Say that Huckabee wins the nomination. I believe that we could see a similar re-orientation, where populism tended to be associated more with the Republican cause and the Democrats were considered more pro-business. What we'd have then is two parties that looked something like this:
1. The secular rationalist party, a.k.a. the Democrats, which would tend increasingly toward libertarianism.
2. The theocratic collectivist party, a.k.a. the Republicans, who would shift in the direction of economic populism while remaining extremely conservative on social issues.
This is pretty much my nightmare scenario for the Democratic Party. I get the willies whenever people start talking about libertarian Democrats. It's an oxymoron. Ugh. (9:34 AM)
2 Comments:
I don't think Huckabee will win the nomination, but I do think he's almost a lock for the VP slot -- both Romney and Giuliani need a Southern social conservative to balance their tickets.
I do not have a problem with Democrats embracing libertarianism. The problem would be if it embraces authoritarianism masquerading as libertarianism, which is the area where a lot of people who call themselves Libertarians operate. I have heard Republicans call themselves libertarians in front of me, yet when I question them they are merely authoritarians sailing under a flag of convenience (tip: ask them about the War On Drugs and see what a libertarian has to say, then compare and contrast with an authoritarian).
I want to see libertarians aligning with the Democratic party. It should be an essential counterpoint to the rampant authoritarianism that has taken over the GOP.
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