Trump was invited to speak at the Libertarian conference last week. He went and was booed. Should he even have gone to the conference?
Trump Booed at Libertarian Convention
The BBC reports Trump Booed at Libertarian Convention
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly during an appearance at the Libertarian Party’s national convention on Saturday as he asked members for their support.
Mr Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, told the party’s delegates to unite with him to beat Democrat Joe Biden.
“We must work together,” he said. “Combine with us. You have to combine with us.”
The request was met with vigorous jeers from the Libertarian party members, gathered in Washington to pick their White House nominee.
Libertarians, who favour small government and individual freedom, typically lean to the right on issues like federal spending and gun rights.
But Mr Trump’s invitation to the convention divided the party, with many members decrying his Covid-19 policies while in office, as well as the national debt accrued under his watch.
Despite the icy welcome, the Republican pressed on with his half-hour speech, saying he’d come “to extend a hand of friendship” and pledging to include a Libertarian in his cabinet if elected.
‘We’re not going to vote for them’
Arielle Shack, a Libertarian voter, said she had travelled to the convention from New Jersey to show her opposition to allowing Mr Kennedy and Mr Trump to speak.
“We don’t want people that are not Libertarians here. If they don’t have our principles, we’re not going to vote for them,” Shack told the BBC’s news partner CBS.
Michael Reeves, a Libertarian delegate from Daphne, Alabama said he was “disappointed” by Mr Trump’s first term in the White House.
“I thought he had an opportunity to really make some changes in DC, and he didn’t,” Mr Reeves said. “The best we can say is that he didn’t start any new wars, and that’s a pretty low bar.”
He added that both Democrats and Republicans are moving the country towards a “more collectivist and authoritarian state”.
Trump Confronts Repeated Booing
NPR reports Trump Confronts Repeated Booing During Libertarian Convention Speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing the Libertarian Party National Convention on Saturday night, with many in the crowd shouting insults and decrying him for things like his COVID-19 policies, running up towering federal deficits and lying about his political record.
When he took the stage, many jeered while some supporters clad in “Make America Great” hats and T-shirts cheered and chanted “USA! USA!” It was a rare moment of Trump coming face-to-face with open detractors, which is highly unusual for someone accustomed to staging rallies in front of ever-adoring crowds.
Libertarians, who prioritize small government and individual freedoms, are often skeptical of the former president, and his invitation to address the convention has divided the party. Trump tried to make light of that by referring to the four criminal indictments against him and joking, “If I wasn’t a Libertarian before, I sure as hell am a Libertarian now.”
Despite the raucous atmosphere, Trump continued to press on with his speech, saying he’d come “to extend a hand of friendship” in common opposition to Biden. That prompted a chant of “We want Trump!” from supporters, but more cries of “End the Fed!” — a common refrain from Libertarians who oppose the Federal Reserve. One person who held up a sign reading “No wannabe dictators!” was dragged away by security.
Trump tried to win over the crowd by pledging to include a Libertarian in his Cabinet, but many in the crowd hissed in disbelief. The former president did get a big cheer when he promised to commute the life sentence of the convicted founder of the drug-selling website Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, and potentially release him on time served.
That was designed to energize Libertarian activists who believe government investigators overreached in building their case against Silk Road, and who generally oppose criminal drug policies more broadly. Ulbricht’s case was much-discussed during the Libertarian convention, and many of the hundreds in the crowd for Trump’s speech hoisted “Free Ross” signs and chanted the phrase as he spoke.
The Libertarian split over Trump was reflected by Peter Goettler, president and chief executive of the libertarian Cato Institute, who suggested in a Washington Post column that the former president’s appearance violated the gathering’s core values and that “the political party pretending to be libertarian has transitioned to a different identity.”
Q&A on the Libertarian Convention
Q: Should Trump have gone to the Libertarian convention?
A: Absolutely. He was invited. I think it was smart to go. RFK went as well.
Q: Should the Libertarians have invited Trump?
A: That was a great move. It brought the party more media coverage than they have gotten in decades.
Q: Did Trump crack a bad joke?
A: Yes. “If I wasn’t a Libertarian before, I sure as hell am a Libertarian now,” is ridiculous.
Q: Was Trump’s offer of appointing a Libertarian in his cabinet genuine?
A: Perhaps, but no one knows. Perhaps Trump doesn’t even know.
Q: Should Libertarians vote for Trump?
