans are going to take this year, and for years to come.Of course, this is largely the result of douche bags like himself. DeLay spent money like a drunken sailor, and lectured us all on morality, as he was chasing every skirt inside the beltway. As he awaits trial, D

In my post on the DNC deal on Sunday, I linked to Will Wilkinson's outstanding post on so-called "Liberaltarianism." Wilkinson's post is outstanding and, as much as I didn't want to, I found myself nodding in agreement with just about everything he wrote. In the post, Wilkinson points out that although much libertarian attention is focused on Rand and Rothbard, thinkers like Hayek and Friedman wer

Below is a copy of a letter I received from Rep. Robert Wexler, explaining his drive to pursue impeachment hearings for George W. Bush and members of his administration after receiving disturbing news releases on Scott McClellan's new book. He is determined to proceed regardless of the position held by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has said that impeachment hearings are "off-the

Via Liberty Maven, Ron Paul Forums member 'Peace&Freedom' made an excellent post summarizing five ways that the Barr-Root ticket advances the rEVOLution. In a nutshell, the Barr-Root ticket will:1. Ensure McCain's defeat, making it easier for Ron Paul Republicans to take over the party in the next cycle.2. Pressures the GOP to move towards a pro-liberty position from within and without3. A strong

Via Liberty Maven, Ron Paul Forums member 'Peace&Freedom' made an excellent post summarizing five ways that the Barr-Root ticket advances the rEVOLution. In a nutshell, the Barr-Root ticket will:1. Ensure McCain's defeat, making it easier for Ron Paul Republicans to take over the party in the next cycle.2. Pressures the GOP to move towards a pro-liberty position from within and without3. A strong

The Libertarian Party chose its ticket for the November elections: Bob Barr and Wayne Root. Although I will be supporting John McCain in the election, I was happy to see the following quote from VP candidate Root at the convention:Root, a colorful media personality with a dynamic and enthusiastic speakingstyle, brings several large voting blocs to the Barr/Root Libertarian ticket. Asa small busine

In other, more important news, Marisa Miller (Below, and must every model say how geeky they felt in high school?) opted for cherry scent after her latest car wash. I lean libertarian and respect many libertarian impulses, but there's something sad in dedicating your time to a cause that will never win. It's almost as bad as being a Cubs fan. Anyways, the Spectator blog has wasted some of the inte

News from the  Libertarian National Committee: The Libertarian Party has nominated former Congressman Bob Barr as its candidate for president for the 2008 election. "I'm sure we will emerge here with the strongest ticket in the history of the Libertarian Party," Barr stated in his victory speech shortly after being selected as the Party's nominee. "I want everybody to

It’s official, Bob Barr has won the Presidential nomination from the Libertarian Party in Denver. His name will now be on ballots across the country, giving conservatives a much-needed alternative to liberal Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. While I’m still undecided between Barr and Obama (for very different reasons), I’m thrilled just [...]

I was reading some blogs last night about the Libertarian Convention, most notably “Last Free Voice.”  The blog was commenting on how unlibertarian some of the candidates are.  I might not agree with everything the Libertarian Party stands for, but I think they would like parts of my platform. I am sure they would like my [...]

According to this story, Libertarian presidencial candidate Christine Smith (a singer, model, author, markswoman, chess player and whiskey drinker) will - if elected - "pardon everyone jailed for non-violent marijuana offenses." Or, as her web page puts it:I will end the 'War on Drugs.' I will end the suffering, deaths, and injustice imposed upon Americans by this insane policy.The 'War on Drugs,'

The Libertarian Party will be holding its convention in Denver over Memorial Day weekend. I know this is not an earth shattering event in the political life of the nation, the Libertarian candidate for president is always just a very small asterisk in the final election results. But, even if you are not a libertarian it matters. Besides being the party of cyberpunks, it is the largest third party

never nominated for president ← Previous revision Revision as of 03:12, 20 May 2008 Line 1: Line 1: - '''David Fraser Nolan''' founded the [[United States Libertarian Party|Libertarian Party]] in [[1971]]. He subsequently served the party in a number of roles including National Chair, editor of the party newsletter, chairman o

Conservatives and Libertarians, I’m currently looking for interested Conservative and Libertarian writers to author politically minded pieces. I’ll explain to you the exact project when you contact me. Please contact me with your specific political concentration (Foreign Policy, Social Issues, Economy, etc,), as well as your contact info. In addition, if you’re a politically link

 With the three remaining candidates for president being so weak, inspiring, and just plain nauseating, it is time to start looking somewhere else, anywhere else. My search has led me here, for starters.  Bob Barr, a former Republican, has announced he is running to become the Libertarian party nominee for president. “My name is Bob Barr and [...]

