Has anyone else noticed that Fox News and the Mainstream are both making a concerted effort to frame Libertarians as the extreme right?
A Libertarian is a person who is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Libertarians favor a constitutionally limited government, property rights and the free market.
When I was in school, the Republican Establishment was the Right and the Democratic Establishment the Left.
The Republican Establishment wanted big business with a big police state to kick people in order. The Democratic establishment wanted big business and big government enforcing socially liberal policies.
The Libertarians were in a wilderness laying claim to a mix of ideas outside the Left/Right split.
How is it that people who are on the outside and relegated to a political wilderness are suddenly framed as the unhinged right?
Libertarians are currently allies of the Republicans (which they see as a lesser of two evils). I believe that Libertarians will bolt from the Republican Party if given reason.
Most of the Libertarians I know vote a mixed ticket. This November, they will be voting against Obama. I suspect most are still undecided as to whether they will vote Romney or Gary Johnson.
How is it that the Libertarians are considered the far right when they don't like what they see on the right anymore than they like what they see on the left?
I suspect that Fox News is trying to frame the Libertarians as the far right simply because they want their position seen as centrist.
A Libertarian is socially liberal and fiscally conservative. Libertarians believe strongly in a Constitutionally limited government and are more devote to the spirit of the US Constitution than either mainstream Republicans or Democrats.
Mainstream Republicans are more than happy to toss out the Constitution to advance socially conservative causes (eg No Child Left Behind and the Wars), just as liberals are happy to toss out the Constitution for socially liberal causes.
Since Libertarians hold to the views of the Constitution and hold a mix of views from both the left and right (often voting a mixed ballot), shouldn't it be considered a centrist view?
But somehow the establishment is succeeding in framing a rational and centrist world view as unhinged and far right.
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