Are Libertarians old-school Republicans?

[ssunlimited]

Because Ron Paul ran as a Republican but is considered Libertarian by ideology. He kept on saying the Republicans used to be like he is now. Is that true?

[Odin]

If I've got my history right, in the Guilded Age most politicians were like Ron Paul. Maybe not in terms of integrity but in terms of policies. Both parties advocated Laissez Faire. I'm pretty sure I remember Ron Paul saying his favorite President was Grover Cleveland who was a Democrat.

You can't really say any of the recent Republican presidents were like Ron Paul - the Bushes, Reagan, Ford, Nixon?

I think you have to go back to the 1920's to find a libertarian President, Calvin Coolidge. Hoover definitely wasn't though.

[GunnyFreedom]

Yes, well, yes and no. There were always a spectrum, but our philosophy used to be a LOT more dominant.

Frederick Douglass. Robert A. Taft. Barry Goldwater.

If you hang around well attended GOP gatherings, you will still run into Taft Republicans and Goldwater Republicans, and if those know you are a Pauler, they will all but beg you to stick around and stay involved, because until we came along, they thought their line was going to go extinct.

Bear in mind also that the beginnings of the DEMOCRATIC party was saturated with our philosophy too. Thomas Jefferson (I used to have a list of 5 or so famous early Democratic-Republicans and Democrats who were dead on our philosophy but I cannot recall them from memory right now.) One of the remnants of our philosophy in the Democratic party was Grover Cleveland.

The parties are generally born from a want of what we have, and are generally at their epoch of zenith when our philosophy is dominant. History is pretty clear that what we have is what Americans want, in both parties. Which is why the intense resistance to Ron Paul would be so bemusing, except that the vast spectrum of special interests have a stranglehold on our governments like never before in history.

[ssunlimited]

Well should I promote Libertarian Republicans to support the Ron Paul revolution?

[Odin]

Bear in mind also that the beginnings of the DEMOCRATIC party was saturated with our philosophy too. Thomas Jefferson (I used to have a list of 5 or so famous early Democratic-Republicans and Democrats who were dead on our philosophy but I cannot recall them from memory right now.) One of the remnants of our philosophy in the Democratic party was Grover Cleveland.


I should probably know my American history better, but I believe I'm correct in saying that in general there was a Laissez Faire consensus for a long time in American politics. Especially in the late 1800's.

Again I haven't exactly done my research but it seems that geography and slavery were what separated the parties before and after the civil war. Before that the Federalists vs Anti-Federalists, who basically disagreed over the national bank and 'implied powers'. But it seems like free market capitalism was embraced by both parties for over 100 years, I don't think it was until Woodrow Wilson that the Democrats turned against the free market.

[GunnyFreedom]

Well should I promote Libertarian Republicans to support the Ron Paul revolution?

I would imagine that libertarian Republicans already support the Ron Paul revolution. The bigger challenge is demonstrating the inevitability of our philosophy to non-libertarian Republicans and attempting to precipitate a non-aggressive takeover/handover of power. The even bigger challenge is to saturate Republican Primary voters with the NAP (Non Aggression Principle) and teach them that the initiation of aggression is always wrong, even when the government does it. Instill morality (NAP) in the voters, and more of our people will get elected. Also, many State parties elect their leadership in 2013, so there will be a big fight ongoing for that, and something as simple as warm bodies to help turn votes will be a big deal.

[Origanalist]

Well should I promote Libertarian Republicans to support the Ron Paul revolution?

You show a join date of 2009, that seems a strange question even for someone with such a small amount of posts.

[mad cow]

Well should I promote Libertarian Republicans to support the Ron Paul revolution?

Thats the whole idea,Ron Paul is a Libertarian Republican,hence,the Ron Paul Revolution.

[BamaAla]

I should probably know my American history better, but I believe I'm correct in saying that in general there was a Laissez Faire consensus for a long time in American politics. Especially in the late 1800's.

Again I haven't exactly done my research but it seems that geography and slavery were what separated the parties before and after the civil war. Before that the Federalists vs Anti-Federalists, who basically disagreed over the national bank and 'implied powers'. But it seems like free market capitalism was embraced by both parties for over 100 years, I don't think it was until Woodrow Wilson that the Democrats turned against the free market.