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, once a Republican now a Libertarian, will run for the White House, he announced today. The former Georgia Congressman, who was instrumental in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, is expected to hurt the candidacy of and take votes away from John McCain, R-Ariz. Here's the story on this announcement.

←Created page with '{{Infobox American State Political Party | party_name = Libertarian Party of Alabama | party_articletitle = Libertarian Party (United States) | party_logo = [[Image...' New page{{Infobox American State Political Party | party_name = Libertarian Party of Alabama | party_articletitle = Libertarian Party (United States) | party_logo = [[Image:Libertarian Party.svg|center|200px|Alabama's Libertarian Party Logo]] | chairman = [[Stephen Gordon]] | senateleader= None | houseleader= None | foundation = 1971 | national = [[Libertarian Party (United States)]] | colours = a shade of [[Blue]]; [[Yellow]] | ideology = [[Libertarianism]] | headquarters = | website = [ www.al.lp.org] | footnotes = }} The '''Libertarian Party of Alabama''' is the [[Alabama]] affiliate of the [[Libe

So now, former congressman, reformed Drug Warrior and current homophobe, Bob Barr is joining Mike Gravel in seeking the Libertarian Party presidential nomination.Probably this would be the best way for the Libertarian Party to get some serious votes. Ron Paul and the paleolibertarians like him a lot. As do white supremacists. Maybe some of the rEVOLution enthusiasts, who think Ron Paul invented libertarian thought, will jump aboard.The campaign will attract the Know Nothings and skinheads, since Barr opposes both legal and illegal immigration. These ignorant morons, who turned out to rally behind Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the Battle of Bell Road last week, are a natural constituency:And he will siphon off those voters who will always vote against their best interests, and fundamental polit

Bob Barr, the former Georgia Congressman and Libertarian Party luminary is deciding on whether to enter the presidential race. Apparently he should know in the next few days whether he is going to go for it.Speaking about the disagreements over the Iraq War and the fiscal policies of the current administration, Barr said, "Ron Paul tapped into a great deal of that dissatisfaction and that awareness. Unfortunately, working through the Republican party structure, it became impossible for him to really move forward with his movement. But we have to have ….a rallying point out there to harness that energy, that freedom in this election cycle."I doubt if Ron Paul will publicly commit to such a candidacy as Barr's, but he may not be too upset if his legions of supporters transfer their allegia

After getting even less respect than Dennis Kucinich, grumpy old Mike Gravel is leaving the Democratic Party.I'm not sure why he never caught fire, in even the most tepid way, with Democratic voters. But it might be because not many people can stare at Mike's tribute to his his grizzled mug, and the sounds of nature, for longer than ten seconds, without getting the hee bee gee bees :By the way, Mike Gravel supporters should not be confused with the Gravel Girls: Gravel is exiting the Demos because it “is no longer the party of FDR.” But that makes it kind of strange that he is now running for the Libertarian Party nomination. There are all kinds of nutjobs in the Libertarian Party, but not many New Dealers.Mike favors the national sales tax promoted by the other Mike who ran for pr

Surprisingly, it's not Ron Paul who's switched parties. Firstread is reporting that Mike Gravel has changed his party registration from Democratic to Libertarian and plans to continue his longshot campaign by pursuing the Libertarian Party's nomination. I admit I wasn't paying a lot of attention to Gravel during his early appearances at debates (he was dropped from most invite lists well before the Iowa caucuses) but he never struck me as being a candidate for joining the Libertarian Party.Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Wayne Allyn Root addressing the crowd at the Republican Jewish Coalition annual event at Palm Beach Florida “You know what the difference is between Las Vegas and Washington D.C.? In Vegas the drunks gamble with their own money!” –Wayne Allyn Root, Libertarian candidate for President We heard Wayne Allyn Root during his recent appearance on the The Glenn Beck Program [...]

