Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: Glenn Beck goes all in for Doug Hoffman — and third parties
There’s a sense I get from watching Beck that he thinks there’s a supermajority out there willing to return to Founders-style libertarianism if only he and other conservatives hammer the message hard and long enough. I don’t think there is.
One of the real problems with understanding the insanity that rules (and will, sooner rather than later, destroy) the GOP are disconnects from reality like the above from supposed smart guys like Allahpundit.
Once again, I cite this Gallup Poll:
Gallup’s Conservatives and Libertarians | Cato @ Liberty
The word “libertarian” isn’t well known, so pollsters don’t find many people claiming to be libertarian. And usually they don’t ask. But a large portion of Americans hold generally libertarian views — views that might be described as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, or as Gov. William Weld told the 1992 Republican National Convention, “I want the government out of your pocketbook and out of your bedroom.” They don’t fit the red-blue paradigm, and they have their doubts about both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. They’re potentially a swing vote in elections. Background on the libertarian vote here.
And note here: If you tell people that “libertarian” means “fiscally conservative and socially liberal,” 44 percent will accept the label.
That group of “Government out of my pocketbook and out of my bedroom” - a group of which I am a long-time member - is larger than either of the Big One (divided by two) political parties. In fact, the only group larger than this “libertarian” segment is the group that self-identifies as conservative. They number around sixty percent. These two polls taken together indicate that libertarian conservatism is the largest and potentially the most powerful political constituency in the country. And yet the establishment GOP has done everything in its power to avoid responding to this fact, up to and including irrational denials of its existence by people like Allah.
It is interesting that the core message of neither party matches the views of the 44% or the 60%. The Democrats claim they’ll stay out of your bedroom but rape your wallet for your own good. The Republicans (used to) claim that they would leave your wallet alone, but install state cop monitoring stations in your bedroom. Today, the GOP (otherwise known as the “Stupid Party”) has espoused a policy of total suicide: We’ll rape both your wallet and your privacy in your bedroom. And, of course, power-crazed loons without even two principles to rub together urge us to vote for these bags o’crap because they’re “not Democrats.”
Hey, Allah: How do you think a party that actually tried to deliver on “Government out of my wallet and my bedroom” would do? Maybe better than your crap sandwich GOP or the Socialist Democrat wallet-rapers?
The last administration to at least make a try in that direction was the most popular GOP administration of the past 100 years. You might have heard of the President: His name was Ronald Reagan.
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