I voted Libertarian again. Every time I do it makes me angry. I normally feel like I am wasting a vote. Plus, most of the candidates are either crazy or perennial losers who use their status as candidates to wield power and influence in the halls of Libertarian power (which can be found at the VFW Hall the first Thursday of each month).
These are the California election night results for Libertarian Presidential candidates. Honk if you've heard them mentioned during the past three months.
- Michael P. Jingozian (Lib) 663, 4.6 %
- Bob Jackson (Lib) 1,265 ,9.0 %
- Steve Kubby (Lib) 2,408 ,17.0 %
- Alden Link (Lib) 461, 3.2 %
- John Finan (Lib) 606, 4.2 %
- Barry Hess (Lib) 773, 5.5 %
- Dave Hollist (Lib) 585, 4.1 %
- Daniel Imperato (Lib) 615 ,4.3 %
- Robert Milnes (Lib) 613 ,4.3 %
- George Phillies (Lib) 705, 4.9 %
- Wayne A. Root (Lib) 1,951, 13.8 %
- Christine Smith (Lib) 3,565, 25.1 %
I voted for Christine Smith. Woohoo!
Why did I vote for her? Because of the people I know on the list, she was the least crazy. I doubt she would pass the not crazy snuff test in a public gather, she is typical in her radical approach to libertarianism. The moment she is elected (likely on when hell freezes over), she will embark on policies that the general public will recoil from. Like pushing abortion decisions down to the state level, neutering the power of the federal government, removing the government from public schools, and abolish the income tax. The list goes on.
I share some of her values, but I seem to be alone in understanding that none of them will gain public support if approached from the typical "immediate radical change" perspective my libertarian friends hold so dear. Instead, I suggest slow,incremental changes which moves us in the direction of increased personal liberty and a smaller government. I am often greeted with "man, you are insane!".
I did not waste my vote. I've done much worse. I've wasted 20 years voting for these idiots. And let me tell you, the national candidates seem positively normal when compared to the nutballs who run for local office. I'll post more on that later.
Here's a joke from a meeting I attended. The local party boss was trying to get me to run for office. When I told him I was an Atheist he said that would make me un-electable. Really? you mean the whole Libertarian thing makes me electable?
2 comments:
Heh. I Voted for Christine Smith too here in the Arizona Primary - and for the same reason. The Libertarian Party seems to get weirder every year.
I think I need to switch to Independent next year.
I have been independent for a long time and this is the first year I registered as a democrat. I intended to switch back before the election, but for some damn reason I was elected as a Permanent Chair and a Delegate for the County Convention.. the fact that I am an Atheist didn't seem to deter them much.
So now I don't know what to do.
While I agree with you on the smaller government I don't think (personally) that Eduction or Abortion should be a State issue. Then again, maybe I haven't heard the right argument.
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