Libertarians Should Vote for Mitt Romney
Posted by Benjamin Martin in Blog on October 8, 2012 12:39 pm / 50 comments
Dear Libertarian Friends,
Oh, the shame and humiliation that should fill our hearts if Barack Obama were to win re-election because of the Right’s divided front.
It’s wholly irrelevant how much you like Mitt Romney, or trust him to govern conservatively. The only pertinent factor remains the reality of his superiority over the incumbent. If you care about American prosperity and strength, the only justification for voting third party or abstaining altogether is a belief that Mitt Romney would push Marxist principles as aggressively as Barack Obama has and would – an opinion I hope we can all agree is ludicrous. A moderate, yes. Radical leftist, no.
The logic of abstaining or voting third party – when that may enable a far inferior and disastrous incumbent to win over the only viable challenger – is faulty at best, and destruction’s complicity in this case. Electing Mitt Romney doesn’t save the republic, but it does give us the chance. A chance most of us would acknowledge is all but vanished if Obama wins a second term.
There may be a time for attempting to elevate a third party candidate if you believe such a thing would benefit American politics, but the dire nature of Election 2012 renders a “statement” or “symbolic” vote far too costly.
Votes don’t send messages as much as they reveal priorities, and the priority of patriots and traditional America-types must necessarily land first on preventing Obama from winning a second term where, having never to face an electorate again, he will push his radical agendas even more unabatedly. Some libertarian wishful thinking aside, Gary Johnson is not in a position to win the presidency. This isn’t a statement of preference, but of verity. He cannot win, and will not. Furthermore, the left is not split on its choice. The claim “Any non-Romney vote helps Obama” rings ominously true because the liberal vote is united. This makes it imperative that all who oppose his ideas and lack of leadership – conservatives and libertarians alike – cast their vote against him, and for the only viable option.
As I wrote in an earlier piece, beating this incumbent in this election is more important than maintaining allegiance to staunch ideological principle. Usually it’s not; this time it is. A “principled” third party vote (or staying home) serves only to make Obama’s re-election path easier, and is subsequently not principled at all.
Complain about voting for the “lesser of two evils” if you will, but when the choice is continued economic stagnation and a fiscal policy this is not only reckless but criminally immoral – or an accomplished and successful business turnaround artist who at the very least loves this country and her founding values, only fools enable the former out of distaste for the latter. This isn’t a rallying cry, but a petition to think critically. Even if you hold that both of the main party candidates are “evil”, voting for the lesser – when not doing so guarantees more of the former – is clearly and unequivocally the more logical of approaches.
And let us not forget the Supreme Court appointees to be made in the near future. While you libertarians (and we conservatives) have been unhappy at times with Republican appointees, there’s no argument that Romney’s would be further right than Obama’s. For logic’s sake, it’s again immaterial how well you like Romney’s potential appointees, or if they meet your preferred criteria. The pressing point is on who Obama will select. If you prefer the soon coming Supreme Court appointees not be radical leftists, voting for Mitt Romney becomes quite easy.
Libertarians, I know you fancy yourselves bastions of logic and rationality, so I’m attempting to appeal to that side of the matters at hand. I understand the ideological compromises you will have to make to mark a vote for Mitt Romney. My views are more conservative than Romney’s as well. He thinks government can do things it cannot, and should not. I know he’s not the perfect guy, and he’s not your guy, but he’s better than their guy. And with your votes, he can beat their guy. That should be enough to help you hold your nose and cast your ballot.
When this discussion comes up I always recall the words of Andrew Breitbart, who thundered away at CPAC 2012 that “I will march behind whoever our candidate is, because if we don’t, we lose. Anyone who is willing to stand next to me to fight the progressive left, I will be in that bunker. And if you’re not in that bunker because you’re not satisfied with this candidate, more than shame on you, you’re on the other side.”
We have one chance to give America an opportunity to heal and restore itself. Let us leave the quarrels over who plugs the hole and stops the flood for another time, and elect the only candidate whose finger will fit.
The consequences of the alternative are far too severe.
Sincerely,
A conservative guy who desperately wants to beat Barack Obama
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50 Comments
More NEOCON non-sense.
To start with, the root for the word libertarian is liberty. Your candidate Mitt Romney is an anti-liberty candidate. He is also a pro-war candidate. He is also a pro-huge government candidate. His running mate, as a congress man has repeatedly voted to strip us citizens of their freedom.
Mitt Romney wants to continue the country down the same path that George W Bush, Barak Obama have been leading us.
