Libertarian To Be Elected? An Interview with Libertarian City Councilman Ed Coleman

[cosmictimes]

ron paul 20012

[rickinchvilleva]

Unfortunately. Mr. Coleman lost his bid for re-election on November 8.

[Rattlesnakemeuk]

@rickinchvilleva by a large margin as well. Despite all the hard work, I cannot see the LP breaking the current duopoly of power. Libertarians have more chance standing as a republican, unfortunately.

[cosmictimes]

@Rattlesnakemeuk 

[Rattlesnakemeuk]

@cosmictimes yes?

[Keyaneth2]

So one of the problems libertarians don't get voted in is our first past the post voting system. I have to use my vote strategically so the party i disagree most with is not in office instead of the party i agree the most with. There's a really good video on youtube by CPGgrey on explaining the problems with first past the post voting. And a great video on the alternative vote system.

[UTubekookdetector]

I used to be a Republican (I'm still registered though, I'm voting for Ron Paul) until I realized nation-building doesn't work, the drug war doesn't work and proposing tax cuts without any significant spending cuts doesn't work. I'm sad very few Republicans are actually trying to reform Social Security so I can be in control of my own retirement instead of being enslaved by Washington

[dredgrave666]

@boredmonkey29 They meant highest currently elected. The LP has had State Reps elected before.

[Shonenut213]

City Councilman is the highest office a Libertarian has ever had!?!?!?!?!?

Fucking Pathetic!

[Darkwizzrobe]

@Shonenut213 The Libertarian party is the largest third party and city councilman is highest office, man we really are a two party system

[yakyakyak69]

Libertarians just want to be left alone to lead their lives and they want to leave others alone.

Statists want to "help" others "for their own good".

Hubris, Geed for power & Envy are the worst of humanity.

[chevydriver1123]

More and more Libertarians are realizing now that working with Conservatives and Republicans is nothing but a waste of time. All they do is use us for votes, in addition they dont really believe in liberty (with people like Jack Hunter being a huge exception) they only support liberty when the left is in control. In reality they're just anti-liberal as opposed to being pro-liberty

[JaguaripeRJ]

Hope

[JaySee5]

We need Libertarians to take hold from the ground up. Starting from City Councils, to Mayors, to Governors, to Congressman, to Senators, then eventually the President. Forget the Republicans.

[arcadeninjasan]

I'm a young Libertarian. I have no love for the Democratic party. But the GOP leaves a far more disgusting taste in my mouth than the lefties. George W. destroyed any credibility the GOP had in the eyes of any market oriented voters in my age group. Unless the GOP undergoes MASSIVE reform and change (which I doubt will ever happen in my lifetime) they will never get a vote from me.

[chronDiggity]

@arcadeninjasan

If you're a true libertarian, it's the GOP that should be "leaving a worst taste in your mouth." They're the ones who are the biggest liars about their agenda. At least with democrats, you know what to expect. With republicans, they try to be all buddy-buddy with libertarians, but at heart, they don't share ANY libertarian views. Their vision of a smaller government is very different in that they want to favor the top. Libertarians are for the individual, not for groups.

[studentofsmith]

@chronDiggity "At least with democrats, you know what to expect."

I have reached the same conclusion. Better an honest liberal than a dishonest conservative.

[Sporora]

@studentofsmith Tell that to Obama... lol

[BobGeorgeAU]

This guy said it best. The problem facing Libertarians and libertarians alike is that people don't think they can win. But if everyone who said that did vote for them, they just might. The amount of times I've heard people say they would vote for Ron Paul if he had a chance, he's win in a landslide if they all did actually vote for him.

[CurtHowland]

The only reason I would run for office would be to try to dismantle the office from the inside.

[TravistheHuman]

The GOP is our party! Let the neocons and the RINOs take a third party.

[saper321]

One City Councilman??? We are officially fucked. Greece here we come.

