Will the Libertarian Party Field A Candidate Against Presidential Candidate Rand Paul?

[AuH20]

Thoughts? I say yes. They may go after him hard too. I could see the dems getting in on the action too.

 

[supermario21]

I could see Gary Johnson doing it, just because Rand is apparently a big porker in DC.

 

[FSP-Rebel]

They'd be finished if they ran someone against a Paul. The average anarchist would love it tho.

 

[GregSarnowski]

Well obviously Paul hasn't won the nomination yet but of course they will field a candidate in the general. But the LP is irrelevant on the national stage so it hardly matters. Also if it's Gary Johnson again I think Paul is at least as libertarian as him if not more so, certainly a more engaging speaker.

 

[compromise]

I could see Gary Johnson doing it, just because Rand is apparently a big porker in DC.

Is he? Rand is definitely better fiscally than Gary.

 

[GregSarnowski]

They'd be finished if they ran someone against a Paul. The average anarchist would love it tho.

I don't think the average anarchist or even hardcore libertarian supports Gary Johnson. He certainly didn't get a fawning reception at Porcfest.

 

[Sola_Fide]

I don't think the average anarchist or even hardcore libertarian supports Gary Johnson. He certainly didn't get a fawning reception at Porcfest.

Gary Johnson is worse than Rand on a few issues.

 

[mczerone]

If Rand took back his "I'm not a libertarian" statement, I could see them stepping back.

As it stands, Rand is putting forth the idea that he's a "True-blue-conservative-constitutionalist-Republican" - and he's not talking about libertarian philosophy or having a discussion about what the role of government should be from a libertarian POV.

To pretend that he's a "good enough" libertarian to not run a candidate is to give up on libertarianism altogether.

 

[GregSarnowski]

Gary Johnson is worse than Rand on a few issues.

Remember at the Rally for the Republic when he bragged about all the government jobs he saved? Pretty embarrassing.

 

[fr33]

I predict that they will. They always do have a candidate.

 

[CaptUSA]

The Libertarian party is a firing circle. (It took me a long time to realize they like being in the circle.)

Of course they'll run a candidate.

 

[GregSarnowski]

If Rand took back his "I'm not a libertarian" statement, I could see them stepping back.

As it stands, Rand is putting forth the idea that he's a "True-blue-conservative-constitutionalist-Republican" - and he's not talking about libertarian philosophy or having a discussion about what the role of government should be from a libertarian POV.

To pretend that he's a "good enough" libertarian to not run a candidate is to give up on libertarianism altogether.

Well look at where 40 years of the philosophical approach has gotten us. Rand is proposing practical, viable solutions that point in a libertarian direction, and most importantly he's doing it in a way that makes people think they arrived at those conclusions themselves.

 

[thoughtomator]

Gary Johnson is worse than Rand on a few issues.

He's worse than Rand across the board. Johnson is not a libertarian at all. He's a soft statist.

 

[specsaregood]

Well obviously Paul hasn't won the nomination yet but of course they will field a candidate in the general. But the LP is irrelevant on the national stage so it hardly matters.

When Rand does get the nomination, I fully expect any LP candidate to get a glowing reception and more media coverage than any previous LP candidate.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

Of course they will. Hell Ron Paul could run on the R ticket and Judge Nap on the Dems and they would still field a candidate. They need money coming in to keep up their sham of a political party and recruit some more suckers to make up for the ones that they lose along the way.

 

[alucard13mm]

When Rand does get the nomination, I fully expect any LP candidate to get a glowing reception and more media coverage than any previous LP candidate.

Yep. To siphon votes away. LP party should recognize rand is as libertarian as you can get for mainstream. Rand can help LP by making libertarian ideas more accepted so LP has more of a chance in 2020 or 2024. If they dont recognize this...

 

[FSP-Rebel]

I don't think the average anarchist or even hardcore libertarian supports Gary Johnson. He certainly didn't get a fawning reception at Porcfest.

I meant a generic, doctrinaire LP candidate like Badnarik or Ruwart. I was at Johnson's first porcfest in 2010, he got an ok reception and I got a pic with him down by the main pavilion but this is obviously before he started taking stances for his prez run. I agree with specs that the media might give them exposure but if they have a purist candidate then I can't help but think that would make Rand look exceptionally reasonable.

 

[V3n]

Yes. The L party cares more about advancing their Party than principle (see: Bob Barr) just like the R's and D's do.
No one will pay attention to him/her, they'll get their usual 1% and won't amount to anything.

(I'm talking about the "Party" in my first sentence, not all individual libertarians)

 

[angelatc]

Thoughts? I say yes. They may go after him hard too. I could see the dems getting in on the action too.

Of course they will. They can a candidate against Ron Paul for heaven's sakes.

 

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Why wouldn't they? It would be their party's one true chance for attention. After forty years of being ignored, imagine all the hit pieces the media could run against Rand Paul with Libertarian Party quotes attached. They could be the media's useful idiots as long as Rand Paul is running.