And if you live in DC you can vote for me, and in DC and the 44 non swing states vote for Gary Johnson to send a signal that you want really small government to whichever candidate wins the race.
A vote for Romney is a vote for a candidate that supports further deficit spending, bailouts, TARP, Obamacare, NDAA and the Patriot Act. This is supposed to be the champion of limited government and free enterprise? The Republican party has made it abundantly clear that it is the enemy of all who value limited government, personal freedom, and sound fiscal policy. They use libertarian sounding rhetoric at times, when they deem it useful, but they never govern in any way approaching libertarianism. That people like you have the gall to now ask libertarians to support their very un-libertarian candidate after the Ron Paul debacle should be proof enough that your interests are only in using libertarians as an instrument for other purposes. There is nothing in Romney’s platform that anyone who seriously values limited government, and personal freedom could vote for.
Another article begging libertarians to vote for Romney… ain’t gonna happen GOP. You can’t spit in our faces and then beg us for support. Libertarians are NOT conservatives and we won’t uphold this unholy alliance any longer.
No longer will we be told (in the author’s words) “There may be a time for attempting to elevate a third party candidate if you believe such a thing would benefit American politics, but the dire nature of Election 2012 renders a “statement” or “symbolic” vote far too costly.” We’ve heard that every election for a generation.
You have shown your true colors as big government, corporatist, anti-freedom, pro-war scum and the “lesser of two evils argument” is as pathetic as it is inaccurate and irrelevant. I would much rather ride out Obama for four more years and possibly get two new candidates to choose from than know I will have to deal with Romney again in 2012.
To be quite honest I don’t think that Romney is better than Obama. George W. Bush vs Obama, which ones better? Yeah I’m not sure either. I don’t trust Romney on the economy and balancing the budget. I really do think he’d just be more of the same problems we’ve had for the past 12 years. No change to medicare and increased military spending, THAT will balance the budget? Feed it to someone else. So yes, I would rather split the vote and make the republicans realize they can’t win without giving us a real fiscal conservative. Changing the direction of the major parties is a function third parties have historically accomplished precisely by playing the spoiler role. Splitting the vote is the best hope we have for a real choice in 2016. Romney just ensures we have to wait until 2020. If the country is doomed to crash and burn under Obama then it’s too late for Romney to do much about it anyway. Regardless of what happens in 2012 we’ll still be limping along economically and hearing about how critical it is for a republican to win in 2016, I’ll put my money on it.
Mitt is no better then Obama! Mitt might even be worse. Mitt is already talking about yet another war in the middle east which would cost over 1 trillion to execute with another 2 to 3 trillion in long term additional costs.
Voting for Mitt for voting for more of the same.
GIVE ME LIBERTY OR I’M OUTTA HERE UNTIL THIS MAN IS OUT OF OFFICE OR IMPEACHED!
I was talking about Romney in my previous post, not Obama!
WRONG REPUBLICANS SHOULD VOTE FOR GARY JOHNSON.. ITS THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THIS COUNTRY.
If the author wants to vote for a winner, all he has to do is wake up on election day, read the polls, and vote for the leader. Me, I’ll vote my conscience no matter who’s ahead (or who’s in second). And my conscience says vote to end the deficits, the wars, and the prohibition… Gary Johnson.
Fellow Libertarians, let us rejoice in the fact that both sides are cravenly seeking our votes! Stick to your guns – let us get above the 5% threshold for federal funds and really show them in 2016!
GOP should have nominated Ron Paul if they wanted to run a candidate who could beat Obama. Quit crying to the Libertarians about it. We didn’t nominate Romney. You can blame the GOP leadership for that. We have our own candidate, than you very much who represents us far better than Romney ever could. I’m not sure who he represents, but it isn’t the Average American.
I agree but for slightly different reasons…
http://www.3rdwavelandsproperties.net/2012/08/the-liberty-movement-needs-big-tent.html#.UHP9PxX7KHg
“Oh, the shame and humiliation that should fill our hearts if Barack Obama were to win re-election because of the Right’s divided front.”
I am a libertarian but sure as hell am not on the right. That is what you idiots don’t understand about us. If you want to dumb it down and say libertarians are fiscally conservative and socially liberal that is fine, but then why should I vote for a candidate (Romney) who is socially conservative and fiscally liberal? When Republicans become fiscally responsible I may consider voting for them but that has not happened in my lifetime.
