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Personal freedom -or- Why Libertarians are Fleeing the Republican Coalition

The Todd Feinburg Show – Thursday night 9 pm – 680 AM, Listen Live: http://www.toddradio.com. Sponsored by the Center for Naturalism. 

Are you a closet Libertarian?  Have you aligned yourself with the Republican party while secretly decrying their social conservative agenda?  Have you decided to switch parties for this reason?  If so, what is the future of the Republican social agenda?

What are the differences between conservatives, libertarians, and liberals?  Many libertarians describe themselves as fiscal libertarians and social liberals.  According to the Cato Institute, this vote has in the past been solidly Republican until 2004, when it began to shift to the Democrats. 

In The Libertarian Vote, Davis Boaz and Davis Kirby state that libertarians apparently became disillusioned with Republican overspending, social intolerance, civil liberties infringements, and the floundering war in Iraq.  They go on to predict that if that trend continues into 2006 and 2008, Republicans will lose elections they would otherwise win.

What is your political identity?  Take the World’s Smallest Political Quiz.  Find out if you are a:

• Conservative - tend to favor economic freedom, but frequently support laws to restrict personal behavior that violates “traditional values.” They oppose excessive government control of business, while endorsing government action to defend morality and the traditional family structure. Conservatives usually support a strong military, oppose bureaucracy and high taxes, favor a free-market economy, and endorse strong law enforcement.
• Liberal – usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. They generally support a government-funded “safety net” to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations, defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles.
• Libertarian – support maximum liberty in both personal and economic matters. They advocate a much smaller government; one that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence. Libertarians tend to embrace individual responsibility, oppose government bureaucracy and taxes, promote private charity, tolerate diverse lifestyles, support the free market, and defend civil liberties.
• Centrist – espouse a “middle ground” regarding government control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice. Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind, tend to oppose “political extremes,” and emphasize what they describe as “practical” solutions to problems.
• Statest (Big Government) – want government to have a great deal of power over the economy and individual behavior. They frequently doubt whether economic liberty and individual freedom are practical options in today’s world. Statists tend to distrust the free market, support high taxes and centralized planning of the economy, oppose diverse lifestyles, and question the importance of civil liberties.