The Libertarian Role or "Don't be with stupid; talk about simple fixes"
Let me preface my rantings with a paragraph no one will read. I actually like Libertarians. The ones I've met are young energetic people who are willing to more than argue, actually debate issues and views. They extend discussions and policies beyond the predictable evangelical topics. Libertarians actually mean what they say. They get excited about politics. They volunteer.
My complaint is the piper they choose to follow.
My problem with Congressman Mr. Dr. Ron Paul Esquire, is (1.) the unquestioning and unyielding adulation that his supporters have for each idea or even biographical fact about him. We saw it first with Ralph Nader in 2000, then Paul, and in Mc-Supersized form for Obama. (2.) the fact that he would sound so much smarter if he would just stop talking two sentences before he actually does - although to be fair that would apply to almost every politician (3.) that after all that hooping and hollering by his supporters that we all put up with everyday during the primary he garnered only 27 delegates. (and this is where people tell me he finished first in the Louisiana Pancake caucus that binds 1/3rd of the states votes) which clearly means that either his support was so evenly spread across the country that it was a statistical blip in actual totals or that his vast Internet support was (as with Obamas hugh numbers of on-line small dollar donations) the work of a few power players with multiple accounts, spam bots, and unverified registrations.
The point is:
Libertarians need to stop acting like the inflamed appendix of the Republican party.
They need to stop shouting ideas that sound stupid no matter how right they are.
If I'm trying to go out and engage undecided voters or reclaim former republicans I can't go out there and say the "FDA should be abolished because it is ineffective, incompetent, that it can't protect us from deadly food, that its blocking life saving drugs and its costing too much." I can't say that and go up against a candidate that just says he'll increase the size of government to 'solve' the problem and never mentions how or how much it will cost.
I can't say that the federal government has no business in education. That its a state issue and we should abolish the DOE. Even if I'm right about schools being run into the ground by bad teachers, unions, and multicultural studies mandates, I'd be lucky to get even 10% of the mothers who have kids in public schools.
I'm willing to bet I could get 20+ million votes simply by being the republican on the ticket. I could get 40+ million simply yelling expletives at members of congress. But I can't get 65 million by saying anything that sounds stupid. McCain didn't lose the election on Nov 4th. He lost it on September 15th. "The fundamentals of our economy are strong."
God's honest truth McCain was right. The core tenets of American capitalism are still there. Ford and GM have huge profits in the Chinese auto market and if they cut capacity they would have the same profits at home. Citi, Wachovia, BOA still have the same millions of commercial bank customers they had six months ago each with Billions of ATM fees, ISF fees, and other fees which make the majority of the commerical bank income each month. The current situation are the consequences the simple retraction of a housing market that was too big to NOT fail. It is being made worse by the back and forth promises of bailouts, automated trading, and panicking inexperienced investors too young to remember the last real contractions of 1987. The sky is not falling, the fundamentals of the American economy are strong and are still the strongest in the world. But what McCain said, though absolutely true in every way, sounded stupid.
Libertarians need to come up with ideas that, and the is important now, ACTUALLY SOUND GOOD.
"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" - The Newt Gingrich line is possibly the most resounding statement of the election. Unlike "Hope", "Change", or "Joe the plumber" people instantly know what you mean. It didn't require people to pay attention to the news before figuring out what people meant. It wasn't even attached to a new program, bill, or law. It was a simple catch phrase that spun a wildfire driving Americans to pressure congressmen to let the congressional ban expire. In the house, it stopped democrats not up for election cold and forced idle republicans to action. It was the right words, with the right meaning, at the right time.
Like that, libertarians need to be the people talking about the "Simple Fix", "The Easy Win".
Avoid talking massive overhauls, avoid contentious issues, draw people in with short, easy ideas. Be the party of the 'left turn lane' (and that's not a left/right political analogy). Come up with small, effective, and passable ideas that fix bottlenecks, cut red tape, and improve things for a majority of the population.
Even if the idea is not the acme of perfection or doesn't apply to everyone in every situation, it does make progress. More importantly "Simple Fix" ideas resonate, excite people, turns them on and makes them listen to the things you have to say. "Easy Win" ideas makes people ask "Why aren't we doing that?"
The Libertarians need to come up with a ten or twelve point "Simple FIx" plan like the Contract with America. Consisting of concise bullet statements it should be supported with sourced numbers and facts, studies, and supporters.
They don't have to be massive big ideas like a fair tax or abolishing the penny.
Start small, start local, and start by eliminating roadblocks. Abolishing laws generally has less legal challenge than writing new ones.
Easy Fix #1
Let people buy their health insurance across state lines, it means more competition and lower prices. The companies (BC/BS, Aetna and others )already have offices in each state, just under seperate legal entity. The block provides no protections and only allows the compaines to conicidentially price fix in each state market.