[takerdust]

only city council? Geez.. in 35 years maybe there can be a Libertarian Party Congressman

[Loathomar]

@takerdust There are 146 Libertarians were holding elected offices as of 2009 (Wikipedia), though I am not sure if that number is going up or down from years before. They have got below 0.5% of the last presidential elections and got 1.1% back in 1980. They have about the same number of elected offices as the green party, but I feel like they are gaining momentum, though I have no clear data supporting that.

[happionecom]

Sounds like a really good man I wish him all the very best, I hope he wins hands down.

[H1TMANactual]

I remember some poll that said a majority of Americans identified themselves as fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

[Loathomar]

@H1TMANactual I looked for that, Zogby poll back in 2006, found that people where fiscally conservative and socially liberal, but at the same time you get no more then 14% of American's defining them selves as Libertarian. I am not sure, but I think it might be because people view Libertarians as an extreme view, just like they view the green party. People do generally want less government in there life and to pay less taxes when polled, but "end the Fed" most people find scary and confusing.

[Loathomar]

Really, I think if the Libertarians party could soften a lot of there ideas in generally, Libertarians could get elected in large numbers. Legalize drugs, but still regulate them. Don't end the Fed entirely, but weaken it and make it answerable to the congress. End all wars reasonable fast, but leave some of our major bases in the world operating. Don't end all public schools and parks, but try a public/private partnerships that get better results for less money.

[TheTubbtubb]

@Loathomar I agree. That's how people like Gary Johnson get elected, because they're willing to compromise in a reasonable way for the better.

[Moragauth]

@TheTubbtubb For whose better? These people are orators. Most politicians are more interventionist than they are in their speeches. If this is so for "radicals" like Reagan how much worse would it be for sellouts like Johnson?

[TheTubbtubb]

@Moragauth For societies betterment. Gary Johnson and people like him are infinitely better than libtards and neoconservatives. It's called flexibility, without it you could never achieve anything.

Look at Chile. They semi-privatized their Social Security, and benefited the people greatly. Did the libertarians get exactly what they wanted? No, but they ultimately improved peoples lives.

[Moragauth]

@Loathomar And within one to two presidential cycles they'll be back where they were if not worse, because such libertairans do not question the principle behind these interventions but merely their scale, i.e. they don't question whether these things should even be done by the government to begin with. ALl this assumes politics is the only way to bring in change. As for public-private partnerships, fuck that. Why should drugs be regulated or the Fed left to exist?

[Loathomar]

@Moragauth Thank you for demonstrating why libertarians don't get elected. The idea of completely privatizing schools and parks will loss in every election by at least 3/4. But you thing it is much better to sit on you high horse and have the country rule by bad and worse, rather then learning to what most people want from government, and giving them what they want from libertarianism. You would take no change rather then 50-75% of the change you want, that's smart.

[Moragauth]

@Loathomar Thank you for demonstrating how ignorant you are about politics. Libertarians cannot scale government back via the political mechanism because any changes they can introduce, if gradual, will simply be reversed in a few presidential cycles. And fuck off with the "high horse" crap. I bore of opportunist "win win win" election types. People who do not question the government's actions in principle will simply fall for the same garbage again. Policy lags/time inconsistency will -

[Moragauth]

@Moragauth - further exacerbate the problem as libertarian politicians will be blamed for the crap caused by previous politicians, since it's pretty easy by employing ignoramus econ to confuse correlation for causation.

[MsWanderer1]

We need to convert the Republican Party to have libitarian values. Register Republican and nominate Ron Paul!

[FSBlueapocalypse]

@MsWanderer1 People have been saying that since the 1980's, just replace Ron Paul with other politicians. The Republican Party is a lost cause

[MsWanderer1]

@FSBlueapocalypse LOL; Unless you lied on your channel page (age 23) you were still wearing your Huggies in the 1980's and I was in my late 30's. I can safely say that your statement is incorrect! You may be right though that the Republican Party is a lost cause.

[ftwbk]

thanks for this segment.

[ggadguy]

Bottom line is that run in whatever party you want. The libertarian ideas will win.

