Libertarian Cato Institute Grades 2012 Contenders

[JacobG18]

Libertarian Cato Institute Grades 2012 Contenders

The Hill
By Jordan Fabian
09/30/10 11:19 AM ET

Excerpt:

Governors' grades released by the libertarian Cato Institute are likely to impact the early horse race between potential 2012 GOP presidential contenders.

Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty both received a top grade of "A" from the think tank and received praise for promoting pro-growth policies and tamping down spending.

"Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota has proposed pro-growth reforms, opposed tax increases, and been a relatively frugal budgeter," Cato wrote. "He has proposed cutting the state's high and uncompetitive corporate franchise tax, and he has repeatedly vetoed giant tax-hike packages passed by the legislature, including increases to gasoline taxes, beer taxes, wine taxes, and income taxes."

Cato called Jindal a "a top-performing governor with regard to both his tax and his spending policies."

Pawlenty has not said if he will enter the 2012 race, but most political observers expect the outgoing governor to join the field. Whether or not Jindal is interested in the race is less clear, but the grades could give both candidates a boost among Republican voters.

Because the grades were only issued to sitting governors, other potential 2012 candidates such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ® and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) were not included.

Tax and spending issues have come to the forefront during the 2010 midterm campaign season due to the struggling economic recovery. Most Republicans have argued scaling back spending and the size of government is necessary for the economy to thrive.

Democrats have argued the opposite, that government stimulus is needed to spark the economy and urge employers to hire.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels also earned a high grade of "B." Cato called Daniels "a fiscal conservative, but he seems to focus more on balancing the state budget than shrinking the size of government."

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/121841-2012-contenders-receive-grades-from-libertarian-cato-institute

[Sola_Fide]

I am conditionally interested in Jihndal.

Does anybody here have the scoop on Jihndal?

[JohnEngland]

I am conditionally interested in Jihndal.

Does anybody here have the scoop on Jihndal?

Jindal won't run. Come on, he's far too young and is busy doing his thing in Louisiana.

All media hype.

[fisharmor]

I am conditionally interested in Jihndal.

Does anybody here have the scoop on Jihndal?

Mixed bag.
Lots of negatives on his Wiki page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_jindal#Positions_on_selected_social_and_poli tical_issues

Voted for PATRIOT act extension, wants to ban flag burning, wants a federal marriage amendment, expanded state health insurance programs, voted for chemical castration of sex offenders, opposed eliminating personal income taxes in LA, and best of all, got more funding for the cops.

All of which, as governor of Louisiana, I'm sure are much more important than getting New Orleans government to stop standing in the way of progress so they can fix their fucking city. It's been five years.

[Matt Collins]

I don't think this rating takes individual liberties into effect.

[JoshLowry]

Jindal and Pawlenty.

What a surprise! Thanks for picking our 2012 pre-approved candidates.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

How anyone can give Pawlenty and Jindal an "A" is hilarious. Do you need any more proof the CATO Institute isn't libertarian?

[Matt Collins]

Do you need any more proof the CATO Institute isn't libertarian?It's completely inconsistent ... sometimes they are staunchly libertarian, other times they are not. It's like the organization is schizophrenic :(

[JoshLowry]

It's completely inconsistent ... sometimes they are staunchly libertarian, other times they are not. It's like the organization is schizophrenic :(

It's called Honey, Honey, Poison.

If RPF sent out fundraising emails all the time for Schiff, Rand, and Ron but ignored them at every presidential election and sent out emails for Pawlently, Jindal, and Palin, what would you think?

[Matt Collins]

It's called Honey, Honey, Poison.

If RPF sent out fundraising emails all the time for Schiff, Rand, and Ron but ignored them at every presidential election and sent out emails for Pawlently, Jindal, and Palin, what would you think?






http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Lithium.svg/424px-Lithium.svg.png

[Imperial]

What is bad about Pawlenty? I am new to Minneosta politics and haven't gotten a good rundown on our Governor from a libertarian perspective.

I really do like Mitch Daniels though.

[Matt Collins]

Allegedly:

The era of small government is over . . . government has to be more proactive, more aggressive." -- Tim Pawlenty, 2006.

If someone could cite the source that would be awesome.

[erowe1]

I really do like Mitch Daniels though.

What do you like about him?

[JoshLowry]

What is bad about Pawlenty? I am new to Minneosta politics and haven't gotten a good rundown on our Governor from a libertarian perspective.

I really do like Mitch Daniels though.

I haven't really researched Pawlenty or Jindal yet but every mainstream article I've come across in the past year say that they are the GOP's 2012 candidates and for that reason alone I do not trust them.

They've already been pre-approved, but I don't know by whom.

[torchbearer]

Louisiana votes no for Jindhal. Not a friend of liberty. He was a Bush "yes" man, and still is...

[johnrocks]

Jindal won't run. Come on, he's far too young and is busy doing his thing in Louisiana.

All media hype.

I don't think he will either, he is running for reelection next year for Governor, I'm thinking in 2016 or later though.

[Imperial]

What do you like about him?

1) He reads lots of Hayek and other libertarian thinkers on economics

2) He proposed a truce on social issues a few months ago, pissing off social conservatives like huckabee.

3) He actually managed to streamline government in Indiana

There have been rumors that Newt Gingrich is urging Daniels to run for President. In addition, Daniels headed the OMB for the first couple of years under President George W Bush. I think those are the two big things that would piss people off about him here on RPF. The latter is a concern, but the former for me I don't really care about as long as the guy isn't a yes man. From everything I have seen Daniels reminds me alot of Chris Christie- seemed like a neocon before he ran, but a pleasant surprise once in power.

[johnrocks]

Louisiana votes no for Jindhal. Not a friend of liberty. He was a Bush "yes" man, and still is...

I think he will win reelection, way too much of a social con for my tastes but I give him high marks on BP incident (I like that fat dude from Plaquimines Parish too:p) but a C or maybe a B overall, OK for State but I'll pass on Federal with his take on foreign policy and social issues.

[HOLLYWOOD]

LOL! Did you see the link in the comments...

Supporters calling him: Mr. "FIX-IT"? Maybe should br: Mr. FUCK-UP
http://mittromneycentral.com/uploads/mr-fix-it.jpg

[Agorism]

Where is Paul?

[axiomata]

It's completely inconsistent ... sometimes they are staunchly libertarian, other times they are not. It's like the organization is schizophrenic :(
Or not monolithic.

[Toureg89]

I don't think this rating takes individual liberties into effect.
yeah, jindal is weird. fiscally, he's libertarian, but concerning state government interventionism, he's non-libertarian.

basically taking a police state, and making it fiscally efficient. it STILL a police state.

[Imperial]

bump for a fun thread

[EndDaFed]

They gave Rick Perry a B. Cato is a fucking joke.

[james1906]

I'm curious to know why Jan Brewer is so far down the list. Isn't CATO big on open borders?

[Sola_Fide]

LOL! Did you see the link in the comments...

Supporters calling him: Mr. "FIX-IT"? Maybe should br: Mr. FUCK-UP
http://mittromneycentral.com/uploads/mr-fix-it.jpg

Hahahaha^^^