A: It depends. The WSJ, has a good article by a Libertarian writer on the pros and cons.
WSJ: Libertarians Should Vote for Trump
Walter E. Block says Libertarians Should Vote for Trump
Donald Trump spoke Saturday at the Libertarian National Convention. Hats off to party chairman Angela McArdle for inviting him along with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Vivek Ramaswamy and Joe Biden—who all showed up except the president, even though none are libertarians.
Some members of the party bitterly opposed the invitations. What’s the matter with them? Don’t they want the party of principle to be better publicized?
Libertarians regard the purchase, sale and use of drugs as “capitalist acts between consenting adults,” in the words of philosopher Robert Nozick (1938-2002). Additionally, Mr. Ulbricht’s sentence is unjust because it is disproportionate to his crime. Murderers have received more lenient sentences. If inviting Mr. Trump to speak to the Libertarian Party accomplishes nothing more than helping free this victimless criminal, it will have been worth it.
But I go a step further and urge Libertarians to vote for Mr. Trump. Not all Libertarians—only those in swing states.
If we pull the lever for Mr. Trump in these swing states, we may get a slightly more libertarian president and help free Mr. Ulbricht. If we vote Libertarian everywhere else, we make a statement and help preserve our ballot access.
Some Libertarians find Mr. Trump unacceptable on grounds of principle. True, he is no libertarian, but Mr. Biden—the wokester, the socialist, the interventionist—is much further from us on the political-economic spectrum than Mr. Trump.
The Libertarian Party typically attracts 1% to 3% of the electorate. But when opinion polls ask respondents if they support low taxes, free enterprise, and an end to victimless crimes, some 20% to 25% say yes. Libertarians, loosely defined in this manner, can have an effect on the coming election.
The Pragmatic Libertarian
It appears that Walter E. Block is a pragmatic Libertarian. That is how I have described myself to some close friends.
I would rather have a small step in the right direction or a step sideways than two steps in the wrong direction.
At the presidential level, I have not voted for a mainstream candidate for at least two decades. Curiously, I have been accused of being a Biden lover and and Obama lover, the former for blasting Trump on many issues and the latter simply for predicting Obama would win.
On at least four occasions, I have been accused of being extreme Right and extreme left on the same day!
I have plenty of issues with Trump. Any Libertarian would. But ask them who they would rather have.
I find Trump thoroughly distasteful on tariffs, military spending, the budget in general, Israel, mannerisms, interventions, and meddling. However, I am totally convinced Biden is heading the country for economic ruin. It’s a terrible set of picks.
Will I vote for Trump? Probably not. But it depends on his VP pick. I would have a more difficult time deciding how to vote if I was in a swing state.
What would I do in a swing state? I don’t know.
It’s easy to say you would do this or that, but when actually in the position to act, do something other than what you think you would do.
I am happy now to live in a state where I can easily vote my conscience. It’s 100% guaranteed to not be Biden.
Who Will Win the Presidential Election?
For a discussion of where things stand if the election were held today, please see Interactive Websites: Who Will Win the Presidential Election?
My base case at the moment is Trump would win the Electoral College 312 to 226 while losing the popular vote.
But the election isn’t today. There’s a decision in the Trump trial, debates, and economically speaking anything can happen.
they definitely should not vote for the libertarian candidate. that dude is whacked 20 ways to Tuesday. He’s a Nancy Pelosi, kente cloth nut job.
Being an ideological purist will get you nowhere. Personally my views are somewhere between LeFevrian Autarchism and Libertarianism but at some point you have to think about the least worst option and how, through inaction, you actually might contribute to making things worse.
Trump is the anti-libertarian. He is firmly in the pocket of Christian Conservatives. He gave us the end of Roe v Wade and the enslavement of women to their fetuses. He kept the wars going in the middle east and the enslavement of Americans to the DOD. He did nothing to end laws that inhibit acts by freely consenting adults. He wanted to actually end the American tradition of the peaceful transfer of power after an election! Nobody can call themselves a libertarian and vote for Trump.
The roe v wade decision can, alternatively, be viewed as a win for states rights. You may not like the result – but it is still a blow to federalism. Personally I don’t really care about this issue, but the fact that you couch it as ‘enslavement of women to their fetuses’ seems like an overly emotional extremist position to take.
It would not be a blow to federalism.. I believe federalism gives the states more rights not less.