I like how the Repubs and Dems always tell people not to vote for a third party because it would be a wasted vote. Johnson is a better choice. I get your logic in the article but honestly why don’t you repubs and dems vote for our guy, Gary Johnson, since your candidates will both bring us over the financial cliff. A vote for your guy is a wasted vote in my opinion.
Your logic is equal to saying during the Revolution: Look let’s go with France because Britian is worse. I say we go for what’s right and for what’s right for the country. Even if you face losing you will never win in the long run if you always play it too safe in the short run.
It’s nice, I guess, that you keep inviting libertarians to date you. Though you did get a little molesterish with the Ron Paul delegates in Tampa, stripping them and all. And now you seem to be trying tonforce yourself on voters in Pennsylvania. Guess we better carry some pepper spray if we go out with you again!
http://dclibertarian.blogspot.com/2012/10/domestic-abuse-dangers-of-dating.html#
You know what I find amusing? You all but kick libertarians out the door at the RNC, your RNC Chair goes on TV saying that Gary Johnson voters aren’t an issue, and yet you’re STILL droning on and on about how we need to vote for Robamney. Get real, man.
We will live under the policies of either Obama or Romney for the foreseeable future (Obamacare will be permanent, for example, if Obama wins). I just can’t justify enabling the poorer of the two choices. There are three choices: Obama, Romney, or 3rd party/abstaining. Two of the three give us Obama. It doesn’t really matter how you feel about Romney, the important part is what Obama will do.
You should vote for Gary Johnson if you care about our country and quit being fooled again and again and again and again.
I don’t think you know what constitutes the views of a libertarian. I’d describe it, but everyone else already has. Under those views, Romney is not a lesser of two evils; he is the same as the other evil.
Bunch of bull. Down with the demopublicans and the replicrats too!
Ditto what all these guys say – Romney is not for liberty, Ryan is not for liberty, neoconservatism isn’t for liberty – everybody says Ryan is a fiscal conservative – hell, his economic plan is more like a Nancy Pelosi plan than it is fiscally conservatism.
Sorry, GOP, ya’ll left me years ago, ya’ll can go eff yourselves.
Your heart should already be filled with shame and humiliation for even considering voting for Romney and betraying our freedom, liberty and everything that made America great. Gary Johnson 2012.
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Libertarians for Romney is like doctors for cancer. It just doesn’t make any sense.
“The only pertinent factor remains the reality of his superiority over the incumbent.” Then prove it. You can’t. Your party had a chance to nominate someone with proven superiority over the incumbent, and instead you wouldn’t even give his supporters a voice at the convention. You have nobody to blame but yourself and phony appeals to the “lesser of two evils” argument are weaker than they have ever been before.
Your party spat in our faces. Now that the primaries are over you are saying “you stupid spoiled morons should grow up and vote for us.” No, us “stupid spoiled morons” are not going where we’re not wanted. You don’t want us, we will go away.
And libertarians are not part of the “right” so us splitting from you (as if we were ever with you) is not splitting “the right”.
I am against Obamacare. The Massachusetts Healthcare reform has shown that such heavy handed government will only make ths situation worse.
Gov. Romney has already indicated he will keep parts of Obamacare if elected, and he has promised more government spending in other areas.
Look at the record. President Taft (R) promoted the income tax amendment, which was passed by a big Republican majority in Congress; President Nixon (R) gave us wage & price controls, EPA, affirmative action, and friendship with Red China; President Reagan (R) provided military aid to Saddam Hussein; President Bush Sr gave us an expanded war on drugs, the first Iraq war, and new taxes; Bush Jr gave us pre-emptive war in Iraq, the Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind; expanded medicare; bank bailouts, and more than 6 trillion dollars in deficits.
Do you really think we can trust Republicans to limit government power?
The GOP rigged caucus’ in Iowa and Maine. The GOP threatened not to seat Ron Paul delegates. The GOP shunned the youth movement within the GOP. The GOP has ridiculed its libertarian party members. Now the GOP wants libertarians and Libertarians to vote for Mitt Romney? I am amazed at how dumb you think we are. The term “Obamney” was coined for a reason. We’re not going to sell out our beliefs to elect the Mormon Obama.
Obama is hardly a Marxist. He uses leftist rhetoric to cover up his corporatism and imperialism (just as Romney does with free-market rhetoric). 4 more years under Obama might even be better than a Romney presidency; Obama seems slightly less likely to start World War III. In any case, you people brought this on yourselves, and you will be punished for it. Have fun when your party collapses due to alienating its whole younger generation!