[thexjib]

"Whoever thinks much is not suitable as a party member: he soon thinks himself right out of the party." Nietzsche. This is of course true of the GOP or the LP.

[thexjib]

The libertarian Party is a JOKE. They nominated Bob Barr to run as prez in 08. Bob the drug warrior, patriot act loving, freedom hating Barr.

[MooseOfReason]

He's got an advantage, having been a major party candidate for the previous election. Now he has name recognition, so people will see the incumbent's name on the ballot and vote to re-elect him.

[XCritonX]

He wants to do the right thing? How on earth did he get elected with that ethos?

[h4tefury85]

What quiz did he take ? He said it too fast i could not hear.

[ken4ky]

@h4tefury85 : World's Smallest Political Quiz.

[AbsurdistWolf]

@h4tefury85 "world's smallest political quiz", google it, first result.

[h4tefury85]

@AbsurdistWolf Thank you,Now when i listen too it i can clearly hear what he said :-)

[Seaoftea]

Is it possible to be a libertarian socialist? I feel like I'm on both sides of the fence.

[seeqr9]

@Seaoftea I think u may feel like that because u want to do all the good things socialism "intends" to do without being FORCED or forcing anyone else to do it, which wouldnt b Socialism. If u look at most familys and old fashinoed type close knit communities they voluntarily do what Socialism supposedly does. As a Libertarian I am for doing these things and indeed I do. The prob w Socialism is it does it by force(theft).

[Wilsontheterrible]

@Seaoftea Yes it is. I'm not one but they do exist. The key difference between libertarian capitalists and libertarian socialists is the concept of personal property. Capitalists like myself firmly believe in the need for personal ownership of property as a basis for society and economics while socialists favor common ownership. Makes sense?

[zbigniewzapora]

@Seaoftea

Yes. Libertarianism is about using voluntary means. Ends don't matter to libertarianism itself. If you won't force people into our out of your community then all is fine. You can be libertarian socialist. Not that I would recommend such system but hey - it is up to you ;)

[deshaebeasley]

Economic solution- Create a US debt-free currency (ex. the greenback). Print it at a 1:1 ratio with the current Federal Reserve notes to have a smoother transition. Cancel the debt to the Federal reserve and work out a deal with foreign creditors like China. Legalize alternative forms of money/currency like Gold, silver and Bitcoin.

[deshaebeasley]

Political solution- Repeal the 17th amendment and add a direct democracy to our constitutional republic by adding an online voting system to the senate where senators continue to write bills but vote publicly along side the citizens (to avoid fraud)

[waksibra]

this is what annoys me with politics! idiots who don't know shit about politics, not even enough to know their own position get elected.

[TheFujimoto420]

@waksibra So you're saying that people aren't allowed to change for the better? They have to keep doing things the same way even though they aren't happy with it? What annoys me is when idiots like you are allowed to vote!

[waksibra]

@TheFujimoto420 Did he change his views? From what I understood from the video, he realized he was a libertarian while he was in a conservative party. This is research he should have done before becoming politically active.

[TheFujimoto420]

@waksibra Ok, name me one job that you can know everything there is to know about it before doing it. Name me just ONE job, that doesn't have some sort of learning curve. You can't. Now find one person that's perfect. I'm guessing you can't do that either.

Here we have someone that's trying to fix the bullshit in politics, and you're picking out a pathetic excuse for a flaw, when there are much bigger issues with our country right now.

[theUSER101]

@TheFujimoto420 It is ironic that you would say " What annoys me is when idiots like you are allowed to vote" while watching a Libertarian video and it's even more ironic that your comment has the highest thumbs up...on a Libertarian video. LMAO

[thekingofcorsairs]

@waksibra I completely agree. Anyone naive enough to have a philosophical revelation after taking the World's Vaguest Political Quiz has no place in office.

[waksibra]

@thekingofcorsairs Thank you. My point exactly.

[freesk8]

Great video, Reason!