By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
Given how creepily far (and fast!) to the left our Democrat friends have lurched since Bill Clinton left office, Save Jerseyans, it’s very easy to overlook the differences between conservatives and libertarians on issues ranging from national security, foreign policy, and immigration to drugs, marriage, and religion in the public sphere.
That doesn’t make those differences any less real.
Our libertarian friends right here in New Jersey are nevertheless asking all of you to set’em all aside for Election 2016 and consider casting a vote against the Donald and Hilldawg, too.
“Here in the Libertarian Party, we are friends of refugees…those fleeing war torn countries, those fleeing desperate poverty, and also those fleeing despotic candidates such as Mr. Trump and Sec. Clinton,” a New Jersey Libertarian Party spokesperson explained in an Easter weekend press release. “We welcome former Republicans and Democrats who value ‘liberty and justice for all’ to find a new home in the Libertarian Party.”
Third parties are the exception and not the rule in American politics. The GOP began as the Whig Party collapsed yet more recent efforts (Perot and Nader as notable examples) failed to eclipse spoiler status.
At least one poll suggests 2016 could continue the spoiler trend. According to a recent Monmouth poll, in a three-way general election race, Libertarian Gary Johnson lands 11 percent while the GOP front runner Trump (34%) loses to Clinton (42%).
Me? I’m not about to abandon conservatism for libertarianism (maybe we’ll explore that a bit more later), but if Donald Trump triumphs in Cleveland?
Maybe I’ll at least read the brochure…
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Although I’ve some small “l” tendancies, I’ve found the members of the big “L” party to be uniform whackjobs. If I wanted whackjobs in my life, I’d start dating gringas again.
No, I’ll stay with the Dems.
R00ney writes: “I’m not about to abandon conservatism for libertarianism (maybe we’ll explore that a bit more later)…”
Um, yeah…that’s all well and good, R00nmeister, but you have understand and actually EMBRACE Conservatism before you can even think of abandoning it.
Here’s a hint: Google “Russell Kirk” and then divert some time from chasing ambulances to studying what true Conservatism actually is.
I resemble that comment!