Dear Brady Cremeens,
You made and your fellow cons made the bed, now you don’t want to sleep in it. It’s your fault, not the fault of libertarians if Romney fails. Libertarians and Paul supporters were quite clear on what they would do if Paul wasn’t the nominee. It’s not our fault you refused to listen.
Signed
The Cynic in New York
“A chance most of us would acknowledge is all but vanished if Obama wins a second term.”
After one of the British defeats in the American revolution, one of Adam Smith’s students told him that this would be “the ruin of England.”
“Young man,” Smith replied, “there’s a lot of ruin in a nation.”
Putting aside your inflated view of how much damage Obama can do, there are at least two ways in which Romney is worse than Obama. The first is that, if elected, he will almost certainly have a majority in the House, and very possibly in the Senate. So even if what he wants to do is only half as bad as what Obama wants to do, the chance he can do it will be considerably greater.
The second is that Romney, like Bush, will talk a pro-free market line but not act on it. He will do about the same things as Obama–and we, the people who actually support free markets–will get blamed for the results.
As happened last time around.
I plan to vote for Gary Johnson. No single vote has much effect, but the effect of that one in sending a signal to both parties is at least as great as the effect of voting for either major party candidate.
@ “No.”
I’m not sure sure Obama is less prone to war than Romney. We have no idea what he has in store. Obama and Co. are starting to sound a lot like LBJ and Co. in ’64 when they were claiming Goldwater would lead us into war with Vietnam. Little did the public know that LBJ already had plans to become aggressive in Vietnam after the election the entire time. Personally, I think Obama is doing the same with Iran.
[...] The Right Sphere (via Independent Political [...]
As of 10/12 at 12:30 pm EST there are 33 comments:
1 pingback
1 retort from Author
1 Sort of ambiguous comment
30 Outright rejections at the notion of Libertarians voting for Romney
Perhaps there is still hope for our country yet…
I have been a Libertarian since 1976. In that time, Democrats have foisted a half dozen jackasses onto the American political scene, as have the Republicans.
Yet you tell me I should abandon MY principles to vote for a compromised RINO? Don’t think so. Atlas is shrugging, and the principles America needs are not those of the Doles, Bushes, or McCains.
Freedom in this country requires leaders who understand how vile and undesirable big government is. Those who don’t get it don’t deserve a vote.
Romney is Obama Lite. He is “Obomney.” If I wanted more of what Obama is peddling, why would I bother with Romney?
Also, if you want our votes now, you should have thought about that before screwing libertarians over.
After what your camp did to Ron Paul, rigging the GOP primaries to ensure an Obomney “victory” over Paul, you Republicans have a “Chinaman’s chance” of getting our votes.
Ron Paul represented a REAL alternative to Obomber. Romney represents a BOGUS “alternative” to Obomber.
Seriously, you have got to be kidding me.. Betray our principles for a cause we don’t believe in? Betray our principles for a party that has treated Libertarians as an annoyance?
See what you have given us is a false alternative, Romney or Obama.. It’s the same thing with a different twist. Do I want a broken arm or a broken leg? I’ll take neither.
Your premise is false that Romney will be better than Obama. The Libertarian position in my view is it doesn’t matter, as free people don’t have rulers. If I get to choose every 4 years who my prison warden is that doesn’t make me any bit more free.. And here you are arguing over whether we want warden A or warden B?
If I was actually voting I’d be laughing even harder right now after how the GOP has treated Ron Paul and co. If Romney loses (again, it doesn’t matter) it’s on all of you warmongering, fiscally liberal republicans that pushed away any semblance of sanity in your party, the Libertarians…
[...] yet another appeal from Republicans, Brady Cremeens, writing for The Right Sphere, is urging libertarians to set aside their differences and vote for Mitt Romney. The piece is so full of political clichés [...]
The Republican party told me a registered Republican that voted for Ron Paul, the only candidate that would have restored greatness to the United States, to phuck off. Now I am telling the fascist RoMoney Republicans to go phuck themselves. I am voting for Gary Johnson.
What a moron.
The battle is between
Tyranny (Romney and Obama) vs Freedom (Paul and Johnson)
I’m done with the parties of Tyranny.
America has a true opportunity in 2012, to vault the Libertarian party up over 5% of the vote, so we can have a true election based on true discussions of issues.