Wayne Allyn Root addressing the crowd at the Republican JewishCoalition annual event at Palm Beach Florida"You know what the difference is between Las Vegas and Washington D.C.?In Vegas the drunks gamble with their own money!"--Wayne Allyn Root, Libertarian candidate for PresidentWe heard Wayne Allyn Root during his recent appearance on the The Glenn Beck Program and, like Glenn Beck, agreed with much of what WAR--as he's sometimes called--had to say.We decided to invite Mr. Root on DBKP; both to introduce himself to readers and to expand a bit on where he stands on the War on Terror and other issues.After an exchange of emails with Wayne, he sent back some well-reasoned, passionate answers.We hope most of our readers will find the exchange interesting.DBKP: Why are you running? Was it any

Photo courtesy Reid MartinHearts and kisses to the fabulous Camille Paglia, who, on second reading is a new favorite writer in my roster. I don’t care what she is talking about, and clearly neither does she, it’s all so fabulously written, punchy, true, lighthearted and fierce all at the same time.Mike suggested I read her stuff after I quizzically asked him what he thought about feminism. Kate Hutchinson’s posts often present the topic so I’ve been dipping my toe into the online feminist offerings. I still don’t entirely understand the “feminist position."Feminism seems to range from extremists who have abortions under the guise that they are saving the planet, calling motherhood selfish and babies parasites, which are stupid and tired attempts to shock people; to women who sm

I've been taking some mild flak the last few days for my quasi-endorsement of Obama, by which I mean that I currently support him, and would support him over any other potential major party nominee. However, I may yet decide to go with the LP nominee in the general election, depending on how things play out between now and November. To reiterate, though - I have no illusion that Obama is himself a libertarian in any way; however, I believe he is more genuinely open to libertarian solutions than any candidate of recent vintage, particularly on social and civil liberties; on economic liberties, he appears far better than any Democrat in many years (though I hasten to add that in effect, the Clinton presidency wound up being quite pro-market).In any event, my sentiments appear to be seconded

This is very neat - via Geoffrey Plauche comes news of the Libertarian SF Forum. It’s always nice when two of my nerdly interests combine. If, like me, you always find yourself finishing a new science fiction book and thinking, “You know, that was cool, but there weren’t enough privately owned arbitration firms,” check it out. This could be great if it takes off. Cross-posted at In Darkest

Michael Kinsley predicts that libertarians are rising but the more notable aspect of his essay is in showing how dividing politicians along libertarian versus big government grounds is not as easy as it may seem. I would take his arguments further to add that a choice versus libertarianism and big government is an over-simplification as is the belief that libertarian candidates are always those who would bring about more freedom. Kinsley begins: To oversimplify: Democrats are for Big Government; Republicans are against it. To oversimplify somewhat less, Democrats aren’t always for Big Government, and Republicans aren’t always against it. Democrats treasure civil liberties, whereas Republicans are more tolerant of government censorship to protect children from pornography, or of wiretapping to catch a criminal, or of torture in the war against terrorism. War in general and Iraq in particular–certainly Big Government exercises–are projects Republicans tend to be m

Quite frankly I often find myself in agreement with the sentiments of Claire Wolfe when she wrote:"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards."But, I still hang in there and hope against hope that somehow the Republic can be remade into something like our founders intended.People often ask me why I throw away my vote on the Libertarian Party. I do not see it that way.There is no hope in either the Republican or Democratic Party.If a restaurant gives you a choice between eating food laced with rat poison or with arsenic, you might want to eat somewhere else, even if it's a long drive, and even if the new restaurant hasn't gotten great reviews.It has long been clear to me that I have no place in the Democratic Party. It is largely devoted to implementing European style socialism. The Democrats ceaselessly advocate for more government control of the economy, more far-reaching cradle-to-grave social programs. Who c

