Nicky Cheese

I couldn’t agree more.

From my least-favorite-2008-presidential-candidate’s brand-new book Do the Right Thing:

The real threat to the Republican Party is something we saw a lot of this past election cycle: libertarianism masked as conservatism. And it threatens to not only split the Republican Party, but render it as irrelevant as the Whig Party.

Of course, I’d frame it inversely, that the real and most damaging threat to liberty is the Republican Party, whose alligients oh-so-casually throw around the small-government lingo but fail to deliver on anything even remotely close.

Instead, decade after decade with their paternalistic impulses, hyper-religious moralism, and corporate socialism, the association continues to bastardize the philosophical reputation of liberty.

6 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

1. 

   Seth
   November 17th, 2008 at 5:21 pm #

   The Republican Party is why I thoroughly enjoy working for a non-partisan conservative training organization…And it is also why I will never get involved in politics (especially party politics) outside of what I do for my job…Seriously, just terrible sometimes…Good post, Nic…
2. 

   bpoi
   November 17th, 2008 at 6:06 pm #

   You are a fool if you think that small government will ever succeed in this country under any banner but that of the the GOP. Isn’t that what Bob Novak said at the AFP connvention? Libertarians need to stop being whiney contrarians, take a page out of the evangelicals’ book, and use their voting power to shift the GOP party platform. It worked for them, and it would work for you.
3. 

   Nicky Cheese
   November 17th, 2008 at 6:17 pm #

   When did you become such the pragmatist? Ignoring the much more damning elements of modern Republicanism, isn’t tradition-for-tradition’s-sake fundamental here? I’m speaking principally here, that associating GOP principles with our own, is philosophically untenable and practically-speaking just confusing.

   And yes, Bob Novak did say that…
4. 

   george
   November 17th, 2008 at 8:09 pm #

   Nic, you assume that the libertarian party is more in line with Bill’s principles than the GOP. Both are out of line, and I agree with Bill that, generally speaking, the GOP is less reprehensible. I may change my mind if the libertarians ever get serious and run an appealing candidate like John Stossel.
5. 

   rightwave
   November 18th, 2008 at 11:10 am #

   Huck is a dangerous candidate and “leader” in the GOP. Personally, I tend to be more in line with the Novak quote posted by one of your commenters, but there’s no question SOMETHING has to change!
6. 

   Greg
   November 20th, 2008 at 11:29 am #

   The Next Right just had a good post on this. http://www.thenextright.com/jon-henke/mike-huckabee-and-libertarians