Inside the fractured GOP

Tue

May 27 2008

01:25 pm

By: R. Neal

This interview with Mike Huckabee has some interesting insight into the opposition's troubles. Especially this part:

Republicans need to be Republicans. The greatest threat to classic Republicanism is not liberalism; it's this new brand of libertarianism, which is social liberalism and economic conservatism, but it's a heartless, callous, soulless type of economic conservatism because it says "look, we want to cut taxes and eliminate government. If it means that elderly people don't get their Medicare drugs, so be it. If it means little kids go without education and healthcare, so be it." Well, that might be a quote pure economic conservative message, but it's not an American message. It doesn't fly. People aren't going to buy that, because that's not the way we are as a people.

Too bad the GOP establishment will write this off as a bunch of sour grapes nonsense. Read the whole thing, especially the part about Democrats running to the right. He's basically endorsing moderate Democrats as the new Republicans. Is he angling for the #2 spot on either ticket?

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new brand of libertarianism,

Submitted by Sven on Tue, 2008/05/27 - 5:22pm.

new brand of libertarianism, which is social liberalism and economic conservatism

¿Qué carajo?

Basically, Huckabee is

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2008/05/27 - 6:09pm.

Basically, Huckabee is woried that the fiscally conservative Ron Paul types will vote third party - likely for the libertarian nominee...

¿Qué carajo?I was curious

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2008/05/27 - 6:27pm.

¿Qué carajo?

I was curious about the "social liberalism" stuff. Drowning the government in the bathtub and eliminating entitlement programs isn't exactly social "liberalism."

I think he's referring to smoking pot, gay marriage, abortion, freedom from religion, and all that kind of stuff liberals supposedly have "in common" with libertarians. Plus gun "freedoms."

It's the "new" part I find

Submitted by Sven on Tue, 2008/05/27 - 7:39pm.

It's the "new" part I find confusing. True blue "libertarians" have always opposed the "mommy state," whether it be social or economic policy. And most are not Republicans, though they tend to vote that way. But it's a pretty small clique of goofballs in any case.

My guess as to what he's driving at is the breed of bloodthirsty aristocrats and their followers who really don't give a flak about limited government per se but like to cut social programs out of pure spite.

edit: But that isn't new either.

don't give a flak about

Submitted by Andy Axel on Tue, 2008/05/27 - 7:52pm.

don't give a flak about limited government per se but like to cut social programs out of pure spite.

a/k/a the Dickensian wing of the libertarian movement...

____________________________

"It's gettin' so a businessman can't expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can't trust a fix, what can you trust?"

I think there's a slight

Submitted by Sven on Tue, 2008/05/27 - 8:13pm.

I think there's a slight distinction between a "principled" libertarian who sees greed as a natural virtue (at least as long as they're not holding the shit end of the stick) and a "conservative" who sees "small government" as a means of, say, kicking minorities while their down. Theoretically, anyways.

Libertarian defined

Submitted by Nelle on Tue, 2008/05/27 - 9:55pm.

This discussion of the finer points of libertarian philosophy reminds me of a New Yorker cartoon from a year to two ago:

Two women are chatting over coffee and one says to the other "He said he was socially liberal and fiscally conservative, but he just slept around and was cheap."

The 2008 Election may be

Submitted by JosephBaileyOne on Wed, 2008/05/28 - 1:23am.

The 2008 Election may be about rearranging all kinds of voter identifications. Huckabee could run on either ticket as a VP and may well do it too on one of them. It is going to be Obama, McCain, Barr, Nader, Baldwin, as the top picks of the political parties that count, to choose our next President from but whoever gets it will not be able to "change" much because they need to work with Congress to fix what needs to be fixed and strengthen what is okay.

The U.S. Constitution, it is what makes us free and makes us American. Let's treat it as such and with care.

The U.S. Constitution, it is

Submitted by Andy Axel on Wed, 2008/05/28 - 1:33am.

The U.S. Constitution, it is what makes us free and makes us American. Let's treat it as such and with care.

This sentiment comes about 8 years too late.

____________________________

"It's gettin' so a businessman can't expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can't trust a fix, what can you trust?"