Pittsburgh City Paper article link Ron Paul: Libertarian ApostleIs Pittsburgh native Ron Paul the champion that libertarians have been seeking? Or just an Internet flash-in-the-panBY CHARLIE DEITCHGrowing up in Green Tree, Dr. Ron Paul was a milkman, making deliveries to houses from his family's local dairy operation. It's not hard to believe, even looking at him now at age 72: You can picture his mature face and skin-on-bone physique clad in the trademark white pants with a thin black leather belt, white shirt and white hat. And in any case, it's much easier to imagine him delivering glass bottles to families in Dormont and McKees Rocks than delivering a radical, energizing political message to the masses.But there he was, standing in the conference room of the Cranberry Township Sheraton on Aug. 3.. "Like me, I'm sure that you worry about your personal liberties," Paul told a capacity crowd. "We believe that America was designed to promote liberty and self-reliance

I haven’t mentioned a favorite site of mine, Mainstream Libertarian, in a long time. I have emailed with the owner Eric Dondero and found him to be a good guy. More and more often I find myself in agreement with Mainstream Libertarian ideas. You are probably wondering what exactly “Mainstream” Libertarian means. Well this is just my personal opinion but hey what here at TPB isn’t right? Anyway, I think many Libertarians are considered “not ready for prime time” because their ideas while admirable aren’t reasonable. So to my way of thinking a Mainstream Libertarian has the core Libertarian ideals at heart but is a realist when it comes to implementing those ideals. I see Libertarianism as conservatism pure and simple. Maybe others don’t. Matter of fact I'm sure others don’t see it the same as me. If the Republican Party could divorce itself from the Christian fundamentalists and dump the neocon New World Order crap, maybe. Then quit selling our security to business for cheap l

Paul Craig Roberts has been one of the most virulent critics of the Bush administration. For that matter so has reactionary Pat Buchanan, but Roberts is the more interesting because of his pedigree. Robert was a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under the Reagan administration. Recently, Roberts went so far as to suggest that the Bush administration is preparing to orchestrate a staged terrorist attack in the United States, transform the country into a dictatorship and launch a war with Iran within a year. He first issued this warning in his syndicated column, and then amplified it in an interview on the Thom Hartmann radio show.Now, if a reasoned individual like Roberts is ready to basically throw in with the 9-11 conspiracists (sort of - I am taking some poetic license here), you have to wonder, when will the clearly progressive majority of the American people rise up and demand an end to the illegal, immoral dictatorship of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney?Here is a link

I don't know if I'm getting old, but I am beginning to think maybe there are just too many idiots for libertarianism to flourish in these modern United States.Brattleboro, Vermont has long been known for its tolerance of public stripping. No one really paid attention to sunbathers in the town commons.Naked women on parade floats—who cares. Teenagers hanging around a parking lot in the buff—no problem.What could be better than a town of hippies, Yankee cranks and libertarians, all bound together by the universal absence of tan lines?But now the town, where it is only climatically possible to be nude about six weeks out of the year, has been forced to ban it altogether.These days it seems anything like this turns into a creepy perv magnet. It's like this beach on Puget Sound off the Evergreen State College campus in Washington State. The little beach, which is only accessible by a two mile walk through the woods, is a gem and has always been clothing optional. When I was a t

Libertarians are licking their lips in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on the D.C. gun ban. Mayor Fenty announced yesterday that the City is going to try and reverse the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit which said that the law banning handgun ownership in the nation's capital was unconstitutional. Of course, the Supreme Court first as to agree to accept the case. The justices have not taken up the subject of the right to bear arms in almost 70 years.Mayor Fenty really had no choice. If he did not bring the case to the Supreme Court then the gun ban would have ended due to the Court of Appeals decision. If he loses the next round, which he will, the City is no worse off then it would be had the case not been challanged.Both sides on this issue recognize how important the Supreme Court decision will be.Also today, the subject of the correct position libertarians should take on the war in Iraq gets prominent attention in the Wall Street Journal. Ra

