October 24, 2008
Ees Not My Yob!
Megan McArdle, my favorite libertarian Democratic Obama supporter, is not in the tank.
I was at a friend's birthday party last night, and another financial/political journalist and I were marvelling at the way that Obama has been able to get away with complaining about deregulation while sharing a ticket with The Man from MBNA. Why haven't journalists pointed this out? I asked. He shrugged, and then said it's really McCain's fault--it's his job to make that case, and he hasn't.
That would be funny were it not so sad. The Tanning Bed Media (don't say I ain't hip to the memes) can send 30 reporters to Alaska to see if Bristol's ex-boyfriend's mother-in-law's cousin's landlord once swore in front of a child, but it's somehow Senator McCain's job to point out the startling differences between his opponent's rhetoric and actions.
Media and Blogging Posted by John Kranz at October 24, 2008 12:23 PM
No. There is still no such thing as a "libertarian Democratic Obama supporter," no matter how much McArdle screams it at the top of her lungs.
Now I know for sure what my friend Billy Beck has said all this time: she's an idiot. Especially now, with Obama having unveiled his "soak the rich" tax plan that actually means "soak the PRODUCERS and INVESTORS," no one, NO ONE who claims to believe in individual liberty could possibly think Obama will be AT ALL good for this country, let alone vote for that socialist.
Posted by: Perry Eidelbus at October 24, 2008 1:14 PMI find it hard to get my head wrapped around it as well, Perry. But I will defend Ms. McArdle as filling a necessary position in my new world order. I posted awhile back that "The Libertarian Party Must Be Destroyed." (Why did I not think to title it Libertaro Delenda Est" I was snoozing.)
I want big-L libs to return to the major parties. I find it more natural to be a little-l-big-R, but I cede that McArdle (or somebody else, I am unfairly putting words in her mouth) could feel that abortion rights, civil liberties, church-state separation, gay rights and the like are more important than economic destruct--I mean issues. Those people should join the Democrats and push them to embrace market principles as I push the GOP to support liberalized immigration, gay rights and back off the drug war.
Posted by: jk at October 24, 2008 2:22 PMAbsurd. Like before, as I recall, you're enumerating perfectly liberal issues, but not libertarian. Libertarianism is not just about social freedom. If there's no economic libertarianism, it isn't libertarianism at all.
Both parties are so committed to raping the taxpayer and redistributing the wealth that there's no way true libertarians can rely on either.
Posted by: Perry Eidelbus at October 25, 2008 11:54 AM | What do you think? [3]