(08-12-2016 09:18 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  The existing Libertarian Party needs a serious makeover if it's to ever become a significant electorate challenger. Yes, Johnson and Weld are experienced ex-governors who are pragmatic and moderate, but they're kinda guilty by LP association. The party's image is one of anarcho nutters who are too far in the anti-government deep end to attract a chunk of the mainstream.

I've seen the cliches in social media comments - Johnson is the Libertarian Party nominee, so we'd become a law of the jungle Somalia if he were elected. That's a nasty stereotype to overcome.

Ideally, I'd like to see an alternate party for those with a conservative lean in fiscal matters while liberal in social/lifestyle matters, shuttering off the inflexible hard cores and "Star Wars Cantina" segment of the LP.

Won't happen, unfortunately.

So we have the more realistic route of trying to make noise within the two major parties, like the Paul and Amash within the GOP.

The LP needs to purge itself of the loons that show up at its convention and get media attention. Dont allow these nuts a forum.

(08-15-2016 05:53 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  

(08-12-2016 09:18 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  The existing Libertarian Party needs a serious makeover if it's to ever become a significant electorate challenger. Yes, Johnson and Weld are experienced ex-governors who are pragmatic and moderate, but they're kinda guilty by LP association. The party's image is one of anarcho nutters who are too far in the anti-government deep end to attract a chunk of the mainstream.

I've seen the cliches in social media comments - Johnson is the Libertarian Party nominee, so we'd become a law of the jungle Somalia if he were elected. That's a nasty stereotype to overcome.

Ideally, I'd like to see an alternate party for those with a conservative lean in fiscal matters while liberal in social/lifestyle matters, shuttering off the inflexible hard cores and "Star Wars Cantina" segment of the LP.

Won't happen, unfortunately.

So we have the more realistic route of trying to make noise within the two major parties, like the Paul and Amash within the GOP.

The LP needs to purge itself of the loons that show up at its convention and get media attention. Dont allow these nuts a forum.

At least the LP doesn't nominate loons like the Dems and GOP have.

Every party has it's loony fringe or whatever you want to call it. I think the problem is that the media typically only wants to showcase the fringe of the LP to keep them as irrelevant as possible so they can keep pushing the two current parties in power. If the LP received decent press from what is the vast majority of Libertarians we could get away from this stupid perception of being filled with nut jobs.

Go to IRV elections instead of the way we do it now. It'd save the taxpayers money and instantly send a wave of elected libertarians/independents into office, particularly at state/local levels. It would DRASTICALLY pull the two parties toward a lightly libertarian centrism. The country would typically be expected to lean fiscally conservative (while wanting to spend money) and lean socially liberal (while wanting no part of social agenda laws).