SurgeLibertarians See Increase in Active Duty Military Numbers and Improved Election Results (Washington, DC) - At a time when Libertarian Party membership continues to rise, a recent Rasmussen Report survey indicates that Republican Party affiliation continues to decline while Democratic Party affiliation is decreasing, as well. Republican numbers have been dropping since the November 2004

This is from over at Copious Dissent and it nails something I have seen and find rather annoying. Many people claim to be Libertarians that are in truth Democrats or Republicans that just prefer not to be associated directly with either party. Bill Maher is not a Libertarian. As is said in the article his fix for every problem is a government program. That is most definitely NOT a Libertarian view. Real Libertarians would be aghast at that. That’s a Democrat speaking no matter what he claims to be. As is also said in the article below the primary philosophy of Libertarianism can be summed up in 2 words: "Limited Government" and needless to say that is not Bill Maher. He just wants to smoke dope and not have the government telling HIM what to do while he tells US what to do. ~RJH Copious Dissent article link Note to Bill Maher: Being The Bachelor and Smoking Marijuana Does Not Make You a LibertarianI went to see Bill Maher recently perform standup; Maher is funny sometimes,

I went to see Bill Maher recently perform standup; Maher is funny sometimes, even if I disagree with many of the things he says. I have watched him for years and he is very entertaining. Nevertheless, it is still strange to hear him constantly call himself a libertarian. Every societal problem that Maher satirizes, his solution is always that the Government should solve it. Yet, he still manages to convince himself that he is a libertarian. I assume he believes he is a libertarian because he likes smoking marijuana, and everyday for him is like starring on The Bachelor. I accept the fact that these are common stereotypes of libertarianism, but those qualities are neither sufficient nor required to be a libertarian. Libertarian philosophy can actually be summed up in two words: “limited government.” Whereas Bill Maher may believe that the government oversteps its bounds on social issues, he is perfectly happy with expanding governmental roles in all things economically r

My brother has told me several times that, as a libertarian, I should be far more sympathetic to the ideas of liberalism than to those of conservatism. I believe his rationale is that libertarians generally agree with liberals about more issues than they do with conservatives. Of course, I’ve never debated that point because I agree with it. It’s just that some of the conservative issues always seemed to rank higher on my “personal issues” list than those of liberals. After almost 7 years of a so-called neocon in the Executive and 12 years of conservatives controlling Congress, my opinions have changed. It’s not that I don’t still find conservative issues regarding liberty more important, it’s just that I don’t find very many real conservatives holding office. The whole feigned outrage with the most conservative member of Congress after the last debate drives this home. It brings the lying hypocrisy of the neocons right out into the

This is my lamest post since Short Shorts Slideshow. However, it is lame only in the sense it is totally snagged. But, coming on the heels of the latest Republican Presidential Debate (which I missed since I did not want to spoil my good mood) it is quite timely.I found the post at Admiral Onasi's blog . It was originally written by Steven Greenhut, who is an editor and columnist for The Orange County Register.In the column he explains why he is leaving the Republican Party and signing up with the Libertarians.It is quite good. And although a bit wordy, I agree with every word. I wanted to do more than just stick in a link, which I know most people don't follow up on.So, even though I am getting off easy this evening, it is really not because I have decided to embrace my inner lazy ass.This is Mr. Greenhut's recent column:Last weekend, I announced my not-so-Earth-shattering decision to leave the Republican Party. In the era of George W. Bush, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Arnold S

A good day for a libertarian cyberpunk:The DC Appeals Court ruled the Second Amendment means what it says: individual citizens have the right to own and use firearms.It became abundantly clear the Patriot Act is a piece of shit. Important civil rights should not be entrusted to bureaucratic oversight within the Executive Branch--specifically the FBI.Lets do a joint.