Anyone who phrases it as “enslavement of women to their fetuses” is light-years from reality.
Good job on not understanding our system of government, the abortion debate, or what being a libertarian really means.
Roe V. Wade was an overreach by activist judges that created “rights of abortion” without the constitutional authority through their interpretations of what they wanted.
The abortion debate is one of “When does life begin, and when is it murder to kill a child?” To pretend that a libertarian must be pro-choice is entirely ignoring the ENTIRETY of the abortion debate, and is akin to saying true libertarians are not okay with government interfering in the killing of one’s children.
No, Libertarians should not vote for Donald Trump. His economic policy alone was disastrous, before covid. There is no way to get a smaller government by increasing the debt, and there is no way to walk back his actions in misleading the public. His campaign was happy to point at the dishonesty in how politicians use “unemployment” metrics and conflate them with labor force participation rate. Then he went and did the same thing in office.
We need someone willing to anger the public to do what is necessary, the can kicking b.s. must stop at some point. Trump is another self serving guy, who isn’t willing to make the tough choices.
The caveat to all of this: Libertarians should absolutely vote against Joe Biden, as he is significantly worse than Donald Trump and he is devastating this nation.
It’s really a two-party system. If the Libertarians had a great candidate, it would only split the Republican vote making it easier for the Democrats to win. If I lived in a swing state, I would vote for Trump.
Suggest you Google “There is only one party, the Property Party”, quote by Gore Vidal from the 1970s.
I can remember when the libertarians, er libertines, er hippies were bailing out of the Haight after the summer of love due to an uptick in brotherly violence over the hippies stiffing the free trade brothers, who weren’t into pushing free dope and Sgt. Sunshine for the hippies. Apparently the curbside fecal matter deposits, STDs, imported gain of function HIVs, and general crime rates haven’t improved since, even with no fault divorce, no bail, no jail, 60 million indigenous aborted, and no working borders. No wonder the billionaires are buying offshore islands with bunkers.
If Libertarians rename their party the “Cat Party”, they would have much more success because cats represent best the Libertarian philosophy of maximizing their own freedom. Dogs however embody Democrat Party ideals because they are always looking for a hand out.
Libertarians are electorally irrelevant. They will always prefer purity to compromise and so end up not voting at all.
Disagree. The newly selected Libertarian candidate will siphon a couple % of the vote away from Biden. The more economically focused Libertarians who didn’t prefer their selected candidate will be more likely to vote for Trump. If the 2024 election is as close as 2020, that could be sufficient to tip the balance.
The British Sterling was pegged to gold. France paid reparation to Bismarck in gold, The democratic party convention in Chicago was chaotic. William Jennings Bryan was
an antimonopolist, anti central banks and against gold : “U shouldn’t crucify mankind upon a cross of gold”. The western silver kings support Bryan. Silver coins deflate poor farmers debt and caused inflation. The populist party under Bryan became dominant . They fused with republican against Bourbon democrat in the south, but McKinley dumped them. Silver coins poise danger to wage earners. Deflation hurts the economy, but benefits skilled workers. As long as u prevent wage cuts their wage would rise,
Poor harvest in Russia, India and Australia helped farmers. They rejected free silver.
William Jennings Bryan was a bomb that bomb itself.
I would only ever vote for myself to rule myself. I don’t have a slave mentality.
“I thought he had an opportunity to really make some changes in DC, and he didn’t,” I blame the democrats for that as they framed him for crimes he did not commit and he spent much of his time fighting for his life in an impeachment trial that should not have happened. I thought he did a pretty good job under the circumstances. But for me, the number one thing I want in a president is someone who our enemies will fear or respect. I want protection, this is where our current president has failed miserably.
Something funny I heard, “the libertarians want your liberty”
Like women being against the 19th Amendment because it enshrines women suffrage.
don’t shoot the messenger, wth
Are libertarians gong to vote for Biden? Of course not. They will vote for Trump or they won’t vote. Either way it’s a vote for Trump.
In Spain, after sacking Catalonia, the gov made a coalition with the radical left. Pedro Sanchez, Spain pm, is the radical left puppet. In S. Africa the ruling party might lose
their majority today and rule with John Steenhuisen, a centric. When the Libertarian stops masturbating ==> they might have more influence.
