A libertarian Democrat running for office

[Matt Collins]

http://chattarati.com/2009/09/28/what-kind-of-democrat-will-win-the-third-district-primary/



A few years ago, Brent Benedict was a delegate (http://www.lptn.net/news/articles/58/) to the Libertarian Party’s national convention. Now he is running in the Democratic Party primary here in the TN Third District (and won it in 2006). I think it may be safe to call him a “libertarian-minded Democrat.” So could he, in fact, “peel off some votes”?

[Lisle16]

This is good. We need to take back BOTH parties, not just the Republican Party.

[erowe1]

I wonder in what ways he's libertarian. Sometime when people use that label they just mean someone is as fiscally conservative as the average Republican and as socially liberal as the average Democrat. And there's enough diversity among people involved in the LP that his having been a delegate to their convention is not a perfect litmus test (although, granted, it's a good sign).

[Bucjason]

A libertarian minded Democrat ??


That's like calling someone a peace-loving War-monger....

[Lisle16]

A libertarian minded Democrat ??


That's like calling someone a peace-loving War-monger....

Two words: Larry McDonald.

[Fr3shjive]

What are his positions? A libertarian Democrat sounds like an oxymoron.

[erowe1]

A libertarian minded Democrat ??


That's like calling someone a peace-loving War-monger....

Well, Bob Conley sure was better than 95% of all Republicans. If this guy's like him, then we should support him as much as we do anyone else other than Rand and Schiff. Granted, he might not be, but it's possible.

[Lisle16]

What are his positions? A libertarian Democrat sounds like an oxymoron.


The original Democratic Party of Jackson was libertarian.

[erowe1]

The original Democratic Party of Jackson was libertarian.

Well I certainly wouldn't associate Jackson with libertarianism by any stretch of the imagination. But Jefferson, who was, after all, the first President elected from that party, was as good of an example as most other people who get called libertarians around here.

[constituent]

What are his positions? A libertarian Democrat sounds like an oxymoron.

So does libertarian republican.

[FrankRep]

Two words: Larry McDonald.

Yep.

Who cares what party they are as long as they follow the Constitution.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

So does libertarian republican.

This is true. Remember, Grover Cleveland was a Democrat! Conversely, remember the GOP used to have people like Charles August Lindbergh and Robert Taft!

The parties switch tunes every 40 or so years. It's one big ass ploy. We (As in the country) need to start advancing candidates not parties :( Even I am afraid of what the LP would turn into if it got into the realm of popularity as the GOP or Dems.

Ironically, the party of Jefferson was the Democratic-Republicans.

[hugolp]

Well I certainly wouldn't associate Jackson with libertarianism by any stretch of the imagination. But Jefferson, who was, after all, the first President elected from that party, was as good of an example as most other people who get called libertarians around here.

Andrew Jackson was a libertarian, maybe even more than Thomas Jefferson.

Read Rothbard's "History of Money and Banking in the USA from the Colonial Era to the IIWW". You can get it at Mises.org.

[Lisle16]

This is true. Remember, Grover Cleveland was a Democrat! Conversely, remember the GOP used to have people like Charles August Lindbergh and Robert Taft!

The parties switch tunes every 40 or so years. It's one big ass ploy. We (As in the country) need to start advancing candidates not parties :( Even I am afraid of what the LP would turn into if it got into the realm of popularity as the GOP or Dems.

Ironically, the party of Jefferson was the Democratic-Republicans.

Which goes to show-both Democrats and Republicans can be patriotic defenders of the Constitution.

[Bucjason]

Bob Conley ran as a Democrat and won his primary and got 40% of the vote, running for the SENATE! Tell me any Republican Libertarian who has done that recently.

Ummm, Ron Paul ??

[constituent]

Ummm, Ron Paul ??

you do understand that there is a difference between the senate and the house of reps right?

[Bucjason]

you do understand that there is a difference between the senate and the house of reps right?

I think the point was that he won his primary with at least 40% of the vote , smart ass....


but just to satisfy you ; Jim Demint.

[constituent]

here, read it again.


Bob Conley ran as a Democrat and won his primary and got 40% of the vote, running for the SENATE! Tell me any Republican Libertarian who has done that recently.


where's that thread on reading comprehension?