Back in January, the Democrats announced that Denver would host their 2008 nominating convention, in a nod to the fiscally conservative, socially liberal voters who helped deliver 2006’s Democratic victories in America’s libertarian Mountain West — including a Senate seat in Montana, two House seats in Arizona, and one House seat in Colorado. But a little bit more than a month later, it looks like this may be all that Democrats plan to do to attract these voters to the party in 2008. The Democrats are making a huge mistake by snubbing the Libertarian vote. Check out a Libertarian view of the top Democratic candidates for 2008. First, we have Senator Clinton, master of the big-government welfare state, with its price tag to be paid for with tax increases. Despite all her positioning as a centrist Democrat, she’s voted against repeals of the death tax and deficit reduction bills, as well as free trade legislation. She’s anti-gun with a vengeance and has an F r

HOLLYWOOD — In the run-up to the 2008 presidential election, two of the heavy-hitters of one of the United States’ top-four-ish political parties appear to have removed the gloves. Steve Kubby, a Californian seeking the Libertarian Party nomination, has asked Christine Smith, a candidate from Colorado, to issue an apology. Smith got actress Goldie Hawn super drunk, after which Hawn eventually paid Smith $45 to go away. In 1998, when Kubby ran for governor of California on the Libertarian ticket, he had annoyed Hawn out of $45. “That’s Steve-o’s territory, man,” said a Libertarian insider who wished to remain anonymous because the last time Kubby ran for office his family home was raided for marijuana and a little peyote. (more…)

A few days ago, I decided I wanted to interview a libertarian and make a blog entry about it. There’s a local radio personality (that’s DJ in case you couldn’t decode me) who I would love to talk to, so I’ll try to make that happen sometime if he’s willing. But some readers may not want to wait so I tried to figure out who I could interview on a much shorter notice. Then it came to me: me! Now, I realize that interviewing myself may not be fair. After all, won’t I know the questions and answers in advance? Well, to be honest I actually end up surprising myself a little bit every time I put fingers to keyboard, and this time proved to be no different. Some might also be concerned that I’ll only throw myself softballs. So, you will have to be the judge of that. FB: Many people may be a little confused by the term “libertarian.” Just what does it mean to you to be a libertarian? Ed Snyder: To me, it means that my foremost co

Readers who are close observers and who have followed this blog since its inception a whopping (roughly) one week ago may have noticed a few changes here and there. Some of the changes have been obvious and have even meritted an announcement in the “Site News” section of my front page. Others have been less [...]

Today at TCS Daily David Kirby David Boaz have a look at what the Libertatian vote had on this year's elections. It looks like many of the Libertatian votes that went to the Republicans vanished this year. I really consider...

Giuliani’s liberal stances on things like abortion and gay rights make him unacceptable to the hardcore conservatives and thus he’s going to be in a tough position to run as a Republican in 2008.  This really shouldn’t be news to anyone.  Which leads to the question: should he run as a Libertarian?  I know that he doesn’t agree 100% with the party platform, but he’s fiscally conservative and a supporter of individual liberties.  He’s more in line with my views than with anyone else I know is considering a run in 2008…

The Democrats weren’t the only ones making some gains last week… overall, libertarians did well. Boortz has a roundup of some of the wins, as well as pointers to various Libertarian resources on the web.

As another election season is winding down, he are some final election results of interest to Libertarians: Bill Peirce is finishing up 3rd place with about 1.8% (+/- 67,000 votes). Our last Gubernatorial candidate received 39,114 votes. Tom Brinkman, one of the most Libertarian members of the Ohio state house won re-election by a 9% margin Michael Jason Vasko received 6.36% of the vote for Fulton County Commissioner. State issue 2 will pass. This will raise Ohio's minimum wage and essentially open up every worker's employment records to an 'interested party'. State issue 5 passed, issue 4 failed. Issue 5 bans smoking in almost every place open to the public. Issue 4 would have exempted many bars, resturants, bowling alleys, and smoke shops. In Kentucky, Brian Houillion received about 5% of the vote in a 3 way race for the US House In Indiana, Mike Cole won 4% of the vote for his bid for Secretary of State. A modest vote total, but that allows the LPIN to retain ballot acce

True Objectivists reject the Libertarian political party, and for some fairly good reasons. Mainly the reason that Libertarianism is a stripped down version of Objectivism. It is basically all of the political ideology of Objectivism (capitalism, limited government, individual rights) minus the ethics (rational self-interest), metaphysics and epistemology. I am an Objectivist who supports many Libertarian candidates, because they are basically Objectivists flying the Libertarian flag to gain support for their campaign. I am weary of calling myself a Libertarian, because I am really an Objectivist when it comes down to every aspect of my life. Libertarianism has ALMOST become synonymous with Objectivism, due to the large number Objectivists in this country who support Libertarian candidates, but is not fully compatible due to many members of the party being socialist-libertarians, anarchists (anarcho-whatevers) and other factions that have their own set of ethics attached. I think the L

