I think he is genuinely interested in re-invigorating the libertarian side of the Republican party, particularly in the non-evangelical side but I'm not really sure that Paul, everything considered, is a great standard-bearer for it looking forward.
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:11 (twelve years ago) link
If you're going to argue against tyrannical state interference in society, I think you're going to have to be a LOT more strident in condemning racism and homophobia if you want to capture the future (i.e. Millenials) and I have yet to hear any cogent arguments from states' rights libertarians which either acknowledge that local tyranny can be every bit as onerous as national tyranny or prescribe anything both effective and possibly progressive as the Brown vs Board and Civil Rights Acts of the 60's, all of which were decried as horribly intrusive on the fringe right.
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:15 (twelve years ago) link
The quintessential spokesman for the Libertarian side of the Republican Party was Barry Goldwater, who cast many a vote for "state's rights" when that was clearly a position in favor of segregation and Jim Crow. Unlike Paul, he later made conciliatory remarks about his sad record against civil rights. Paul just dodges around it.
― Aimless, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:17 (twelve years ago) link
Like, I'm the kind of dick who would drop a gotcha question on Paul wrt Arpaio as much to see how he's dealt with the contradiction ideologically/politically as to trip him up.
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:19 (twelve years ago) link
Goldwater was also forthcoming about the silliness of DADT.
I guess my beef with that wing is the basically unexamined notion that the best democracy is local democracy. I think that may be 18th century romanticism rearing up or some misplaced idolatry of Jefferson or whomever. Surely a corollary might be that local tyranny is about as bad as it gets, too.
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:22 (twelve years ago) link
There was that Loyalist during the Revolution who said, "Better to live under one tyrant a thousand miles away, than a thousand tyrants one mile away."
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:25 (twelve years ago) link
I'm not a racist but I think Ron Paul has some interesting ideas for cutting down on government. At least he's not some Big Government photocopy, rubber-stamping wars like Obama and Congless. But I am concerned about these racist allegations. I don't think I would vote for him.
― billy goat, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:28 (twelve years ago) link
If you put that corollary to a modern libertarian, they'd probably answer that given an adequate number of guns in the hands of patriots, no local tyranny would stand for long, which is pure moonshine, but still they would believe it.
― Aimless, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:28 (twelve years ago) link
most patriots can only hold two guns in their hands at a time and be useful
― OH NOES, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:29 (twelve years ago) link
I'm not a racist but
always a good way to start your posts
― aesthetic partisan (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:29 (twelve years ago) link
they'd probably answer that given an adequate number of guns in the hands of patriots, no local tyranny would stand for long
This is (a) sweetly and foolishly romantic in manly way or (b) failing to notice that in that case, they are the tyranny.
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:34 (twelve years ago) link
Lol, Shakey...
I'm waiting for the "I'm only racist against x group" as an intrductory disclaimer.
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:35 (twelve years ago) link
lol friedersdorf seems like a nice guy but hes such a goofball, that post hoos links to is like 9,000 words long and it has headers and shit
― max max max max, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:35 (twelve years ago) link
Sorry but yesterday someone said I was a racist!
― billy goat, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:35 (twelve years ago) link
can you imagine? a long article
― Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:36 (twelve years ago) link
"I'm not a racist, but" yields many interesting results on Google.
― Aimless, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:40 (twelve years ago) link
i'm not a racist, but some of my best friends are racists
― Mordy, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:42 (twelve years ago) link
love that quote, m. white.
― nuhnuhnuh, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:43 (twelve years ago) link
LOL
― C.K. Dexter Holland, Thursday, 22 December 2011 19:55 (twelve years ago) link
George H.W. Bush "informally" endorses Romney.
― C.K. Dexter Holland, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:03 (twelve years ago) link
He's like the son he never had.
― Nicole, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:03 (twelve years ago) link
W. Mitt Bush
― C.K. Dexter Holland, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:05 (twelve years ago) link
and, in turn, romney has always had deep affection and great respect for GHWB.
as long as feeling that way helps romney.
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:13 (twelve years ago) link
Obama isn't a racist but he's a crank too ("Yeah, I haven't gotten you world peace or single-payer, kiss my ass libs")
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:17 (twelve years ago) link
OMG he said that?
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:18 (twelve years ago) link
parafraziering
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:18 (twelve years ago) link
I thought "crank" denoted something closer to "conspiracy theorist"...?
― aesthetic partisan (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:19 (twelve years ago) link
as opposed to just cranky
― aesthetic partisan (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:23 (twelve years ago) link
yeah, a label 'reasonable' ppl wften use vs anyone who points out that this whole game is a crock of shit
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:23 (twelve years ago) link
btw I got an email from MoveOn yesterday suggesting that I run for office
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:24 (twelve years ago) link
Don't sell out, Morbz
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:25 (twelve years ago) link
I won't accept anything less than the State Department.
― Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:25 (twelve years ago) link
I had fun thinking how fast anyone on this board could torpedo my candidacy for anything
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:26 (twelve years ago) link
yeah, a label 'reasonable' ppl wften use vs anyone who points out that this whole game is a crock of shit conspiracy on behalf of the Illuminati/The Gnomes of Zurich/Bermuda Triangle
― Mordy, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:26 (twelve years ago) link
you should run!
rep. dr. morbius.
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:26 (twelve years ago) link
Btw, Ambassador to France would suit me very, very well.
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:27 (twelve years ago) link
THINK OF ALL THE PERKS YOU COULD HAVE.
― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:27 (twelve years ago) link
unlimited use of the congressional gym. free mimosas, anytime, anywhere in d.c. daily lunch on k-street.
Trying to remember when Obama promised world peace or single payer.
― C.K. Dexter Holland, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:27 (twelve years ago) link
Can someone googleproof that Gnmoes of Zurchi thing upthread? I'd like to make through to 2012.
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:28 (twelve years ago) link
I think Obama is more of an individual mandate world peace kind of guy, Mr Holland.
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:29 (twelve years ago) link
excellent opportunity to dust off yr standup comedy routine
― aesthetic partisan (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:30 (twelve years ago) link
"i mean really folks, what's the deal w/ fascist democrat shitheads?"
― Mordy, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:31 (twelve years ago) link
banning gabbneb = constitutional amendment
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:31 (twelve years ago) link
Let me put it a different way: Paul is a zealot. His brand of libertarianism may have some useful ideas to contribute, and maybe some elements of it will be incorporated into public policy at some future date, but I think someone who's so convinced of the purity and righteousness of his own position, who is so impervious to any sort of opposing viewpoint, and who swallows whole-hog some decidedly fringe-y theories (forgetting the racial stuff, what about his views on the gold standard?) is just not temperamentally suited for the highest executive position in the country.
― o. nate, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:32 (twelve years ago) link
Not an executive order?! What's the point of being POTUS if you can't just ban gabbnebb?
― M. White, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:32 (twelve years ago) link
I thought a two-thirds majority already insisted on ILE for this...?
― Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:34 (twelve years ago) link
in what world, even one where Ron Paul was 56 instead of 76, would the GOP bankrollers permit him to take the nomination?
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 22 December 2011 20:34 (twelve years ago) link