John LeBeaume writing @ Reason.com offers up lessons of the Robert Sarvis campaign in Virginia in response to conservative hysteria about the loss of Ken Cuccinelli in that race. He reminds us that conservatives are saying:
Despite being possibly the most strident and unregenerate social conservative on the GOP’s national stage, Ken Cuccinelli really, really was—way down deep—a small government, libertarian, free marketeer. Virginia’s activist conservative Attorney General was America’s last, best chance to install a “liberty-minded” man in a governor’s mansion, a redoubt from which he could take his states’ rights stand against the impending ObamaCare/Hillary socialist takeover.
And he could have won, too, if it weren’t for those self-absorbed, narcissistic Libertarians and their “spoiler” of a candidate, Robert Sarvis.
Mr LeBeaume goes on to make the argument that in recent years many voters have come to support libertarian views on social issues that make it harder for socially conservative Republican candidates to get the votes of many who want less government and lower taxes. He notes that:
The Libertarian won as high as 17% of the vote in affluent, socially moderate precincts in suburban Henrico County (the home base of the U.S. House GOP’s second-in-command, Rep. Eric Cantor.)
He backs up his argument with exit polls that show many of those who voted for Sarvis were so appalled at Ken Cuccinelli’s big government views on social issues that they would have voted Democrat to keep him out, or not voted. ” A Libertarian on the ballot let them cast a vote for markets and small government, to complement their social tolerance…”
Full column by John LeBeaume @ http://reason.com/archives/2013/11/20/conservatives-could-learn-a-lesson-from/1
I don’t have a strong preference between them.
Very true, but I’d still prefer the commies.
If those are the only two choices, the final destination is tyranny, and the only question is which path we take on our way down to it.
Personally, if I only had two options, and had to vote I would take some socially tolerant commies over any socially intolerant crony capitalist.
You are probably correct, but I would never say never. For example, the Democratic Party effectively switched many of their issue stances in 1933. Reagan was long considered a political joke by many until he won. And so on.
If they aren’t conservative on social issues, then they’re not conservatives now are they? The GOP will never fully embrace liberty, and that will be their downfall. And I say GOOD.
I saw this article today and I had hoped it would be posted here. Thanks, Gene.
Correct spelling of his name is LaBeaume.