My complaint is the piper they choose to follow.
My problem with Congressman Mr. Dr. Ron Paul Esquire, is (1.) the unquestioning and unyielding adulation that his supporters have for each idea or even biographical fact about him. We saw it first with Ralph Nader in 2000, then Paul, and in Mc-Supersized form for Obama. (2.) the fact that he would sound so much smarter if he would just stop talking two sentences before he actually does - although to be fair that would apply to almost every politician (3.) that after all that hooping and hollering by his supporters that we all put up with everyday during the primary he garnered only 27 delegates. (and this is where people tell me he finished first in the Louisiana Pancake caucus that binds 1/3rd of the states votes) which clearly means that either his support was so evenly spread across the country that it was a statistical blip in actual totals or that his vast Internet support was (as with Obamas hugh numbers of on-line small dollar donations) the work of a few power players with multiple accounts, spam bots, and unverified registrations.
The point is:
Libertarians need to stop acting like the inflamed appendix of the Republican party.
They need to stop shouting ideas that sound stupid no matter how right they are.
If I'm trying to go out and engage undecided voters or reclaim former republicans I can't go out there and say the "FDA should be abolished because it is ineffective, incompetent, that it can't protect us from deadly food, that its blocking life saving drugs and its costing too much." I can't say that and go up against a candidate that just says he'll increase the size of government to 'solve' the problem and never mentions how or how much it will cost.
I can't say that the federal government has no business in education. That its a state issue and we should abolish the DOE. Even if I'm right about schools being run into the ground by bad teachers, unions, and multicultural studies mandates, I'd be lucky to get even 10% of the mothers who have kids in public schools.
I'm willing to bet I could get 20+ million votes simply by being the republican on the ticket. I could get 40+ million simply yelling expletives at members of congress. But I can't get 65 million by saying anything that sounds stupid. McCain didn't lose the election on Nov 4th. He lost it on September 15th. "The fundamentals of our economy are strong."
God's honest truth McCain was right. The core tenets of American capitalism are still there. Ford and GM have huge profits in the Chinese auto market and if they cut capacity they would have the same profits at home. Citi, Wachovia, BOA still have the same millions of commercial bank customers they had six months ago each with Billions of ATM fees, ISF fees, and other fees which make the majority of the commerical bank income each month. The current situation are the consequences the simple retraction of a housing market that was too big to NOT fail. It is being made worse by the back and forth promises of bailouts, automated trading, and panicking inexperienced investors too young to remember the last real contractions of 1987. The sky is not falling, the fundamentals of the American economy are strong and are still the strongest in the world. But what McCain said, though absolutely true in every way, sounded stupid.
Libertarians need to come up with ideas that, and the is important now, ACTUALLY SOUND GOOD.
"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" - The Newt Gingrich line is possibly the most resounding statement of the election. Unlike "Hope", "Change", or "Joe the plumber" people instantly know what you mean. It didn't require people to pay attention to the news before figuring out what people meant. It wasn't even attached to a new program, bill, or law. It was a simple catch phrase that spun a wildfire driving Americans to pressure congressmen to let the congressional ban expire. In the house, it stopped democrats not up for election cold and forced idle republicans to action. It was the right words, with the right meaning, at the right time.
Like that, libertarians need to be the people talking about the "Simple Fix", "The Easy Win".
Avoid talking massive overhauls, avoid contentious issues, draw people in with short, easy ideas. Be the party of the 'left turn lane' (and that's not a left/right political analogy). Come up with small, effective, and passable ideas that fix bottlenecks, cut red tape, and improve things for a majority of the population.
Even if the idea is not the acme of perfection or doesn't apply to everyone in every situation, it does make progress. More importantly "Simple Fix" ideas resonate, excite people, turns them on and makes them listen to the things you have to say. "Easy Win" ideas makes people ask "Why aren't we doing that?"
The Libertarians need to come up with a ten or twelve point "Simple FIx" plan like the Contract with America. Consisting of concise bullet statements it should be supported with sourced numbers and facts, studies, and supporters.
They don't have to be massive big ideas like a fair tax or abolishing the penny.
Start small, start local, and start by eliminating roadblocks. Abolishing laws generally has less legal challenge than writing new ones.
Easy Fix #1
Let people buy their health insurance across state lines, it means more competition and lower prices. The companies (BC/BS, Aetna and others )already have offices in each state, just under seperate legal entity. The block provides no protections and only allows the compaines to conicidentially price fix in each state market.
