A Turd in the Libertarian Punch Bowl

The Libertarian Party will be holding its convention in Denver over Memorial Day weekend. I know this is not an earth shattering event in the political life of the nation, the Libertarian candidate for president is always just a very small asterisk in the final election results. But, even if you are not a libertarian it matters.

This time there are a couple of D list politicians vying for the nomination-- non-libertarian Mike Gravel, and douche bag Bob Barr. Many hope that someone like Barr, who could garner the support of some social conservatives, Paulites, White supremacists, homophobes, Know Nothings and paleoconservatives, would get enough votes to make an impression.

That is not the route to success of the libertarian message. Did the candidacies of Ross Perot, Ralph Nader, Pat Buchanan, John Anderson or George Wallace change the political landscape at all?

And do we really want to send out a package of damaged goods, who has recently started spouting a few lines from the Libertarian platform, just so the party can get some fleeting attention?

To succeed the party has to broaden its base beyond the old white guys, and fellows with disturbing haircuts, that dominate it. The Libertarian Party Platform is by far the most progressive when it comes to the rights of women, minorities, and gays—as well as white males.

You see, Libertarians do not believe there is a finite reservoir of rights, that will run low if they are shared with others.

A couple years ago I was trying to convince some converts to the Party. They were Idaho panhandle conservatives and were none too keen on any of this gay marriage type stuff. I explained to them that libertarianism meant there would be naked pot smoking lesbians frolicking on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene , but they would also be able to keep their Uzis and semi-automatics.

The guys thought they could get down with that.

When there are gay pride parades, the Libertarian Party should be as prominent as they are at gun shows. And they need to make a concerted effort to explain to both gays and women—that guns are not just a constitutional right—but life insurance.

Both the Republicans and the Democrats have forsaken any real pretense of being fiscally conservative. Small government frugality used to be axiomatic in the Republican Party. These fiscal conservatives don't really care about all the social crap that has come to dominate modern Republicanism. Libertarians need to reach out to the country club Republicans and small business owners—and when there is a Republican that is with the program openly support them.

There are still Goldwater Republicans, who were betrayed by Reagan, and then totally forsaken by both Bushes. They are looking for a party.

Most African-Americans are not European Socialists—but they are also uncomfortable in the hypocritical party of Clarence Thomas. The Libertarian Party stands for everything the civil rights movement was, before it was captured by leftists who successfully sold the peculiar idea that greater control by a central government will somehow enhance the individual freedoms of minorities.

Libertarians should be hooking up with the NAACP—and when Al Sharpton happens to be right—say it, and when Obama is saying something intelligent and uplifting don't just dismiss him as another socialist.

The Libertarian Party is not going to win a single state in the electoral college for a long time, but there is a lot we can do at the local level.

In many places with just two or three hundred votes we can gain control of local governments. If there was a libertarian on the Canton city council I doubt they would be throwing people in jail for not mowing their lawn.

Gilbert, Arizona would not have built a 40 million dollar Little League ballpark on the taxpayer's dime--nor banned Victoria's Secret posters at the mall or yard signs advocating the recall of the mayor.

The Shreveport police would not be unleashed on the baggy pants crowd.

Los Angeles would not be harassing street cart Taco vendors.

Nor would they ban construction of fast food restaurants.

And San Francisco would not ban the sale of cigarettes in drug stores.

Arizona would not prohibit poker playing in social clubs, and it would not be a felony in Washington State to sit in your undies and play a few hands of online poker in the privacy of your home.

Assbag school administrators would not ban hugging, but their ass would be in a sling if they stripped searched a fourteen year old girl to find out if she is concealing a Motrin pill..

We should be lobbying for, and raising awareness of, the American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007 and Representative (R-Arizona)John Shadegg's Enumerated Powers Act.

And at the local level, neither of the major parties cares about individual property rights one bit.

When some hippies organize a peace march, go with them, we agree on that issue.

And Latinos—they are predominantly conservative—but the Republicans lost that gigantic chunk of the electorate with their vile xenophobic hate---don't be ashamed of, or minimize, the party's immigration platform—there is a natural constituency, uncomfortable in either major party.

We need to get out the message that the big spending federal government and the policies of the Federal Reserve are the the cause of the tax that is beginning to strangle the Republic and destroy the poor and middle class—inflation.

There is much real work that can be accomplished, beyond a never ending bitch fest.

And yes, we should run a presidential candidate—one who is truly a principled libertarian—one who has worked the bakes sales, peace marches, petition drives, gun shows, and backyard barbecues.

Someone who Thomas Jefferson would vote for.

Not a turd in the punch bowl--like Bob Barr.