What the hell is a libertarian? There is not real Libertarian party, there are no models globally of a ruling libertarian party, and being a libertarian seems to be in the eye of the beholder. How about voting based on which candidate will be the most effective and best steward of the United States foreign policy, over-arching domestic issues such as tax policy, government efficiency and investment, and protecting and expanding individual rights of all Americans. Last but not least, vote for the person who personally best represents the character of the nation or the character that we aspire to.
….Which is a long winded means of saying: Vote for anyone, absolutely anyone, other than either Senile or Crazy.
Either Joe Biden or Donald Trump will be sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th next year. Each vote in aggregate will determine which one is taking that oath of office. Anyone who thinks that Joe Biden is “senile” or suffering from dementia and unable to understand the information that is in front of him is simply falling prey to his opponents’ propaganda. Both candidate are old, both candidates are not our best orators, but only one of the two respects the Constitution, our institutions, widely recognized norms, and our global democratic allies.
The invisible hand organized both George Floyd and free Palestine protests. Biden’s most dangerous enemy is Obama and his cabal.
Biden’s most dangerous enemy is the staircase.
I was at a private party for mostly libertarians in 2020 the weekend before the election. Several people I spoke with said they were going to vote for Trump, whom they regarded as the lesser of two evils. I did as well.
Stadiums full of people chanted “Fuck Joe Biden” for the last four years, but the media weenies pretended not to hear it
Leftist college presidents tell the students that they are not allowed to express their opinions, because it triggers wokesters and Marxists.
A handful of extremist weirdos boo Trump and every single media outlet writes a front page story about it.
You wonder why no one under 60 pays attention to broadcast media?
Mish ,all the hand wringing for what ? Very simple you vote for the lesser of 2 evils.
You either vote for Trump or Biden or don’t vote and a vote for the llibertarian party is
the same as a no vote because they have no chance to win . See how easy it is the
decision made simple and now move on and live your best life. In most cases the two
choices are bought to you by the political establishment and they are beholden to
them not the people who vote .
The odds of your vote being the deciding one is extremely small no matter whom you vote for, even if it is a Democrat or Republican. Voting is an expression of public opinion. So, vote your heart.
I believe that if all the people who voting for the greens in 2016 had instead voted for Hillary, she would have won.
And we never would have gotten to see Miley Cyrus cry.
“I believe that if all the people who voting for the greens in 2016 had instead voted for Hillary, she would have won.”
And if she had; nothing of ANY importance would have been different, whatsoever.
No, voting is not equivalent to voting for this year’s American Idol. Unlike many who say vote your pocketbook or vote for whom you would prefer to have a beer with, I vote for who I believe, looking at all of the pros and cons, will work to preserve the best parts of our nation and work to fix what needs fixing and do so in the most democratic/bipartisan way possible. My individual cultural opinions should inform my life decisions, not someone elses, and my individual pocketbook issues are mine to solve.
“Very simple you vote for the lesser of 2 evils”
There is no “lesser evil” between Senile&Crazy. Both are vastly worse than either direct rule by the Kremlin, Hamas, Kim what have you. As well as vastly worse than full on everyone-shooting-at-everyone-else, Mad Max chaos. Simply because all those scenarios increases the probability that changes from the lock-limit-bad current state will take place more quickly. And when one is as rock bottom as the current-day West; 1)ALL and any change, no matter what, is an improvement and 2)The only thing of importance, is the speed at which things change away from the current can’t-even-possibly-be-worse disaster.
If elected the GDP will shrink bc Trump is a libertarian marionette, a puppet libertarian show between 2024 and 2026.
We’re fucked either way. Trump is slightly more entertaining. Plus, anything to get rid of Secretary of State Gilligan and Jake the Mortician.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4305566-trump-doubles-down-death-penalty-for-drug-dealers/. Libertarians decriminalize capitalistic acts between consenting acts. Trump would kill people for them.
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/US-Leaves-The-Door-Open-for-Oil-Majors-to-Operate-in-Venezuela.html
USA targets world’s largest Venezuelan Oil reserves.
Trumpy said he will invade Venezeula.
Article:
The move was met with backlash in Caracas, which described the return of the sanctions as a U.S. attempt to “control and manipulate the Venezuelan oil industry”
Andre:
The Permian Basin has 50% annualised decline rates. 50% of USA oil production is from the Permian Basin. This is empirical, not my opinion.
The radical Libertarian party should become a “swing party”.
All elections are decided by suburban housewifes. If two oceans are not enough then build an iron dome.
