At the Texas Students for Liberty conference I heard a lot of speakers. It was dismaying to find that one of the recurring themes from the Libertarian Party speakers was the repetition of the same mistaken assumptions about the nature of the Republican Party which I'm used to hearing from the political left, but which I had hoped Libertarians might be a little bit more informed on.
It was particularly discouraging to hear them express the popular misconception that the Republican Party is a monolithic entity which enthusiastically supported George W. Bush and all of his policies and is eager to continue repeating those mistakes. Those of us who are within the party realize how ridiculous this belief is, but we haven't made much more progress in tearing down the assumption that all Republicans are the same among those on the libertarian right than we have disabusing the political left of this idea. For the intellectual leaders on the left and far right this may be because it's politically advantageous for both groups to portray the GOP as a stereotype and a bogeyman, but for many of their followers it may just be the result of being misinformed.
Yes, Republicans are to blame for putting George W. Bush in office and by association, for the mistakes which he made. But that doesn't mean that they supported his mistakes or that they were even enthusiastic backers of his policies at any time other than in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Bush was a moderate, compromise candidate — picked not because Republicans supported him, but because they believed (rightly) that his differences from the mainstream of his own party would allow him to attract independents and moderate Democrats and make him a winning candidate. Yet the same qualities which made him a winning candidate put him at odds with many elements in his own party, who were willing to support him because he could win and because he made hollow promises to stick by certain principles. Yet many were not at all happy supporting Bush from the start and even less so with the specific policies which he promoted once he was in office.
Article comments
1 - Eric Dondero
But if the Libertarian Party partisans couldn't bash Bush, than what would distinguish them from Republicans?
They have to find something to justify their separation from the GOP, so they bitch and moan about Bush.
That's sooooo 2008.
2 - Dave Nalle
Bush is a convenient bogeyman, but the credibility of that tactic is wearing pretty thin to those who are actually paying attention. Sadly most ideologues on the left or the right don't pay attention to anything but their preconceptions.
Dave
3 - Scott Deitche
I was a registered Republican for 15 years before changing (back) to independent last year, when the relaity of the sea change in the party crashed on my shore. No longer a party of liberty and business, it's now a party espousing an extreme theocratic ideology and pushing irrelevant issues (to me) like gay marriage.
The big tent is no longer big, nor particularly welcoming.
4 - Jet Gardner
You know with all the "ex-gay" organizations, perhaps an "ex-Republican" one where we de-brainwash moderates and program them to boot the "radical right" out of the GOP?
5 - Silas Kain
Hey, Jet, you know why this Republican Party loves war so much? These ultra right conservative men just LOVE a man in uniform. That way they can cruise the bases and troops without being discovered. And did you ever notice that uberconservative males have a thing for bronzer? Look at Boehner and Ensign -- one more drop of bronzer and they'll be candidates for the new Cover Girl spokesperson.
6 - Jet Gardner
Hmmmmmmmm
7 - Silas Kain
The big tent is no longer big, nor particularly welcoming.
Well, tents are temporary dwellings and I think that's the way we need to look at the GOP. Their Big Tent has collapsed and the "preachers" escaped out the back flap (watch it, Jet) and have taken over. Now they have their revival meetings out in the open air.
I still believe that there is hope for the GOP. It means work and lots of it. Next year the GOP will have their respective state conventions along with their national conference. Those who long for a return to GOP basics should gather like tea baggers (Jet, you KNOW a closeted right winger came up with that one) and march on every one of them. Of course, it will never happen. We're too lazy, too disengaged, too uninformed and besides it would take us away from watching Reality television.