Ron Paul (and Gary Johnson) want to end the wars and bring our troops home. They want to stop our policing the world emperialism. They want to end crony capitalism and the welfare/warfare state. They want to end our failed war on drugs. They want to stop the FED from monetizing our debt. They want a balanced budget – not in 2030 or 2050, but in the short term. They want to reign in our out of control federal government, and return power to the states.
In short, Ron Paul (and Gary Johnson) represent the true discussion of peace and prosperity. The parties of tyranny represent none of this. Too bad Gary Johnson was not included in the debates or else Americans would see the clear choice before us. We can fix that by all voting for Gary Johnson in this cycle, so we have a voice in 2016.
And don’t give me any of that “vote for our guy or there won’t be another election” hyperbole. Go wag your fingers at someone else. I’m not buying a word of it.
I got to add my voice to that of other Libertarians here. I mean do you conservatives/repubs think we’re f*cking morons??? Romney is just like Obamya. Just more of the same mega(Orwellian)statist polices we’ve been getting for far too long in this country- He’s more war, more police state, more more destruction of personal freedoms, more TSA, more massive government, more massive debts and deficits, more destruction of our currency, more massive state intervention in /destruction of the free market etc etc etc. I mean you got to be Fing kidding. What on earth makes you think we’d sell out our principles so easily or more to the point- at all, for this guy??? What an insult
After reading this article I made another campaign contribution to Gary Johnson.
Pop Quiz:
1) Which President nominated a Supreme Court Justice who was the deciding vote in declaring Obamacare as Constitutional?
2) Which 2012 Presidential candidate’s health care plan funds abortions?
3) Which 2012 Presidential candidate described assault weapons as, “instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people” and then signed a bill banning assault weapons?
It is so amazing and heartwarming to see everyone stand up against the Republican machine and vote for the candidate that they want, not the two that are being “offered.” I guess they failed to reason that the Libertarians, though never identical, on the whole will always maintain their conscience before selling their souls to the “winner.” They had to manipulate, lie, and make illegal rule changes to get Romney into their place, and we wanted nothing to do with it. Congrats to us for standing our ground! Be strong Libs, vote for whomever you want to, not who this schmuck tells you (and if you wanted to vote for Romney before reading this, go ahead)! The importance of having the freedom of the vote- nobody can make you vote for someone, no one can keep you from voting, and nobody can steal your vote after it’s cast! Stay strong, and tell them where to go when they say we only have 2 options!
I agree 100% with this article, voting 3rd party this Election cycle is just voting for Obama. There are ONLY one Option in this Election and it’s Romney
What, vote for, “Romney, the only TRUE Democrat” running??
Forgive me, but isn’t Candidate Romney to the Left of where Candidate Jimmy Carter was when he ran? And didn’t the Republicans actually compare Obama to Carter?
Consider this….
Strike one: They disagree about the implementation, but don’t both Obama and Romney think the Boy Scouts should let homosexuals take little boys into the woods on camping trips? I don’t remember candidate Carter advocating that.
Strike Two: Did not Obama gave us ObamaCare for the nation and Romney gave us RomneyCare for MA? Did Carter ever give Georgia CarterCare?? Didn’t think so.
Strike Three: While they do disagree about it’s funding, don’t both Obama and Romney support the killing of unborn babies? Wasn’t Candidate Jimmy Carter pro Life?
So, isn’t Candidate Romney is to the left of where Candidate Carter was, when he ran for President? So, tell me again why Romney isn’t a RINO? And why should either a conservative or a libertarian vote for Romney when he is more liberal than was Candidate Carter? (And for libertarians, it is on all the wrong issues.)
[...] Republicans want libertarians to vote for Willard Romney. Here’s my reply. Share this:FacebookLike [...]
You can’t reason with a fool, or a community of fools as evidenced here.. An Obama reelection could quite possibly lead to the inability to ever vote for a Libertarian candidate in the future..As usual the majority of us will do the heavy lifting while this lot of malcontents sits back and pouts.
As a Green Party activist, I am LMAO at the Repubnicans begging the Libertarians to vote for their phony crony capitalist candidate. I knew it would go nowhere as nobody holds onto their principles like Libs. Good for you guys!! I’m not your typical neomarxist Green — when I wrote our state party platform back in 2000, I made damn sure that *we* supported small businesses and decentralist values. What both Libs and Greens know is that the centralist paradigm is dying, and you and we are the *true* alternative. Each election helps both of us, as more and more people reject the centralist ‘bipartisan consensus’. Keep the faith: the Dems and Reps will soon go the way of the Whigs!