You're pretty spot on. The issue is nuanced, of course, but most politics revolved around free market capitalism until The New Deal. "The switch in time that saved 9" is a good place to start if you are looking to research. Obviously, the philosophical seeds had been sown earlier, but that is really the genesis of codifying into law a move away from markets...that and the Federal Reserve Act (and McCulloch if you want to really go back.)

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Jeffersonian Republicans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffersonian_democracy

But Ron Paul is way more advanced than these guys, not necessarily because he is smarter or wiser, but because we have learned our lessons from their mistakes. Ron Paul takes liberty once step further than they were willing to go.

[green73]

The Republicans arose out of the ruins of the awful Whig Party. These were the Hamiltonians and the enemy of the Jeffersonian liberals. The liberals, through ad hoc utilitarian politics, eventually lost their place on the left to the socialists, who wanted the same ends as the liberals but brought about by the state rather than laissez faire capitalism and restricted government. Over time the "conservative" Republicans began to use old classical liberal rhetoric but they've never really been a friend of liberty, as government has gown just as much under them as with the new left.

[XTreat]

Democratic-Republicans.

[Czolgosz]

Drop the labeling and think in terms of ideas and integrity. The labeling, and subsequent arguing over who is which label, is retarded.

[Odin]

You're pretty spot on. The issue is nuanced, of course, but most politics revolved around free market capitalism until The New Deal. "The switch in time that saved 9" is a good place to start if you are looking to research. Obviously, the philosophical seeds had been sown earlier, but that is really the genesis of codifying into law a move away from markets...that and the Federal Reserve Act (and McCulloch if you want to really go back.)

Yeah that's what I thought. The maligned "Guilded Age" was so successful that no politician would dare campaign against the free market. If I'm not mistaken, the Guilded Age was the greatest period of economic growth in recorded history. Many problems with corruption but it still shows what is possible with free market capitalism.

[ssunlimited]

Okay what's the plan for 2016? Rand Paul? Will there be any Libertarian Republicans running? Is it possible there would be good Democrats running? I know in 2008 from the Democratic line there were Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel who I found to be honest.

[LibertyEagle]

Okay what's the plan for 2016? Rand Paul? Will there be any Libertarian Republicans running? Is it possible there would be good Democrats running? I know in 2008 from the Democratic line there were Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel who I found to be honest.

I am sure there will be. Several were just elected and I'm sure more will run in 2016. I sure hope so, anyway.

[Keith and stuff]

Because Ron Paul ran as a Republican but is considered Libertarian by ideology. He kept on saying the Republicans used to be like he is now. Is that true?

I think you are confused in term. The word libertarian is an ideology, just like republican or democratic. The word Libertarian is considered a political party, just like Republican, Democratic or Green.

Ron Paul doesn't disagree when people call him a libertarian (not Libertarian) but he seems to rarely refer to himself as a libertarian. If the only choices were libertarian and conservative, I'd describe Ron Paul as a libertarian. However, there are many issue where it is debatable if he is a libertarian or not since the word has several meanings.

As for what it means to be a Republican, that changes from time to time. The Republican Party started out as the party of big government, for example.

[GunnyFreedom]

I think you are confused in term. The word libertarian is an ideology, just like republican or democratic. The word Libertarian is considered a political party, just like Republican, Democratic or Green.

Ron Paul doesn't disagree when people call him a libertarian (not Libertarian) but he seems to rarely refer to himself as a libertarian. If the only choices were libertarian and conservative, I'd describe Ron Paul as a libertarian. However, there are many issue where it is debatable if he is a libertarian or not since the word has several meanings.

As for what it means to be a Republican, that changes from time to time. The Republican Party started out as the party of big government, for example.

I'd hazard a guess that Frederick Douglass, strict Constitutionalist and Republican Party co-founder, would disagree with you there.

[Keith and stuff]

Okay what's the plan for 2016? Rand Paul? Will there be any Libertarian Republicans running? Is it possible there would be good Democrats running? I know in 2008 from the Democratic line there were Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel who I found to be honest.

There will likely be dozens if not 100s of libertarian Republicans running. There will certainly be good Democrats running. Around a 1/2 dozen good Democrats ran for the New Hampshire House in 2012 and 3 of them were elected. 1 of them was elected for the 3rd time as he is pretty popular in Manchester, NH. If you are speaking of only federal offices, at least 1 good Democrat tried to be a Congressman but he lost in the primary.

[muzzled dogg]

no