Will the Libertarian Party Ever become a Major Party?

[gamewell45]

I recently learned from a couple of my friends that they have left the Republican Party and switched to the Libertarian Party for whatever the reason. Do any of our resident Libertarians see this as a trend and do you see the party growing over the next ten years?

[Chris]

I doubt it, not unless one of the duopoly dies.

Note, I'm libertarian and not Libertarian. I did at one time join the LP, back when it was a state-run organization with a decent, informative newsletter and people like Ron Paul involved, in TX. Then they went national, dropped the newsletter, started asking for donations, so I quit.

I think libertarians have great ideas but they don't generally have good candidates. Badnarik was good but not exciting. Ron Paul was great, Rand not so much. And Gary Johnson was too silly.

[gamewell45]

I doubt it, not unless one of the duopoly dies.

Note, I'm libertarian and not Libertarian. I did at one time join the LP, back when it was a state-run organization with a decent, informative newsletter and people like Ron Paul involved, in TX. Then they went national, dropped the newsletter, started asking for donations, so I quit.

I think libertarians have great ideas but they don't generally have good candidates. Badnarik was good but not exciting. Ron Paul was great, Rand not so much. And Gary Johnson was too silly.

I never knew there was a difference between libertarian and Libertarian. Just goes to show you learn something new everyday. Good post.

[donttread]

I recently learned from a couple of my friends that they have left the Republican Party and switched to the Libertarian Party for whatever the reason. Do any of our resident Libertarians see this as a trend and do you see the party growing over the next ten years?

Public financing of elections with equal low funds given to 4 or 5 parties would do it. Right now the donkephant can fail badly and still get 95% of the votes because:
1) Money= exposure=- sheep votes.
2) The us v. them attitude they have managed to instill in the people.

[Tahuyaman]

Will the Libertarian Party Ever become a Major Party?

Not if they continue to nominate candidates who come off like conspiracy theory kooks.

[Don]

I doubt it, not unless one of the duopoly dies.

Note, I'm libertarian and not Libertarian. I did at one time join the LP, back when it was a state-run organization with a decent, informative newsletter and people like Ron Paul involved, in TX. Then they went national, dropped the newsletter, started asking for donations, so I quit.

I think libertarians have great ideas but they don't generally have good candidates. Badnarik was good but not exciting. Ron Paul was great, Rand not so much. And Gary Johnson was too silly.

I'd like to see more "libertarians" do what the Paul's did. Run as Republicans because that's what they truly are. Run as Republicans and replace the republicans and RINO's and anyone who falls anywhere between republicans and RINO's with real Republicans. Republican as in "guaranteed a Republican form of government. Or as in "what kind of government did you give us?" "A Republic if you can keep it."

[Chris]

I'd like to see more "libertarians" do what the Paul's did. Run as Republicans because that's what they truly are. Run as Republicans and replace the republicans and RINO's and anyone who falls anywhere between republicans and RINO's with real Republicans. Republican as in "guaranteed a Republican form of government. Or as in "what kind of government did you give us?" "A Republic if you can keep it."

Might well be a good idea. The LP could sponsor a candidate for the Republican primaries. That way they get a place at the podium to get a libertarian message out.

[Chris]

Debate: Libertarians Should Work Wit...o-Party System

AFFIRMATIVE:
Republicans Get Elected; Libertarian Party Members Don't
Rep. Thomas Massie

It's my observation that libertarians argue about a lot of things, but at the end of the day we all want to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. So is it wise or useful for libertarians who want to shrink government to run for office as Libertarians? My answer is the same as my vote on the Republican version of Obamacare this term: Hell no!

First, there's the existence proof. Even on the worst days, there are two libertarians [Massie and Rep. Justin Amash (R–Mich.)] on the floor of the House of Representatives. On the best days there are a dozen. None of these libertarians are in the Libertarian Party. So if you want to introduce libertarian bills, force roll call votes to expose faux fiscal conservatives, speak on the floor about free markets, or vote for laws to protect civil liberties, you darn well better have a D or an R beside your name....

NEGATIVE:
We Can Help Kill the Two-Party Monopoly
Bill Weld

Virtually everyone in the United States is coming to the sad conclusion that the two-party monopoly of Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C., is choking off creative policy making, to the detriment of the country at large.

This unhealthy situation has been years in the making. Both parties had noble antecedents: Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party, which prevailed in 1800, and the Free Soil/Republican coalition that elected Abraham Lincoln in 1860. But despite being born in dynamism, both parties are now ending in orthodoxy—brittle, calcified orthodoxy....

Perhaps Massie is right. A libertarian takeover of the Republican Party, chasing out the old establishment, the old social cons and neocons, re-establsihing the old right, might be a good idea. He didn't say that, that's what I got.