[Bucjason]

Which goes to show-both Democrats and Republicans can be patriotic defenders of the Constitution.

Sure , if you search the annals of history. We are talking about the current day, in which the Democrat Party is just code language for American Socialist Party.

[Lisle16]

Sure , if you search the annals of history. We are talking about the current day, in which the Democrat Party is just code language for American Socialist Party.

Not all Democrats today are socialists. Many aren't.

[Bucjason]

here, read it again.




where's that thread on reading comprehension?

right next to the thread on stupid ,easily misproven, statements.

[erowe1]

Andrew Jackson was a libertarian, maybe even more than Thomas Jefferson.

Read Rothbard's "History of Money and Banking in the USA from the Colonial Era to the IIWW". You can get it at Mises.org.

I haven't read it. But I have a hunch, based on the title, that it deals particularly with monetary policy, in which case I would expect that Rothbard gave Jackson kudos for opposing the central bank. But that by itself doesn't make him a libertarian. Jackson was a tyrant to enough of a degree that if we were to rank the presidents according to their willingness to forswear their own power, I doubt that we could make a fair case for putting Jackson in the top half. He declared martial law, suspended habeas corpus, pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing against the Indians, and vowed to use the military against South Carolina for its threat of nullifying federal policies it didn't want to submit to.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Not all Democrats today are socialists. Many aren't.

If you are talking about the politicians then you are wrong. Most are either Marxist or Socialist. Near all of the top advisors are former associates of either Socialist or Marxist affiliates (This means, Czars too).

The GOP conversely is populated by Neo-Con Corporatists. Both parties agenda's equal America's destruction. Personally, I prefer total Economic collapse compared to Economic collapse and the world despising us.

[Lisle16]

If you are talking about the politicians then you are wrong. Most are either Marxist or Socialist. Near all of the top advisors are former associates of either Socialist or Marxist affiliates (This means, Czars too).

The GOP conversely is populated by Neo-Con Corporatists. Both parties agenda's equal America's destruction. Personally, I prefer total Economic collapse compared to Economic collapse and the world despising us.

I'm not talking about politicians.

[erowe1]

I think the point was that he won his primary with at least 40% of the vote , smart ass....


but just to satisfy you ; Jim Demint.

Demint is not as good as Bob Conley. Neither are Palin, Rubio, Bachman, Flake, or most of the other Republicans you tout on here. And I don't know why you're nitpicking. He did restrict his comment to the Senate.

[TCE]

Getting back to the point: He has no chance in that district. He received less than 40% of the vote in a Democratic swing year. In 2010, a Republican swing year, he has no chance. The only way he does is if Wamp wins the Republican nomination for Governor.

[Bucjason]

Demint is not as good as Bob Conley. Neither are Palin, Rubio, Bachman, Flake, or most of the other Republicans you tout on here. .

"not AS good as Bob Conley" ...sounds like YOU are nitpicking. The fact is they are libertarian leaning, and more of them come from the republican party ...with the possible exception of Palin . I'm not really sure what she is yet .

Niether party has many, but the party that has fewer Libertarian minded politicians TODAY is not even really debatable

[erowe1]

"not AS good as Bob Conley" ...sounds like YOU are nitpicking. The fact is they are libertarian leaning, and more of them come from the republican party ...with the possible exception of Palin . I'm not really sure what she is yet .

Niether party has many, but the party that has fewer Libertarian minded politicians TODAY is not even really debatable

You're the first person I've ever seen call Demint "libertarian leaning." So for the other 99% of the world who would not call him that, I'd say the guy's claim was valid.

And the issue wasn't about which party had more. You and someone else entered this thread by claiming that the idea of a libertarian Democrat was entirely an oxymoron, as though there can't be any at all.

[Flash]

Conley needs to run against Graham again one day imo. The Conservative or Libertarian wing of the Democratic party could be put to good use one day.

[Lisle16]

Conley needs to run against Graham again one day imo. The Conservative or Libertarian wing of the Democratic party could be put to good use one day.

Is Conley the guy who described himself as a "Larry McDonald Democrat?"

I'd vote for him..if I live in SC! :D

[erowe1]

Is Conley the guy who described himself as a "Larry McDonald Democrat?"

