Conservative Coalition Cracking up?

[loftycity]

This piece taken off www.counterpunch.org

Other libertarians—including movement leaders—are at least considering supporting a Democrat over Bush in 2004. Several said as much to Noah Schachtman in an article on The American Prospect Web site recently. There's a "Libertarians for Dean" blog site thriving on the Internet.

Is the Conservative Coalition cracking up?

It's possible. American Conservative magazine recently ran an article, "The Conservative Crack-Up" on their cover.
If the president pushes harder on issues libertarians hate—like policing marriage and restricting abortion—it will doubtless widen the conservative movement's cracks. So bring it on, as Bush would say. A Constitutional Marriage Amendment may be just what Democrats need—not to shore up heterosexual coupling—but to bring down the conservative's cold war marriage.

Laura Flanders is the host of "Your Call" heard on KALW-FM in San Francisco, and author of Bushwomen: Tales of a Cynical Species, forthcoming from Verso Books.

[MuseRider]

1. I occasionally wonder

if some of our dems are just sitting back and letting him hang himself. I would sure rather they fight a bit harder than they do sometimes but still, I sometimes wonder if that is what they are doing.

[Old and In the Way]

2. Gee, 4 years in control of the Executive, Legislature, and

Judicial.

What took so long?

[9215]

9. Irony defined. It is amazing

how accurate Ralph Nader was in predicting that the Bushies grasp for power unfettered by a dem majority would be their undoing.

The inertia of fear and intimidation is leading to implosion.

[burrowowl]

3. Be afraid

libertarians might not like gov't interference re Patriot Act, but they love slashing taxes, Social Security, Medicare, hate the EPA, OSHA, etc. And, unfortunately Dean, at least to me, seems more libertarian than Democrat, he kind of remains me of our former NM Gov. Johnson (who ran a construction company before he was Gov and had high rates of worker injuries, etc.), ran rough shod over the environment and anything social, is for legalizing maryjane but this I think to stop overcrowding of NM prisons and was not for rehabilitation of heroin and other addicts, in NM we have children out on the streets and nothing for taking care of them.
As for the so-called conservatives, they are worried that Bu$h is not destroying Social Programs fast enough, they bitch about the prescription law, but only on the basis that it costs too much, not on basis that it stinks. Have you seen them bitching about offense (oops defense) spending .... NO!

[Dover]

7. How do they feel about pumping trillions into the Pentagon budget?

The Bush regime has actually increased gov. spending.

[Abigail147]

10. Dean is more independent and certainly more of a realist financially

than the others candidates. This is a quality that Republicans looking for an alternative to Bush would find attractive enough to forego other reservations. Bernie Sanders (?) is libertarian, and I like the way he talks.

[Doomsayer13]

4. Hell, my Repub Libertarian suitemate is looking at other candidates

He says that he likes Clark and will vote for him. He was especially annoyed at Bush's abstinence and gay-bashing tirades durong the SOTU.

[OKHRANA]

5. how much of conservative coalition is libertarian?

that is the key.

Bush is taking some positions offensive to conservatives because he is going for the middle as November approaches.

He feels his base will never abandon him so he can afford to do that.

He might be in for a surprise if enough of that base is libertarian.

[Michael Harrington]

6. Anyone who is a legitimate Libertarian

Should always choose the Democrats as the lesser of two evils. But most Libertarians, in spite of all their highfalutin rhetoric and ready store of Fisher Ames quotes, simply are selfish yuppie types who don't want to pay taxes or ever see an African American in their vicinity.

[Snappy]

8. Libertarians

These folk are definetly not allies to the Dems or the left but they are good for breaking off votes for the Neo Fascists. I would like for them to run a candidate to siphon off votes for Dubya. They should ask Bill Mahr to run.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

12. yup

I think you're 100% right.

[loudsue]

11. Libertarians should be ALL OVER the BBV issue...

Once we get them on board against BBV, maybe we'll start to see some progress.

If only....


:kick: