Third-Way Delusions
I’ve looked on with curiosity at the so-called “Gravelanche,” the reaction among libertarians to Mike Gravel’s quest for the Libertarian Party’s nomination. That old Mike would attempt such a thing is not particularly surprising—the man who depicted his delinquent credit-card bills as a social protest probably has visions of LP largesse and federal matching funds dancing in his head.
What is interesting is what the reaction reveals about the delusions libertarians have of themselves as a principled “third way” in American politics.
True, some have remarked, quite sensibly, that a man who claims, “[T]he Democratic Party today is no longer the party of FDR; it is a party that continues to sustain war, the military-industrial complex and imperialism,” is profoundly ignorant of the history of, among other things, FDR, the military-industrial complex, and American imperialism and probably doesn’t really get the whole libertarian thing at all.
Others sought to be more “pragmatic” and succeeded in proving themselves to be generally out of it.
First there’s the libertarian hawk “New Skeptic,” who dismisses the Gravel idea because 1) the military industrial complex and imperialism are “fake concepts,” 2) it’s no good to criticize the war, and 3) Gravel’s just another “kook”: “Libertarians have a serious image problem, and people like Gravel and Ron Paul have not helped.”
Oh yes, New Skeptic, the Iraq war is so wildly popular that it would be political suicide to oppose it! As for the half million soldiers, administrators, and civil contractors employed abroad—merely an illusion! More over, NS seems quite concerned with the Ron Paul newsletters and oblivious to the fact that this “scandal” had no effect whatsoever on the primaries and gained little to no traction outside the PC Beltway. It’s only the dwindling New Republic subscribers and their DC friends who worry that Paul might be a man “filled with hate.”
Equally baffling are the comments of David Weigel, the Gravelanche chronicler: “I think the Ron Paul experience—millions of dollars for about 5 percent of the primary vote—has brought opinion of this kind of campaign back down to terra firma.”
No one at this site has shied away from criticizing the Paul organization—major breakthroughs in online fundraising and networking were squandered by a campaign run in a incoherent, unreliable, and often amateurish fashion. Nevertheless, the torpid and dull efforts of LP candidates of yore generated about as much interest as a basket-weaving convention—anyone remember Badnarik and Browne? In comparison, Ron Paul’s 2008 run was nothing short of miraculous. That libertarians would dismiss the Paul campaign as a failure is beyond belief.
I wonder if it’s dawning on the Reason-oids, free-market hawks, and the other Betway libertarians who rejected Paul because he wasn’t PC enough that the congressman from Texas was successful as a “libertarian” candidate specifically because he had nothing to do with Reason magazine and LP politics?
Let’s imagine in Paul’s stead the ultimate Reason composite candidate: something on the order of a black jacket-wearing metrosexual with contemptibly bad hair who stresses the benefits of open-border immigration and defends the rights of transvestite prostitutes. Add to this a limp, lefty pacifism so vague and inconsequential that it doesn’t much bother neocon friends at AFF happy hours. Oh yes, I’m sure such a candidate would get much higher than 10% in an Iowa caucus.
Despite Paul’s limitations as a candidate, I actually believe that his “movement,” generally conceived, might yet have a second act; however, it’s becoming clear that such a patriotic organization will not involve the effete gadflies, or the free-market warmongers, of the libertarian blogosphere.
Comments
This is pitiful. Right now we’re looking at Mike Gravel for the Libertarian Party and Alan Keyes for the Constitution Party. Even for people like me who are willing to vote for a third party candidate there are still no acceptable options. This is shaping up to be the worst election year I have ever voted in.
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It was precisely the most ideologically libertarian of Mr. Paul’s positions that were the most problematic for his campaign. Chief of these was his lukewarm support for immigration control, conceiving it to be merely a matter of abolishing welfare for immigrants and they’d all go home.
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“Right now we’re looking at… Alan Keyes for the Constitution Party.”
Right now we’re looking at a third party that lined up for the race only to shoot itself in the foot with the starter pistol.
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We already have such a potential Reason magazine dream candidate!
Headline from Drudge:
Nobel laureate Al Gore may be Democratic peacemaker…
Of course! Al Gore!
It really is the ‘End of Empire’, isn’t it, when a pompous, blowhard, disingenuous hypocrite in a fat-suit isn’t laughed out of the country (or maybe he was, and he’s just ignoring it), but is actually being considered as a potential saviour by Joe Klein in the ‘news’ magazine Time (article: Is Al Gore the Answer?).
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I would vote for Alan Keyes,
Bob Barr, even
Ralph Nader,the more the merrier.Anything but the 3 stooges running now,let a thousand flowers bloom.
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‘It was precisely the most ideologically libertarian of Mr. Paul’s positions that were the most problematic for his campaign. Chief of these was his lukewarm support for immigration control, conceiving it to be merely a matter of abolishing welfare for immigrants and they’d all go home.’
Care to explain why McCain is the GOP nominee then?
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‘It was precisely the most ideologically libertarian of Mr. Paul’s positions that were the most problematic for his campaign. Chief of these was his lukewarm support for immigration control, conceiving it to be merely a matter of abolishing welfare for immigrants and they’d all go home.’
Dr. Paul believes that physical barriers will not suffice to prevent illegal immigration, so one must address the motivation instead. Are their reasons for coming here primarily economic? Do they accept welfare and such?
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Nice post, Richard.
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Barr/Paul ticket, please. Paul said he won’t run, but not as a VP! Or maybe a Barr/Bruce Fein? That guy speaks liberty like no other, great man. He probably considers himself a Conservative, but the libertarian party is a big tent, no?
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How about Judge Napolotono and Bob Barr,now thats a ticket.Fein for Attorney General.
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“It was precisely the most ideologically libertarian of Mr. Paul’s positions that were the most problematic for his campaign. Chief of these was his lukewarm support for immigration control, conceiving it to be merely a matter of abolishing welfare for immigrants and they’d all go home.”
Sorry Ted, but I must say you were not paying attention. His non-interventionism in general and his absolute disapproval of the war in Iraq was what killed him among the warmongers of the GOP. Their unwillingness to even consider the evils of empire has been one of the biggest political disappointments in years.
Conversely, it was McCain’s seeming goal of placing every nation on Earth in either a ‘Protect’ or a ‘Destroy’ box that made many GOP voters look past his many conservative infidelities. Sad times indeed.
Peace be with you.
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Wouldn’t be surprised if a fair number of paleos and libertarians broke for Obama. I personally like Gravel as well as Kucinich and Ron Paul… and come to think of Lou Dobbs and Jesse Ventura.
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Gravel, sadly belongs in a nursing home, holding McCain’s hand.Other than the war, he is wrong on all issues.
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Paul’s campaign took the money the Revolution raised and squandered it on ads that tried to say--Hey, wait a minute, I am a Republican, goddamit.
Instead, they should have said-I am the anti Bush! No foreign war, no more debt, no more corruption, no more same old same old.
THe anti immigration ads were the biggest waste of time because all the other candidates except McCain were already there. So it was a ME TOO ad, which failed to divide Ron Paul from Huckabee and Romney.
Paul was brilliant in the debates at times, when he got a chance to speak. His bought ads were awful.
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Hospers has embarassed himself with this letter supporting Bush and the war: http://www.tomgpalmer.com/archives/015106.php
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YOu sed: “...the ultimate Reason composite candidate: something on the order of a black jacket-wearing metrosexual with contemptibly bad hair who stresses the virtues of open-border immigration and defends the rights of transvestite prostitutes. Add to this a limp, lefty pacifism so vague and inconsequential that it doesn’t much bother neocon friends...”
San Francisco Liberals? Meet your mirror images: the Inside-the-Beltway “Libertarians”.
Absolutely hilarious--and accurate description of the Reason/AEI/CATO crowd.
As if their political alter-egos--Newter Gingrich and Dick Armey---had any significant successes in the polls.
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Dear M: Dr. Paul failed to separate himself sufficiently from the standard Republican pro-immigration record (at a time when the Republican base was increasingly concerned with the issue). McCain won by gaining pluralities among Republicans in blue states that he won’t carry in November (that and weak opposition!).
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I seem to recall that under Plan Neo-Weimar, our era’s civic playbook fer amnesiac ijits, that the basic M.O. was to satiate a nervous public with Soft Porn Cabaret and a declining currency value until such time as a sinister demigod could arrive in order to protect the public from the “Other Du Jour” . Seems like everything is going according to plan to me. We have yet to see the real Sociopath in Chief but he/she/it will arrive on cue and the public, properly softened up by this current Hee Haw Napoleon will swoon mightily for the show.
Inasmuch as the Reich was a giant Murderous and Heavily Mechanized Performance Piece...the first big one of the last century and chock full of frustrated no talent artists, I would keep a very close eye on our fashion industry or perhaps hollywood writers still smarting from the Strike. With the wages of idiocy bearing down hard upon us, there will be a greater need for Bread and Circuses and Fashion and Hollywood do Bread and Circuses like nobody else. They might not produce the star but they’ll package them ever so professionally. Oil, or lack thereof shall be a unifying plot device.
Anybody who thinks we cannot slouch into turpitude like our Chastened Teutonic Friends should slap themselves back to wakefulness because we’re now beyond mere slouch and onto the premeditated. The running plunge into sadomasochism just needs a few more defaults and voila:"Farewell Mein Lieber Herr”
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I agree with Brad C.
This is shaping up to be the worst election year I have ever voted in. Right now, I’d vote for Nader. not happily. And moving backwards, my votes have been Kerry, Buchanan, Phillips, Bush, Paul…
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