@President Eden. Don't be concerned about this GOP thing. If these people don't like you, just go away and make your own club.

@ redhouse1938

No, the GOP *leadership* doesn't like him. Most ordinary conservatives and Republicans that I know are happy to sit down with libertarians and try to reach a consensus. I love talking politics with libertarians, because they are educated and know what they are talking about. There is plenty of room for compromise between the GOP and the Libertarian Party if the leaders of each party were smart enough to do so.

All non-RINO Republicans want to cut spending. So do libertarians. The only question is how much and which parts of the government, but that's a detail that is moot when compared with the Democratic policy of raising taxes and indefinitely borrowing from the Chinese.

@ abgemacht

You're right about that. The GOP needs to make the Tea Party go away. Teabaggers are too stupid to do anything but vote straight Republican or straight Libertarian. You can keep the Tea Party energized and still appeal to moderates, which is the one thing that Romney has done exceptionally well so far.

@ abge cont.

His only real goof was picking Ryan for VP. He should have picked someone more moderate and more obscure.

"But, if Tea Party me members actually start costing GOP votes, such as in MO, wouldn't it be better to boot them? Why would that give Dems automatic wins?"

abgemacht, how woud they boot them? Assuming the Tea Party types are costing Republicans votes (an iffy thing, since Akin's still competitive), I don't think there's any way to really expell them. It isn't like in Europe where taking away the whip is devastating to a politician. As long as someone wins the primary then the party's stuck with that person, more or less.

As for Democratic wins, just watch the video I posted on first-past-the-post. A candidate doesn't need a majority, just a plurality. If the GOP split up then the center-right vote would be divided and the Democrats would win every time. All you need is a plurality. Ask Bill Clinton.


""People disagree with us" and "The GOP leadership actively defrauded us out of the majority of our delegates" are two completely different things. I don't know why you keep assuming the former when I've very clearly stated the latter."

I agree the GOP treated Ron Paul supporters very poorly, President Eden. However, Mitt Romeny DID win the primaries and nothing could change that. Conventions are just coronations these days, so delegate counts are largely irrelevant. The way for libertarians to take over is not delegate legerdemain and nitpicking at the platform which binds no one, but to have their guy win outright. That will take time, as it did with the conservatives.


"His only real goof was picking Ryan for VP."

Ryan was a wonderful choice. Romney would have been tied to his budget anyway and this way the guy who knows the most about it will be the one defending it. This will become evident at the VP debate, since Ryan's lack of big appearances since the convention probably means he's been in a cave studying up.

"I agree the GOP treated Ron Paul supporters very poorly, President Eden. However, Mitt Romeny DID win the primaries and nothing could change that. Conventions are just coronations these days, so delegate counts are largely irrelevant. The way for libertarians to take over is not delegate legerdemain and nitpicking at the platform which binds no one, but to have their guy win outright. That will take time, as it did with the conservatives."

You're basically demonstrated with this comment - as though the only thing Paul supporters were doing is nitpicking over a platform, and as though PHYSICAL FUCKING VIOLENCE was not used on these "irrelevant" delegates to keep them from making any progress whatsoever - that you actually didn't pay attention at all to what happened during the nominating process.

I'm sorry you don't understand, but given our past interactions, I suspect you don't actually care and are just looking to waste my time. This conversation is considered resolved.

I find it very amusing that you guys are attempting to have a serious debate in this thread, when the OP is just a Rickroll.

At least two people straight up didn't even watch the video, which was funny

to be fair those two people are the town idiots

No, not resolved.

First, links on the violence. If that really happened it's inexcusable.

Second, you seem to be ignoring everything I say. We both want the same thing: libertarian ideas in the policy making process. I want to work through the existing right party and make it more libertarian through fusionism or, more bluntly, infection with people who hold libertairan views climbing the various greasy poles. You want an almost literal rLOVEution where these ideas, still not accepted by the majority of even Republican voters, are thrust upon people.

I agree with you that the libertarian position is largely the right one, President Eden, but if you really think that then in my opinion you need to adopt the strategy that is most likely to lead to those ideas actually being a part of the discussion in the halls where decisions are actually made. Rand Paul is infinitely more benefitial to the cause than Gary Johnson.


Of course, it could still be that, like I was all through college, you say you are a libertarian so that you still have a shot at hooking up with a girl of the opposite ideology of what you really are. Nothing wrong with that.