Guest MINDSETTER™ Jeff Scott: The Rise of Libertarianism
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Here we are, a week into October, watching the race for the republican presidential nod take shape. September was the month of weekly debates. Well, a debate for three of the four weeks, hosted by MSNBC, CNN and Tea Party groups, and the most recent by Fox News and Google, but it might as well have been every week. September was also the month of the media coronation of Rick Perry. Perry was given front-runner status, simply for being Rick Perry. As soon as we had a few chances to get to know the good Governor from the Lone Star State, he began falling faster in national polling than his sudden media-fed rise. During the most recent debate hosted by Fox and Google, libertarian Republican and former Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson was included as one of the nine debaters.
Often labeled a libertarian before a republican, Texas Congressman Ron Paul ran for president in 1988 on the Libertarian ticket, and again in 2008 on the Republican ticket. Both campaigns didn't fare well in terms of votes, although beating out many top contenders like Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson in many primary elections during the 2008 campaign, but Representative Paul's 2008 campaign amazed and stunned critics and supporters alike as a fundraising and advertising machine. His grassroots support did much of the work on their own, raising tens of millions as well as using their own cash and resources to spread the message of liberty and free market economics with homemade signs, bumper stickers, highway banners, and even billboards. This was just around the time of the birth of the tea party movement.
In September of 2009, we saw a decentralized movement focused on fiscal issues gather over one million people in peaceful protest in Washington, D.C. Since then, the liberty movement and tea party groups across the country, large and small, have created change on a state and local level by electing real conservative and libertarian men and women to office. We have seen a group of freshmen Congressmen stand on their principles and promises on budget and debt issues in the face of ridicule and name calling from the rest of Washington, the president, and the media.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTPeople Waking Up To Libertarianism
Issues like monetary policy and the federal reserve which haven't been widely debated for several decades, once reserved for those labeled as fringe and kook, mostly discussed in libertarian circles, are now part of the national discussion. The States' rights movement has been gaining steam. People across the country are becoming self-educated on our founding documents, our founders, economic and political theory and individual rights. Five or six years ago, our constitution, declaration of independence, and individual liberty weren't exactly heavily discussed on the airwaves of talk radio or on the television. Today, they are so foundational to discussion that they have become talking points for many in Washington in attempt to pander to the liberty movement.
The rise of libertarianism can be more easily illustrated by going back to the previously mentioned debates, specifically the Fox and Google debate. We watched two libertarians share the debate stage with their fellow Republicans for a chance to become their party's nominee. Gary Johnson and Ron Paul were not there because they are well-liked by the king makers, the media, the Republican establishment or the establishment in general. They are there because the support of libertarian principles and ideas has gained enough strength to put them there.
To a libertarian Republican such as myself, this isn't surprising. I believe that most people share libertarian principles, as well as conservative principles, which aren't too far removed from each other. Most people have not been exposed to the message of freedom and liberty for a long time but the age of the search engine and instant information has changed the game. People are waking up to the fact that both parties have sold us out and the status quo continues regardless of which party is in the majority. They are waking up to notion that ideas and principles matter more than party. I believe this rise will continue and we will see more evidence in the 2012 elections, and once again, on a state and federal level.
If you valued this article, please LIKE GoLocalProv.com on Facebook by clicking HERE.