I'd vote for him..if I live in SC! :D

I don't know. But he did describe himself as a Ron Paul Democrat, and he openly supported RP and voted for him in the 2008 primary.

[Bucjason]

You're the first person I've ever seen call Demint "libertarian leaning." So for the other 99% of the world who would not call him that, I'd say the guy's claim was valid.

And the issue wasn't about which party had more. You and someone else entered this thread by claiming that the idea of a libertarian Democrat was entirely an oxymoron, as though there can't be any at all.

I'm the 1st person to say Jim DeMint is libertarian leaning ?? Not hardly. I'd say this website is pretty thourough :

http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Jim_DeMint.htm

"Jim DeMint is a Libertarian-Leaning Conservative"

[erowe1]

I'm the 1st person to say Jim DeMint is libertarian leaning ?? Not hardly. I'd say this website is pretty thourough :

http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Jim_DeMint.htm

"Jim DeMint is a Libertarian-Leaning Conservative"

Fair enough. But that is about his earlier tenure in the House, not his current one in the Senate, where the same site describes him as hard core conservative. And if you look at the place they put him on the Nolan chart, you might understand why most people here would think that their calling someone at that point "libertarian leaning" is not to be taken seriously. Using that very chart, it would be more accurate to call him a moderate Republican. But you're right, the website is pretty thorough, which is why I don't see how anybody who supports Ron Paul could read its overview of Demint and come away thinking "libertarian" would be a good adjective to use of him.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

I'm the 1st person to say Jim DeMint is libertarian leaning ?? Not hardly. I'd say this website is pretty thourough :

http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Jim_DeMint.htm

"Jim DeMint is a Libertarian-Leaning Conservative"

That site also says Dick Cheney is Libertarian-Leaning. I like DeMint, I wonder if Ron could give him a lot of Austrian Econ. works to supplant his market approach, and within that show him how his Foreign Policy puts America in more jeopardy. He seems open to opposition to a central Government, and has expressed so. He has some good votes, and some bad ones. If he could tweak his stance on Foreign Policy I think he would be a worthwhile asset. He really needs to distance himself from the neo-cons though.

[erowe1]

That site also says Dick Cheney is Libertarian-Leaning. I like DeMint, I wonder if Ron could give him a lot of Austrian Econ. works to supplant his market approach, and within that show him how his Foreign Policy puts America in more jeopardy. He seems open to opposition to a central Government, and has expressed so. He has some good votes, and some bad ones. If he could tweak his stance on Foreign Policy I think he would be a worthwhile asset. He really needs to distance himself from the neo-cons though.

I agree completely. I see Demint as less terrible than most other Republicans (which, granted, is setting the bar EXTREMELY low). But that caveat about foreign policy is not a small one. That's pretty huge. It's not some minor thing I can overlook like voting to ban flag burning (which he also did).

[Lisle16]

DeMint is ok, but as other said, he still has some neo-con views.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

For example, horrendous votes:

Voted NO on withdrawing from the WTO. (Jun 2000)

Voted YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC

Ban openly gay teachers from public schools. (Oct 2004)

Voted YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration. (Jun 2006)
Voted YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration. (Jun 2003)

Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006) (I don't think the State should be involved in the affair of Marriage, and when it involves Economic factors, it gets even more complicated. My view, is to not allow federal marriage with Economic factors. Favor Civil Union. Eventually get all marriage off the state. All marriage would then become Civil Unions, with no tax subsidy.)
Amend Constitution to define traditional marriage. (Jun 2008)

Voted YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress. (Mar 2006)
Voted YES on banning soft money donations to national political parties. (Jul 2001)

Dangerousness, not mental incompetence, limits gun rights. (Mar 2009)

Voted NO on requiring FISA court warrant to monitor US-to-foreign calls. (Feb 2008)
Voted YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad. (Aug 2007)

Voted NO on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods. (Sep 2006)
Voted YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. (Mar 2006)
Voted YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision. (Dec 2005)


Etc. This is just a few. He does have some good votes, more so than most other GOP.

[klamath]

Andrew Jackson was a libertarian, maybe even more than Thomas Jefferson.

Read Rothbard's "History of Money and Banking in the USA from the Colonial Era to the IIWW". You can get it at Mises.org.