Tags: easywin, libertarian, simplefix
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jim Rock on -
yep--I got thier skin head crap still, one of those son of bitches in a logging protest bit the end of my nose off, tore his plunger hole up then taped it on till got to the Doc---that a44hole
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Permalink Reply by Jim Rock on
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the why all the Pork for Shrimp, real reprsentitave of an area if ya ask me---highest pork man of the bunch
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Permalink Reply by Catherine on -
Jon,
A thoughtful, well-written idea. I have thought similar thoughts, but you've done a fine job articulating them! We do need to make the message easy to understand without a lot of political-speak, and we need to address the issues that most people are concerned with. As one of the posters stated, he doesn't care to hear about all the quibbling, etc. surrounding philosophical discussions about big v small gov't (like anybody could actually make it measurably smaller anytime soon? HA!), etc. just do the work most people expect government to do and then let people live their lives.
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Permalink Reply by Terrence Abrams on -
HERE's A SIMPLE FIX !!
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Permalink Reply by Suzanne on -
Glenn Beck, Judge Napelitano two voices of libertarianism on your fox news. Their ratings are rising and pretty soon they will shut out orelly, the obama shill, and hannity. People are moving back to the basics...either you will follow or be left standing in the dust.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Brennan on -
No one is moving towards Ron Paul. We are not moving twards the C4L failed attempt to hijack libertarianism. We are NOT moving towards that third party wannabe conservative failure. We are GOP, the home of the true conservatives and the polls are showing an INCREASE in registrations with the RNC. Yes, RNC registrations are increasing and in some great areas too like Illinois, California, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. All show a beginnings of a surge in new registrations.
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Permalink Reply by Suzanne on
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Wake up..you are still sleeping.. it looks like the shift is to libertarianism...YOU will be left standing in the dust. Alex Jones was just on Fox news..yep...times are a changin...will you remain stuck? Remember...Reagan said Libertarianism is at the heart of conservatism. Please catch up with the times...Alex Jones new documentary "The Obama Deception" is free to view RIGHT HERE on this forum...do yourself a favor...
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Permalink Reply by Jim Rock on
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hes right obama gal, its in Rasmussen polls, the GOP has over taken and out run the socialis in Gobertorial also, Libertarians , who gives a flying fluck on Tues about thier "follower", thats all they are , they have no representation unless they hijack a spot with us
OFFWITH HER HEAD-----
you are whinning again about being inferior and 99% of the sites are discussing the mandatory youth corps, obama getting $101k for AIG "favors" , registration of ammo, UNITY09 major assault starts on Sat, opening the borders, Pelosi and friends dicussing amnesty, the Bill trying to get on the floor to make obama prove hes american, and about 40 other items
come here and its SOS, the commies whinning about Paul and the Americans asking why they here and a FREAK having 5 post about min wage shoul equal J Paul Gettys 1965 worth per hour
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Permalink Reply by Michael Brennan on
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Suzanne, why are you always so wrong and off topic? Suzanne, why do you resort to personal attacks when people voice their opinions? Suzanne, your fringe groups do not have the voice nor the numbers politically to force anyone to really listen and the way YOU alientate people I have to keep wondering why you whine about people not rspecting you when you attack EVERYONE without cause. YOU are the reason YOU have no credibility on this site. YOU are the reason YOU have no clue about the topic. The country is not fringe wannabe and they do NOT want what you are offering but YOU do not listen. YOU like to plug your ears to what the majority are saying and run screaming that people attack you because they are not some crazed ideologue. I doubt that Ron Paul could support you and your efforts on this site. I know Ron Paul does NOT support most of the actions taken and done in his name from fringe groups. Either YOU change or YOU lose. We are fine, we have NOTHING to gain from joining you. We have more to lose going in your direction. You have more to gain coming with us, but as long as YOU act this way, NO one is going to listen to you or treat you with respect. You have to earn respect suzanne and you have not earned it yet. I posted NO one is moving towards RP, that is FACT. How did you respond...kindergarten tantrum attack on my person. You lack credibility suzanne and you lack the ideology consevatives want. Please learn this quickly. the faster YOU learn, the faster YOU can get on track with the true conservatives and not some fringe group wannabe.
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Permalink Reply by Jim Rock on
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you heard the announcement yesterday, possible detainment can be done for members of groups that perform Terrorist activities--Ron Pauls name on bumper stickers was especially named because of the radical people he attracts, thats why we dont want his association
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Permalink Reply by gabe on -
Liberterians and conservatives share many ideas in different ways. Liberterians are all about states rights and minimal govt interference and true conservatives are about limited govt. It is a match that has held for 20 years until Bush came in. Now we as conservatives need to welcome are wayward brothers bac into the fold and stop the govt taking over.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Brennan on
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True gabe, I have been calling for the real libertarians to come home. So far a few have but for them it is kind of hard because a few fringe wannabes claim they are libertarian conservatives and they give the rest a bad reputation that many mainstream conservatives have a hard time seeing the real libertarian from the fringe radicals. We will get them home though.
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