…Hence why women’s suffrage was just another element of the undifferentiated disaster referred to as the Progressive Movement.
Yes, of course Trump should have accepted the invite. Free press coverage, guaranteed. The boos were frosting on Trump’s cake, too. Watch the clips. You see a guy who doesn’t match his opponents’ “Trump”. His opponents won’t see that, of course. But that’ll just make them look clueless. Again, good for Trump.
Should the libertarians have invited him and the others? You bet. If nothing else, the invitation was a great test.
What Trump policies do Libertarians have a problem with?
Trump didn’t close schools. Local school districts and politicians did that
Trump didn’t lockdown any states or municipalities. The locals did that, or they didn’t do it. Compare Florida to New York.
Even in NY when the Gov ordered a 2nd rd of lockdowns c, mostly Red counties across the state said they wouldnt enforce the order. And just like that the Covid19 lockdowns were (finally) over in NYS.
Trump didn’t implement any mandates or kick out anyone in the military over the vax mandate. Biden did that.
Real Libertarians are completely opposed to debasing the dollar’s value and causing the debt to skyrocket even higher, both of which Trump did and because real Libertarians know that debasing the dollar and massive debt and deficits are bad for the nation. At the Libertarian convention, Trump said you can get 3% of the vote or vote for me and win. The real Libertarians booed because debt mongering and debasing money, how both the Republicans and Democrats operate, isn’t winning, it’s losing.
“Take the guns first; go through due process second.”
Press Powell to cut rates to protect his precious stock market bubble.
There’s two unpopular Trump policies I can think of without even trying.
If you think DJT cares about the stonk market, then you haven’t been paying attention… at all.
Maybe the Libertarians didn’t like to ingest bleach?
Did you drink bleach, Al?
If a libertarian votes for an authoritarian, was he a libertarian to begin with?
Maybe those in swing states should vote for The Donald while those in solid red or blue states vote for what’shisname..the Libertarian candidate.
If Trump wanted the libertarian vote he would have done something to earn it.
“I want to destroy the country at a somewhat slower rate than Biden” isn’t that.
Let’s just rip the bandaid off, do the national divorce thing, and be done with it.
No wars.
He’s done more to earn their vote than any candidate in my lifetime not named Ron Paul.
The only Libertarian (capital L) ever to serve in Congress, Justin Amash, voted to impeach Trump.
Maybe there’s some vestige of conservative still alive in there…
Amash turned out to be a mirage… a massive disappointment.
They casually “threatened” him, and he folded like a cheap suit. Spineless.
Amash is closer to Paul Ryan than Ron Paul. That’s the truth.
WW3. It is right around the corner. Like the Nam war all over again. Of course you vote for Trump as you want the Dem. Party out of office. Then, you make sure Trump does not take us there.
If you don’t hold your nose to vote for Trump now, you won’t be able to hold your wallet from Biden.
And if you do hold your nose to vote for Trump, you won’t be able to hold your wallet from him.
While, in either case, you won’t be able to hold your wallet from Powell; who; along with predecessors; have been, and is, the ones behind 90+% of the total theft, for over 50 years now.
Around 1930-2000 NYC time zone (EST), all the Marxist bots and paid agitators seem to start commenting…
I am pretty sure Trump doesn’t give a f#ck what anyone here thinks about his speaking at a political rally.
No one cares what BBC and NPR think about any subject. Both have jumped the shark and should be shut down
Asking people to vote for you but not caring what they think sounds pretty narcissistic.
Are you discussing Trump, Biden, or both?
You ain’t black!
In this case I was referring to the comment about Trump supposedly not caring but, you’re right, it unfortunately seems to be a trait of a lot of politicians, from all parties, surely some Libertarians, too.
Washington warned that the bane of America’s existence would be the rise of political parties. He warned both Jefferson and Hamilton, who were busy starting their own political parties. If people were capable of critical thinking, parties would become obsolete. Many people are capable but the exigency of putting food on the table demands otherwise.
My thoughts on politics, voting, and the body politic can be summed up in the quotes from H L Mencken below.
“Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.”
“Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of jackals by jackasses.”
“As democracy is perfected, the office of the president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
That last quote is the most important in my view. Politicians are an extension of the body politic. Like it or not, they are the personification of the conglomerated mores of the individual voters.
“Like it or not, they are the personification of the conglomerated mores of the individual voters.”
