While I like the concept of the Libertarian Party, supporting maximum freedom and individual rights, I will admit to not having much use for it. The primary function of a political party is to bring like-minded people together to win elections, to get their policies and principles into governing power; that’s the definition given to me by Dr Malcolm Jewell, one of my political science professors at the University of Kentucky, back in the horse-and-buggy days.
And that is where the Libertarian Party fails: whether people like its positions or not, the party fails in its most important function, getting people elected to office. On June 8, 2018, I went to the Libertarian Party’s website, to find their list of Libertarian Party candidates who were actually elected to public office. They claimed a total of 166 elected officials, with 52 of them holding partisan offices. Their highest, at the time, elected officials were three state representatives from New Hampshire, all of whom were elected as Republicans or Democrats, and none of whom were re-elected.
Representative Justin Amash (L-MI) switched to the Libertarian Party, due to his disagreements with President Trump, but he, too, was elected as a Republican. To date, there have been exactly zero candidates running as Libertarians who have been elected President, Senator, United States Representative, Governor, state Senator or state Representatives. For a party which has been around since 1971, that’s a pretty massive failure.
Former Representative Ron Paul, elected as a Republican, was the Libertarian Party candidate for President in 1988. Following that, he won the House seat again in 1996, and served in the House of Representatives until January of 2013. He twice ran for the Republican presidential nomination, in 2008 and 2012, failing both times.
His son, Rand Paul, was elected to represent Kentucky in the United States Senate in 2010, as a Republican, and re-elected in 2016; he is currently running for a third term, and is heavily favored. The Bluegrass State is home to two of the libertarian Republicans, with Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY 4), first elected in 2012. Dr Paul and Mr Massie used the TEA Party movement to help win election.
The electoral history has been simple: lower-case libertarians can win, if they run as Republicans, but running as upper-case Libertarians, the lose, and lose badly.
Now comes former Representative Tulsi Gabbard Williams (D-HI 2). A Bernie Sanders supporter in 2016, she ran for the Democratic presidential nomination herself in 2020, but withdrew on March 19, and endorsed Joe Biden after doing poorly. The odious Hillary Clinton later floated rumors that Mrs Williams was going to run as a third-party candidate, to throw the 2020 election to President Trump. Mrs Williams is very much a liberal, but she’s also a libertarian, believing in people’s individual rights.
Contrarian Dem Tulsi Gabbard To Headline CPAC
by Paul Bedard, Washington Secrets Columnist | Monday, February 21, 2022 | 9:19 AM EST
Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a 2020 presidential primary candidate who has been critical of President Joe Biden and liberal lawmakers, will be the headliner at the main CPAC dinner event this week, officials told Secrets Monday.
Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman, will speak at the annual Ronald Reagan Dinner held by the American Conservative Union’s Conservative Political Action Conference. Glenn Beck is slated to be the keynote.
Having a popular Democrat speak at the group’s main dinner, to be held Friday, is an “extraordinary event,” said a spokeswoman.
Gabbard has recently roiled Democratic circles with her criticism of Biden’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and decision to only consider a black woman for the U.S. Supreme Court. She has also blasted Vice President Kamala Harris as a weak vice president.
CPAC opens in Orlando Thursday and ends Sunday. Former President Donald Trump and virtually every conservative politician and pundit is expected to speak.
Again, Mrs Williams is no conservative, but her inclusion at CPAC tells us one thing: the GOP has completely co-opted libertarianism, and the future for the Libertarian Party is to stop being stupid, and become part of the Republican Party to which it naturally belongs.
Conservatives will never go along with everything for which the Libertarian Party stands, but there is much we can appreciate. And today’s Democratic Party, with its ‘progressive’ bent, is one which demands conformity over individuality, one which seeks to punish those who do not go along with its social demands and conformity policies. Mrs Williams may support universal health care, and even a guaranteed annual income, but she also supports our First Amendment rights, supports freedom of speech, and of the press, and or religion, of peaceable assembly, and due process of law. She has called out President Biden and his saber-rattling (sanctions-rattling?) against Russia, in a matter in which we cannot stop President Putin from taking. She has criticized his odious vaccine mandates. She was the best candidate the Democrats had, and while Republicans would have been upset that President Trump had lost, we wouldn’t be nearly as upset with Mrs Williams as President as we are with the dummkopf from Delaware and his ‘progressive’ filled administration.
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Wow, all over the place here….
First, for people to just NOW notice Tulsi Gabbard (not Garrard) is pretty much EXACTLY like the MSM finally realizing that Russians have been in Ukraine since 2014! CONGRATS!
Gabbard is no Liberal and is no hyphenated progressive; she is what I am. A person who draws their ideas and socio-political beliefs from ALL across the spectrum- we cast out those that are foolish and embrace those that appear top have merit. Ones that may put this Nation back on the path to Common Sense
She is what I and too few others would call a True Progressive. A moderate who is truly neither a Democrat or Republican and DEFINATELY NOT a Libertarian (yes, case tense is important)
Now, I know this is where both hard core Democratic and Republican heads get swampy; What do you mean! How can someone be a True Progressive and be against people like AOC and Clinton?
Well, because, for one thing, you are taking the media’s definition and use of ‘progressive’ (again lower case ‘p’) and allowing yourself to be sold into believing that anyone who mentions the term is a “liberal-progressive”. We are not.
Conservative values for “America First” and Constitutional Issues. Scrap the current form of globalism so that it is for the people in it and not for Corporations.
Some values the Democrats have- though no where near enough of them- like destroying the hold that corporate America has on our Government Office holders. Bury the “Duopoly” forever.
I do not know why you choose to match her up with the Libertarian Party? As I stated, its not either D or R or if not them then an L.
There are other options that exist and she is not alone in these potentialities. You mention Amash and its unfortunate he chooses to identify with a Party. What IS NEEDED is a well known politico, in or out of office, who is willing to put their name and face behind a new Truly Progressive for Americas needs, that advance the causes of America first, that dispose of the notions of being the World’s policeman, which takes us out of the worlds insane economy ; one we saw just how insane in 2020 and since due to supply chain issues.
The Dems and GOP CANNOT deliver on any of this. I hope that Tulsi does not stay a Dem or switches to the GOP; I hope she is the face, or one of them, that rises to the huge challenge of destroying the CAUSTIC DUOPOLY that has been eating away at the fabric of everything that is American from the Left and the Right and brings us back to balance and the center- a center from where we can move forward.
And Williams? Why that? She does not identify by that on any ballot or in the Army. Why?
This is a great, well-thought-out comment. It belongs on the front page…not buried in comments.
Mr Agens wrote:
She is married to Abraham Williams, and if she doesn’t respect her husband enough to use his last name, I will not show him similar disrespect.
Tulsi is an interesting person. She has been all over the political spectrum, if you believe she was a true supporter for Bernie Sanders. Some people said they were for Bernie and were not serious, but were rebellious against either of the two main parties. She may fit like that. Her videos on Rumble have shown a very different side when you compare her to her previous statements. I like what I see in the latest version of Tulsi. I’m just going to be openminded and see what she has to say, at CPAC.
Her earlier ambition was to remake the Democrat Party away from the Clintonistas and hard left, and I thought she would have been the most formidable candidate to be beaten by Republicans. Maybe that’s all gone down the drain and she has something to offer as a Republican. I wish I knew, but I won’t judge her for her past ambitions because something seems to have changed. And speaking at CPAC doesn’t mean she will become a Republican.
I know one thing. If I hear another RINO claim to be a conservative, I think I will scream. I doubt she would be easy to categorize, whichever way she fits into politics.
Let’s see what she has to say. It sure can’t hurt anything.