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[Lee Haslup <biglee AT haslups.com>]

My comments inline...

Phillip Rhodes wrote:

> Ian Meyer wrote:
>
> > you say first that you are libertarian, but then say that as long as
> > votes are pulled from kerry, all the better.
> >
> > so as a lp member, you'd rather have bush than kerry?
>
> Not to speak for Lee, but there really isn't anything
> unusual about that at all.  For whatever reason, Libertarians
> are typically seen as having more in common with the Republicans
> than the Democrats, ideologically.  I'd venture that more
> Republicans who "break rank" vote Libertarian, than Democrats
> that "break rank."

Phil is quite right here that, when LP types break ranks they usually do 
so to vote Republican (or more accurately to vote against the 
Democrats.)  I think that Jim Allman was close to the reason in his 
posting about the visions of the left and the right on July 7th.  Jim 
Said: "The mythology of the left is that our fate is driven by 
circumstances, the mythology of the right is that our fate is determined 
by character."  I might have said "attitude" instead of "character" but 
it would not change my observation that "character" (or "attitude") are 
attributes of an individual and tends to resonate more with the 
individualistic Libertarians who seek to empower individuals to deal 
with their own problems. 

The other issue that Ian and Phil missed was the fact that I do not 
capitalize the word "libertarian" when referring to myself.  With the 
capital letter it becomes a proper noun and is the name of the political 
party.  With a lower case letter it is a philisophy.  Similar 
distinctions can be made with "democrat/Democrat" and 
"republican/Republican".  Party affiliation is usually 
serially-exclusive but it is quite possible to be a libertarian, a 
democrat and a republican at the same time (and I am.)  I have been a 
big-L Libertarian Party member in the past (and I may be again some day) 
but I am not one now.  There are a number of issues on which libertarian 
theory does not give clear answers but for which a political party must 
have a position.   They lost me on a few of the planks in their 
platform.  I don't begrudge them their choices.  I wish them well and I 
gave back their capital letter on my way out.

Phillip Rhodes wrote:

> [Me personally, I don't care a whit about the candidate of
> *either* major party.  Kerry / Edwards is in no way, shape,
> form or fashion preferable to Bush / Cheney, IMHO.]  

> Remember the lesser of two evils is still evil.

If you think about it, given the fallen nature of man this is rather a 
better reason not to vote at all.  I don't think it can be argued that 
the LP platform is without flaw or blemish, even by its most ardent 
promoters. If one is not allowed to hold ones nose while voting I don't 
see how anyone could ever enter the booth.

BigLee