Then it’s true, our education system is a complete failure.
.Upvoted.
“Then it’s true, our education system is a complete failure.”
Not “our.” All possible state funded “education systems.” No different from any other state funded “system.” All of which are; always and everywhere; nothing whatsoever aside from complete failures.
There exists no way to do totalitarianism right.
” Many people are capable but the exigency of putting food on the table demands otherwise.”
For over forty years the Fed’s been making debt cheaper and cheaper, most American’s now think it’s normal to owe more than a years salary.
That frog’s been boiling for a long, long time.
.”Washington warned that the bane of America’s existence would be the rise of political parties. ”
I can’t begin to imagine what Washington would have said about legalized bribery.
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I refuse to label anyone. People should vote for who they want based on their own reasons. We actually need to ban political parties. The country is going to be ruled by those with the most money. No worries though. Mother Earth does not value money to fix her ails. So let the destruction and cycle of renewal begin.
“The country is going to be ruled by those with the most money. “
It already is.
.Has nothing to do with number of parties, everything to do with the SCOTUS labelling bribery as “free speech” (Citizens United)
Living in the same school district as a politician; such that you meet him at parental events and football games gives you; at least; as much influence over decisions, as whatever some naif arbitrarily “deems”and “holds” and “finds”and “judges” to be “in violation” of some utterly arbitrary and self dealing “campaign finance” so-called “law.”
The problem with bribery is not the bribing. But rather that the government is sufficiently big, unlimited and influential to be worth bribing.
Perhaps THE most beneficial effect of truly anonymous money will be, specifically, that it allows anyone to trivially “bribe” anyone else. Hence; one could at least hope; finally getting the complete ignoramuses who make up the indoctrinati, to realize what has; always and everywhere; been 100% true all along: Government services are not some strange, mystical-magical thingy which, like Santa Claus, is not beholden to the laws which govern all economic goods; namely that they are, always and everywhere, without exception sold to the highest bidder.
Once everyone is made aware that every politician making any decision, is getting untraceable money he can then splurge on hookers in Dubai upon retirement, without anyone having any possible way to notice this: The idiot indoctrinati naive enough to reliably cheer for and support the West’s decline into its current state of nothing but a hellish, totalitarian, progressive dystopia, may not remain quite so stupid anymore. And that, will be a very, very good thing.
Of course they should vote for DJT.
No wars.
Besides, their own “party” just nominated a half-wit circus clown.
IMO, the LP needs to reconsider everything they do & how they do it.
Example: forget presidential/federal politics for a while & focus on local+state offices + state-level organization, exclusively… maintain this focus for a decade… build a bench + track-record… when some key local+state level organizations are sufficiently funded/successful, attempt some congressional campaigns… once there, caucus with The Right/GOP w/ the intent to influence very specific, but limited, priorities & policies… LP desperately needs to drop their broad ideological approach/demands and accept the realities of the system(s) in which they must operate. The two-party tradition will not be felled w/ a chainsaw – it will have to be eroded over time… a long stretch of time.
The US Constitution is a fundamentally libertarian document, FFS. Stop fighting battles that can’t be won (at this point in time), and start fighting battles that can be won NOW. The Don Quixote routine gets them NOWHERE.
They value liberty. Trump offers lies and stupidity.
I suspect the little detail about being a rapist, criminal, might play a really small role.
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In Biden’s case, being a rapist and child molester plays a large part
True. It will play a really small role but not enough to tip the balance. No one cares about those sordid details. He will be re-elected because he is really good at being president. Biden, on the other hand is really bad at being president.
Agree on a fair amount but completely disagree about Trump because of all the dollar debasing and debt increasing he did and would do again if given the chance because that’s how the Republicans and Democrats have operated time and time again. Americans need to say we won’t get fooled again and soundly reject these ways that are very damaging to ours and our descendents future.
as if any other (viable) candidate would be better RE: debt.
your objection is pointless & aesthetic – there is no fiscally responsible candidate anywhere.
fiscal policy & debt are moot. downshift to the next-highest priority issue… war & foreign policy, and the choice is obvious… DJT.
duh.
No way. Having principles means you don’t support what’s wrong, debt and debasement, just cause their the only viable candidates. You stand against what’s wrong by not voting for it. Bad fiscal policy and debt has caused raging inflation across the land for housing, cars, insurance, labor, and can lead to depression and war so it isn’t a pointless issue at all, it’s really important.
