Libertarian party...how can it win?

Question

I think my political views are very much in sync with Libertarian philosophy but can they ever win in a democratic republic?

Only a very small percentage of people on earth choose to take the 'harder, more self-reliant, less traveled' path and all pay taxes so there's indeed an incredibly strong attraction to 'get what I deserve because that's what I pay taxes for'.

(And I absolutely admit I've taken advantage of that when i was younger and found myself with great health problems that I couldn't possibly afford to tackle...and I couldn't afford insurance...and I received state help. It was an absolute blessing that made it possible for me to get on my feet again and move toward complete independence for them.)

If someone waived a magic wand and the Libertrarians were in power wouldn't the next generation of non-Libs simply 'undo the damage' because people would be suffering 10-fold and they would be accused of being inhumanly insensitive?

Answer 1

Keep running those guys- they drain votes from the Dems.

Answer 2

I am a Libertarian. We don't necessarily only vote to win. It's a vote against the other parties. It's a vote for a lesser government. Chances are we will never win a major election, but I will still vote against the other parties and for what I believe in. If one did get the majority vote, what they do would probably undone by other party leaders. I wouldn't sit on my *** and not vote because we can't win... I'd rather steal a vote from another party. Most people who don't vote are likely Libertarian or have views closer to the middle. It's just that we don't get as much media coverage. It will eventually get the point across to other politicians also.
You should listen to the podcast The Jimmy Doane Show

Answer 3

The point of the libertarian party is to give people the freedom to help those who they personally feel are worthy of help.

Our current system is a 'help everyone who asks' system, which opens itself up to reams of people lining up to abuse it. If people were to pay just enough taxes to keep our country defended, they would then have the means to help those in crisis who they deemed worth helping. The single mother who simpy pumps out children in order to increase her welfare check, which then gets spent on HDTVs and/or crack would be eliminated.

Government has never and will never replace the personal approach to welfare, as it could never 'get to know' the people it is handing money to. Communities know the bad apples, but government is powerless to distinguish between the deserving and abusers.

Unfortunately, until the voting laws are altered to where the working population and those who stand the best chance of making our country better and more self-sufficient are best able to vote, our country will always lean towards the bad apples who, by nature of the welfare system, have all the time in the world to show up at the polling stations, while the working populace is at work in order to pay for the welfare system.

A vicious cycle, yes. Avoidable? Not as long as politicians are voted into office by those who are supported by our hard work.

Welcome to America, the great ideal gone awry.

Answer 4

I think we have to choose our battles. More people share Libertarian views than either Republicans or Democrats but they don't vote for the Libertarian candidates because they don't think they can win.

I believe we need to pick issues and push them. In Arkansas the Libertarian party pushed for elimination of the grocery tax, they got it on the ballot and lost the election. They lost the battle and won the war. During the last election cycle both the Republican and Democrat candidates for Governor listed elimination of the grocery tax as platforms in their campaigns.

I think the two other issues we should push is tax reform, the "Fair Tax" and ending abuse of eminent domain.

Answer 5

No the U. S. truthfully has a 2 party gadget (whether it is not written in stone), too many rules and election methods have be wrapped in it to allow self sufficient party take over. i do no longer understand the regulations on libertarians, yet maximum self sufficient events are "one trick ponies" and truthfully basically stand for one component.

Answer 6

The libertairan philosophy won't win elections until the majority of people who vote want the government to leave them alone more than they want to be able to use government to meddle in other people's lives.

Answer 7

Don't be fooled Libertarian party is a spoiler designed to serve the election needs of of interested.Same is the Green Party.Sorry to tell you but it is the truth.

Answer 8

So after having your hide saved by a system driven by Liberal ideologies, you now want to endorse a philosophy contrary to the one that saved you? What am I missing here?

Answer 9

Libertarians are Republican who smoke dope.