There is a great post titled "Libertarian swing vote backs Chuck Hagel for President" over at Divided We Stand United We Fall that is worth a read. Here is an excerpt from it:The animus against Chuck Hagel in the ragged right of the Republican party is real and significant. I don't get it. Look at his record, and you see a bona fide fiscal conservative, a social conservative, a successful entrepreneur, a limited government Republican in the Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater tradition and a decorated Vietnam war combat veteran. He is tough on crime, strong on defense, pro-gun with an "A" rating from the NRA, supports low taxes and limited spending, was rated a "Taxpayers Friend" by the NTU, is pro-business with an 87% rating from the US Chamber of Commerce, and even secured a 0% rating from NARAL indicating a perfect pro-life voting record....This is my question for conservatives and the"Republicans blogging for the minority" that are particpating in this poll: On exactly what issue

Brian Doherty of Reason Magazine has the news that Ron Paul, Republican Texas Congressman and former Libertarian Party presidential candidate, has formed an exploratory committee as a first step to running for President as a Republican in 2008. This should make things interesting.

Something weird is happening - I'm becoming a Libertarian and I don't know how to stop. Let's take a look at their presidential candidates for 2008. It's a joke. There is a sleazy former host of a "Girls Gone Wild" video, a singer/model/actress, and a former fugitive from the United States government. Only one of them, George Phillies, looks good on the surface but I'm sure given another half hour of research I would find he used to be a stripper named Coco.Have things gotten this bad? Since turning 18 I've always gone with the Republicans but what has it gotten me? Thanks to an obscene national debt and overwhelming taxes, almost half of the money my family makes never crosses our door and our retirement prospects are bleak. We're in a senseless war and public education is going down the tubes. So do I keep hitching my horse to the same old broken wagon year after year? Seems like a no brainer.The country would be drastically different under the Libertarians. Their p

News ReleaseFor Immediate DistributionJune 29, 2006Contact: Robert Butler:(740) 204-3036c:(614) 805-8292hq@lpo.orgwww.lpo.orgLibertarian Bill Peirce Officially Placed on Ballot, Ohio Economist Running for Governor(Columbus, Ohio)The Secretary of State's office reports that Ohio Economist Bill Peirce and his running mate Mark Noble have delivered 9389 valid signatures, almost doubling the official requirement to be placed on the ballot for Governor this fall."Ohio will grow and create jobs only when the crafty, connected, and ambitious in this state can no longer get rich by grubbing for favors in the Statehouse. I believe that smart, talented, hard-working, Ohioans; set free from bureaucracy, waste, and fraud; will bring prosperity to Ohio by using their energy to build real businesses throughout this state," said Bill Peirce."Burdened by scandals and a divisive primary, Ohio Republicans are looking for alternatives," notes Powell Libertarian, Robert Butler. "We are ready to becom

Last week, the NPR program "Market Place" had a segment on the Presidential elections in Mexico. This report detailed how the South was for one candidate, while the North was for the other candidate. According to the report, this is because the there are today two economies in Mexico. The more industrialized North, specifically Monterrey and the Maquiadora areas along the border have been the beneficiaries of NAFTA, while the agricultural South has been hurt by NAFTA. Why has Mexican agriculture been damaged by free trade? Because as the report stated, "heavily subsidized" American agriculture (such as beef and corn) has been selling products cheaper than their Mexican counterparts. What immediately struck me about this report was its relationship to the immigration issue. Where do the Mexican immigrants come from? Most come from rural communities in the agricultural southern states of Mexico. As a Libertarian, the irony is never lost on a government "solution" that ends up being a

The Libertarian Party on Sunday picked former Republican Rep. Bob Barr to be its presidential candidate after six rounds of balloting. Barr left the GOP in 2006. (May 26) © 2008 The Associated Press