Ulbricht and a Cabinet post are strong reasons to support Trump.
The Libertarian nominee Chase Oliver called Israel’s defensive war in Gaza “genocide”. It might be disproportionate (I don’t believe it is) but calling it a genocide is wrong and a blood libel. So I will never vote for him.
I’ll vote for Trump unless he names someone unacceptable as VP.
Tim Scott is at the top of my “unacceptable” list. Hopefully I won’t be forced to consider voting Constitution Party but it feels like I am fast running out of options this year!
After seeing what the LP finally nominated for president, I expect Trump will harvest most of the LP voters this November. Good move on his part.
Good point. The LP looks like it opted for more of a marxist; I suspect you are right and many LP members will vote Trump; especially the Constitutionalists.
Both mainstream candidates suck. Trump sucks slightly less and is in better control of his faculties, obnoxious though they may be. A vote for a libertarian is wasting your vote. Hold your nose and vote for Trump.
Did anyone see the candidate that they selected? What a joke!
Libertarians are just the weird people that never get anything done. They just sit around, whine and lose.
YES
Trump needs to go everywhere and get the word out
Crooked Joe will just sit on his ASS like he has done for 3-1/2 years
and continue to destroy our beloved country
There used to be a time that doing nothing and leaving people and the economy alone was a noble Republican trait. What has happened to you people? ….
With all due respect to the site manager, Libertarians should be ignored. Trump was right. It is a 2-3% movement. No one is gonna vote against their own government benefits. Dont know why Trump was there. Very much like Republicanism, Libertarianism sounds great .. till reality appears. Libertarians and the Communists are wasting everyones time.
1) Communists seem more popular at 10-20% of vote … Leftists for Bernie!
2) Libertarian-reality may be better than 4 more years of what we have now
But no one will vote for #2
And libertarians won’t vote for Trump. We seem to be at an impasse.
“If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals — if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.”― Ronald Reagan
We all want less government, fewer taxes, fewer regulations, fewer old white men telling us all what to do, forcing us to have babies we dont want and cant afford …. oops, I went off on a tangent ….
I’m reigning king of downvotes, how’s it possible you only got one there?
I’m impressed.
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“…the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. ”
This was almost true around 60 years ago, then LBJ scared the Dixiecrats over to the GOP, then the GOP become the representative arm of corporate America.
I don’t like the Woke stuff, but dayum, that party’s a mess now.
Like happy hour at the trailer park bar.
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Absolutely he should have gone. Compete for as many votes as possible, especially when swing voters in battleground states are probably going to decide the election outcome again. And campaigning for votes with groups that may not be receptive to your positions shows strength and optimism; not weakness and pettiness.
” He went and was booed. Should he even have gone to the conference?”
No, it was almost embarrassing to watch, Trump surrounds himself with “yes men”, he rallies at locations where he knows he’s popular for the photo/video opportunity.
This footage went viral on MSM & social media, for the first time ever Trump is in a video with an audience booing him, while he has multiple criminal trials ongoing and a dire need to revamp his public image.
This was a major campaign screwup, I almost think it was a setup on the inside, sabotage.
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people respect people who show up. libertarians live in a bubble in which they can pretend to support ideas that haven’t been fully implemented in the us since the middle of the 19th century, and even then only briefly. trump will go anywhere, speak to anyone, and tell his story. that is respectable, especially since his story doesn’t change to meet the perceived biases of the audience. libertarians in the us are no different than communists in the us, in that both claim to support policies they know they will not be implemented. in that way, the party is not respectable. meanwhile, showing up and asking for the libertarian vote is extremely admirable, BECAUSE of the boos.
“people respect people who show up.”
In that case, Biden should’ve gone.
That’s akin to saying a New York fan will earn points at a Rangers game for wearing a Yankees shirt.
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Biden didn’t show up. that’s the point, genius.
You complexly missed context, then call me “genius”.
Trump?…Is that you?
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try dialing back your emotions … they’re leading you to the land of typos …
Libertarians do not crave the respect of authoritarians. Guess you need another angle.
libertarians need authoritarians so they blog on the Internet and write books. most libertarians would last 8 seconds in a society that put 100% of their principles into practice.
Having a chuckle watching a MAGA tell a Libertarian what Libertarianism is, those guys know everything!
having fun watching you be emotional on a thread.
