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View Full Version : [video] Jim DeMint: Why Republicans Must Become More Libertarian




Immortal Technique
02-07-2012, 09:27 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89kx4hBrBrE

"The new debate in the Republican party needs to be between conservatives and libertarians," says Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). "A lot of the libertarian ideas that Ron Paul is talking about...should not be alien to any Republican."

Yet right after the 2010 midterm elections, the influential Tea Party favorite proclaimed that "you can't be a fiscal conservative and not be a social conservative," a comment that was widely viewed as a slap at libertarians. And South Carolina's junior senator is also a staunch pro-lifer, has favored a constitutional ban on flag burning, and is on the record saying that gays shouldn't be allowed to teach at public schools.

More recently, DeMint has been leaning libertarian. His new book, Now or Never: Saving America from Economic Collapse, is a warning to the nation that we need radical spending cuts (including putting defense spending on the table) or else face economic oblivion. And he was instrumental in getting Tea Party Republicans elected in 2010, including the most libertarian member of the caucus, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who also wrote the foreword to DeMint's book.

Reason's Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch sat down with DeMint for a wide-ranging discussion about fiscal vs. social conservatism, cutting spending, the GOP presidential nomination, whether the Tea Party still matters, and much more.

Approximately 29 minutes.

Shot by Meredith Bragg and Jim Epstein; edited by Epstein.

Go to http://Reason.tv for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Zatch
02-07-2012, 09:27 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89kx4hBrBrE

vechorik
02-07-2012, 09:35 AM
excellent -- sounds like Ron Paul, except he won't endorse Ron Paul

trey4sports
02-07-2012, 09:43 AM
haven't watched it yet, but i'm interested to see what ole Jimmy has to say.

Orgoonian
02-07-2012, 09:58 AM
I liked this interview.
I don't agree with all of Sen.DeMint's positions,but he seems a reasonable guy.

kah13176
02-07-2012, 10:01 AM
The media likes DeMint. That should tell us everything we need to know.

camp_steveo
02-07-2012, 10:03 AM
He could run for POTUS and I would be very interested. I really wish he would endorse Paul. He has repeatedly endorsed Paul's policy positions.

Orgoonian
02-07-2012, 10:09 AM
The media likes DeMint. That should tell us everything we need to know.

Point taken

iamse7en
02-07-2012, 10:16 AM
Jim Demint?

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg245/scaled.php?server=245&filename=30002103581hi6.jpg&res=medium

trey4sports
02-07-2012, 10:24 AM
Wish they would have specifically asked him about the drug war. Whatever though, was still a pretty good interview and I can tell he obviously is Ron Paul-ing quite hard.

tbone717
02-07-2012, 10:27 AM
He could run for POTUS and I would be very interested. I really wish he would endorse Paul. He has repeatedly endorsed Paul's policy positions.

Same here. I would gladly take DeMint over Romney. It would have been nice if he were in the race this time, some of us could have had a candidate to fall back on.

seapilot
02-07-2012, 10:49 AM
Actions speak louder than words. Remember that when listening to any person that is seeking a position of power.

Sola_Fide
02-07-2012, 11:44 AM
Hmmm. There were some good things he said but I think he needs to have the debate about libertarianism with himself a little more. He's getting there though. His comment that war always increases centralization was good.

pacelli
02-07-2012, 11:45 AM
excellent -- sounds like Ron Paul, except he won't endorse Ron Paul

Right.

jmdrake
02-07-2012, 11:49 AM
Hmmm. There were some good things he said but I think he needs to have the debate about libertarianism with himself a little more. He's getting there though. His comment that war always increases centralization was good.

He said that? Then why on earth will he not come out and endorse Dr. Paul already?

freeforall
02-07-2012, 12:00 PM
DeMint said that gays should not be allowed to teach in schools?! wth?!

fisharmor
02-07-2012, 12:07 PM
Can't watch the video at work... is there any chance I'm going to have a reaction other than "yeah, well it doesn't matter because us real libertarians aren't going to go back for voting for neocons no matter how much smoke you blow up our asses"?

Diurdi
02-07-2012, 12:20 PM
He makes a point about him trying to get Senators elected through some organisation. If he endorses any candidate, he will have alot harder time collecting donations from the supporters of the other candidates. I can understand his angle.

Working Poor
02-07-2012, 12:52 PM
Jim DeMint said that republicans ought to be listening to Ron more. He said he may not agree with him on everything but he agrees with him on spending. He did get into the the defense spending and agrees with Ron Paul on that and on SSI and individual entitlements in that we cannot take people off of these things when they are dependent.

He even said he may not agree with Ron on the drug war but agrees that it is not working.

He seems to agree that cutting spending over seas and asking other countries to at least help pay for our military presence is a good idea.

Sola_Fide
02-07-2012, 01:38 PM
Can't watch the video at work... is there any chance I'm going to have a reaction other than "yeah, well it doesn't matter because us real libertarians aren't going to go back for voting for neocons no matter how much smoke you blow up our asses"?

Possibly. All I can say is thank God for Ron and Rand Paul because conservatives like DeMint are picking up the language and the concepts.

Sentient Void
02-07-2012, 04:18 PM
IMO, he is doing what he thinks he needs to do and say in order to gear up to run for president in 2016.

No question in my mind.

His rhetoric is 'meh' - better than most (which really isn't saying much), nowhere *near* as good or with the kind of conviction like Ron Paul's nor even Rand Paul's, and he doesn't have anywhere near the history to support this rhetoric.

He wants in on the RP constituency, while also staying within the range of the rest of the changing republican party. Nothing more, nothing less.

I'm all set. Until I hear him go (at least mostly) 'full libertarian' like Ron Paul, with *conviction* - and stop speaking so vaguely to boot, then I don't trust him as far as I can throw him.

All of this tip-toeing around the support of (some of) RP's policies and not endorsing Ron Paul outright makes him a coward and a sock in the wind, IMO. He's just a more prescient 'sock in the wind' in regards to which direction it looks like the winds *may* be changing in the future.

GeorgiaAvenger
02-07-2012, 06:26 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89kx4hBrBrE