After my twittering while watching Obama's speech - a friend accused me with "I thought you were a libertarian".
I do consider myself a small-l libertarian. (I've never been a Libertarian party member). I voted for Harry Browne. I believe in individual freedom and limited government. I worked for concealed carry reform in Minnesota, and have always been staunchly supportive of gay rights, abortion rights, and opposed to the war on drugs.
I am also a pragmatist.
And I believe that, this year, we need to focus more on rebuilding our country than on ideological purity. Barack Obama is not my ideal candidate - and if I were a single-issue voter, I wouldn't vote for him. But I do believe that he will uphold the Constitution, *unlike* the current administration. I do believe that he will rein in the abuses of our civil liberties. Probably not as far as I'd like, but far more than if McCain gets in. I believe that he will work to restore our pride in America, and some of our belief in America and what it stands for.
Perhaps, if I were more of an idealist (and less of a cynic), I'd believe that, if we just let things *really go to hell*, the American people will *rise up* and we'll have a revolution to take back our country. After watching the erosion of our liberties over the years, with the willing consent of those whose liberties were being taken, I no longer believe that.
Is there a better, third-party, truly-libertarian candidate? Unfortunately, this year, I don't think any third-party candidate matters. Because this year, they won't get in. This year, I intend to cast my vote and spend my energy on a candidate who has a chance to get in and who won't further destroy my country once there. Once we've rebuilt and reminded Americans what it means to be American, maybe we'll have a shot at pushing forward and getting a real libertarian candidate into office. But first, this year, we have to recover America from what has been done to her.
This year, I'm voting for Barack Obama. Because, even more than being a libertarian, I am a patriot. And dammit - I want my country back!
1 comment:
I have to agree. I've voted libertarian for the last 3 elections, but this year I'm likely going to end up voting for Obama. We need to do as much as we can to reverse the slide to dictatorship that the Bush administration has initiated. And if that means voting for someone who might push nationalized health care - so be it. Besides, the libertarians decided to nominate a far right republican this year, (although, to be fair, he WAS wearing a libertarian costume). I'm disgusted with the entire state of affairs. With no one worth voting for, I find myself in the unenviable position of voting AGAINST a candidate. I feel so dirty.
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