I’ll go with the opposite take.
He showed he can and will go to places he isn’t popular / surrounded by yes men.
One of the many criticisms of Trump is that he only wants to bask in his own awesomeness. Attending this is a step in the direction that says he will engage those who aren’t MAGA supporters. A president is supposed to be able to reach both sides.
“One of the many criticisms of Trump is that he only wants to bask in his own awesomeness. Attending this is a step in the direction that says he will engage those who aren’t MAGA supporters. A president is supposed to be able to reach both sides.”
This was my point, his voter base is simple, they see crowds cheering and that’s good enough, parlor tricks work for them.
If you’re right and he’s stepping out to appease the middle, I don’t see it happening, booing crowds could cost his base enthusiasm.
He needs at least a small portion of college grads, parlor tricks won’t work with them, his criminal cases are damning with them.
.I think he’s better off sticking with the formula that’s worked, cross fingers and hope for that small slice.
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Sorry, simple minded people like Kamala Harris a.k.a. ,the laughing hyena, aren’t Trump supporters
It was spectacular! I’ve watched it 3 times now.
I love the bit where he stands there applauding himself with major boo boo face as they boo him. I thought he was gonna cry.
Things that happened off camera:
He had his goons show up early to get the front seats reserved for the delegates. They got evicted, but you can still hear them trying to be heard above the booing.
He had the secret service go around confiscating rubber chickens with “Debate Bobby” on them.
I think it was wise for Trump and Vivek to accept the invite. Neither is a Libertarian … but Libertarians (I lean that way but don’t hate cops or Israel enough) are champions of free speech and knowing what the parties are offering … and having them negotiate with the LP is a step forward. Should the LP have invited … I say yes. Don’t center the convention around them, but giving 4 people 30 minutes each is not a badly spent 2 hours in a multi-day event. I am in a swing-ish state (NC) and I will be voting for Trump (a little nose holding). I’d have preferred Gov D or Vivek … but I have compassion on the middle class and poor and don’t want them to suffer 4 more years under Joe. I wish Trump was not such a narcissistic loud mouth … but it still leaves him as a better option than Quid Pro Joe. I wish he would also have promised a pardon of Mr. Assange and Mr. Snowden. Either way, my business is small enough that I can pivot and hopefully thrive no matter who is elected. But as for the question … IMHO … yes the LP should have invited him and yes he should have come. The LP is definitely not a place that should become an echo chamber. Also IMHO … the biggest struggle for the LP is that most of their members are independent thinkers (which doesn’t sound like a struggle). With the possible exception of a bifurcation of the republican party … for the most part … each party has 40+ of the electorate that they cannot lose no matter what they do. People whose last independent thought was in nursery school. In a voting society, the LP has few people who would pull the LP lever (fill out the LP bubble) regardless.
They didn’t like trump, and they didn’t like that other creepy little man.
The Libertarians are calling out on Big Gov’t to reduce the control, return freedoms, and so on.
That will NEVER happen with the Two Party System, in lock-step on the MONEY side of Politics, esp. the MIC and BIG OIL and BIG PHARMA, and BIG CORPORATIONS in general.
We are a “Corporatocracy” is an economic, political and judicial system controlled by business corporations or corporate interests.
“That will NEVER happen with the Two Party System,”
It won’t happen with a self-serving conman, rapist in office either.
Trump spent more in stimulus than Biden, a Democrat, did.
I mean there is more reason to believe Biden raped his daughter than Trump raped anyone, and we know Clinton raped women.
Bill Clinton, too.
giggles.
Trump got plenty of applause in addition to the boos.
I heard the applause as well, right after the one delegate said “F-ck Tump” while he had the microphone.
His goons he brought with him, trying to be heard above the boos.
Like the one black guy he brings to every rally and positions in the crowd directly behind so camera’s catch him, a sure sign he has the black vote.
Judging by his appearances in front of a dozen people, Biden has the graveyard vote
That’s because he brought his own simps.
I watched the speech. Did the rest of you guys watch it?
Trump got loud applause on at least 4 points:
Appoint a Libertarian to his cabinet.
Pardon Ross Ullbrich
End the foreign wars
Pro crypto.
They may like the idea, but they also know he’s lying, and will chuck them under the bus with the Jan. 6 guys at the earliest opportunity.
No one should vote for Trump
Or Biden, who is actually evil and an imbecile at the same time.