Jackson may have been good on a central bank but I suggest you research what he did to with the trail of tears. The fact that this one indian tribe felt they were american enought to take the claim to their homes though the U.S. court system all the way to the supreme court and win and were rewarded by Jackson laughing in the face of the supreme court promptly ordered the army to evict them by force and marched them a thousand miles, has got to be one of the worse violations of the constitution out there.
Jackson was mostly a tyrant.

[Nate]

Andrew Jackson was a libertarian, maybe even more than Thomas Jefferson.

Read Rothbard's "History of Money and Banking in the USA from the Colonial Era to the IIWW". You can get it at Mises.org.

Tell that to the Cherokee. I liked his stance on the Bank but calling him libertarian is definitely stretching it. I think genocide is a violation of the non-aggression principle.

[heavenlyboy34]

Tell that to the Cherokee. I liked his stance on the Bank but calling him libertarian is definitely stretching it. I think genocide is a violation of the non-aggression principle.

qft. :(

[torchbearer]

Tell that to the Cherokee. I liked his stance on the Bank but calling him libertarian is definitely stretching it. I think genocide is a violation of the non-aggression principle.

The cherokee weren't killed off. The were conquered.
My great grandfather was full blood.

[krazy kaju]

A libertarian democrat certainly is a possibility. Many Blue Dog and Boll Weevil Democrats could be considered pseudo-libertarian. I would love to see more libertarians, or at least fiscal conservatives, in the Democrat Party.

[itshappening]

Larry McDonald was hardcore though, he was very similar to Ron Paul.

[Imperial]

qft. :(

The truth hurts. Jackson is one of my least favorite presidents because of his despotic attitude toward the Native Americans, the Supreme Court, South Carolina (he never vetoed the Tariff of Abominations and then threatened force on the state that rose up in opposition), etc.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Go to Grover Cleveland for a much better President (although even he allowed the Haymarket Square tragedy to occur)

[Lisle16]

Larry McDonald was hardcore though, he was very similar to Ron Paul.

Well, he was more of a social conservative and more dedicated to anti-Communism. He was in fact chairman of the John Birch Society when KAL 007 was shot down.

[Nate]

The cherokee weren't killed off. The were conquered.
My great grandfather was full blood.

Ok, maybe calling it genocide is a little inaccurate. Ethnic cleansing is more like it. Really, my great grandmother was full blood. Nice.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

A libertarian democrat certainly is a possibility. Many Blue Dog and Boll Weevil Democrats could be considered pseudo-libertarian. I would love to see more libertarians, or at least fiscal conservatives, in the Democrat Party.

What? The "Blue dog Democrats" vote 90% with the party. They don't have the balls of their convictions. The Democrat party is ruled by Stalinists. They will not allow dissent whatsoever. At least the GOP are somewhat open.

[muh_roads]

To be honest I think this is the route we should be taking instead of trying to take over the republicans. That one county in Iowa was won for Ron Paul because they focused on democrat voters. They didn't even bother talking to a single neocon.

[No1ButPaul08]

To be honest I think this is the route we should be taking instead of trying to take over the republicans. That one county in Iowa was won for Ron Paul because they focused on democrat voters. They didn't even bother talking to a single neocon.

We should take both routes. Whatever is easiest in each district/state. When RP first ran for Congress he asked Larry McDonald for advice on which party he should run in and McDonald told him whichever one you think you can win in because they are both the same.

[Lisle16]

We should take both routes. Whatever is easiest in each district/state. When RP first ran for Congress he asked Larry McDonald for advice on which party he should run in and McDonald told him whichever one you think you can win in because they are both the same.

This. We can't just focus on the Republican Party or the Democratic Party.

Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Third Parties-as long as they believe in the Constitution and are strict followers of it, we should support them!

[torchbearer]

Ok, maybe calling it genocide is a little inaccurate. Ethnic cleansing is more like it. Really, my great grandmother was full blood. Nice.

Did your great grandmother end up in oklahoma too?
My great grandfather was sent near to where del city is today.. when he met my great grandmother, he was in fort smith arkansas.
My own grandfather didn't speak english until he was 9.

[Flash]

This is good. We need to take back BOTH parties, not just the Republican Party.

It would be nice to challenge the liberals in their own party.