GP1`s 2012 Election Favorite

[Z.I.P.]

I have followed New Mexico politics for a couple decades, partly because the Green Party there was -- along with the Hawaii Green Party of which I was a founding member -- the first to achieve a political breakthrough, as they elected a Lt Governor (Roberto Mondragon) from the Green Party. The state has (like Hawaii again) the largest number of anti-establishment thinkers (I would add Alaska, but I suspect up there they just have frozen brain cells -- apologies to the list member in Nome) of any state. However, the subject of this favorable article in the New Republic, ex-Governor Gary Johnson is remembered less than favorably now by most New Mexicans -- at least the one's I know. The FBI staged the biggest drug raid and crackdown on Mexican cartels dealing heroin in the state (New Mexico has more heroin addicts per capita than anywhere in North America), and within days what does Governor Johnson do? He announces a new strategy to legalize all drugs in New Mexico including heroin. Not the best timing a politician has ever had. An author I have met and talked with before, Chellis Glendenning has written the seminal story of the heroin epidemic in the Land of Enchantment, titled "Chiva".

In any case, I am looking forward to hearing 2011 GOP debates with Johnson calling out the self-professed libertarians from the Tea Party. The article, naturally compares Johnson to Ron Paul -- his mentor in some ways -- but the better comparison is to his son Rand Paul, who was able to be elected in Ken-tucky by espousing Deep Southern Religious Right values. I suspect Gary Johnson is the most truly libertarian candidate the GOP has ever had. His candidacy goes a long way toward exhibiting how un-libertarian most Republicans (and Dems too for that matter -- though they don't claim to be) really are.

http://ouramericainitiative.com/news/the-n...ry-johnson.html

[zen]

tea-party is NOT libertarian.

It was initially funded by Soros to further split the republican primary votes in 2008 in order to give McCain the nomination, and a few years later it's carcas was revived by neocon (or atleast social conservative) republicans like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin.

Despite the concept that the name implies, there is absolutely nothing libertarian about the "tea party"

The green party's golden age has Nader written all over it (not coincidentally also a hijack), like the reform party's now tarnished coin has Perot's face on it.

[GP1]

Rand Paul, who was able to be elected in Ken-tucky by espousing Deep Southern Religious Right values. I suspect Gary Johnson is the most truly libertarian candidate the GOP has ever had. His candidacy goes a long way toward exhibiting how un-libertarian most Republicans (and Dems too for that matter -- though they don't claim to be) really are.

Rand Paul was elected because he was a Republican with a well known father. The Republicans could have run a goat named Billy Paul and he would have won.

[Big Zip]

It seems to me the tea party is a fiscal conservative party first and foremost. Everything I read and heard during the election was about cutting spending and smaller government. I heard nothing about gay rights, abortion etc. in connection with the tea party. I'm not saying it didn't exist I'm simply saying the main focus was the fiscal conservativeness.

[Dr Z]

I heard nothing about gay rights, abortion etc.

Gets you "axed"

The poll on the link made me LOL.

[Z.I.P.]

It seems to me the tea party is a fiscal conservative party first and foremost. Everything I read and heard during the election was about cutting spending and smaller government. I heard nothing about gay rights, abortion etc. in connection with the tea party. I'm not saying it didn't exist I'm simply saying the main focus was the fiscal conservativeness.

I agree that the leadership of the tea party was/is socially conservative. However, a good amount of the followers and hangers-on were of a more libertarian direction. I'm sure more and more of them (and independents in general) will abandon that train as time wears on.

[GP1]

However, a good amount of the followers and hangers-on were of a more libertarian direction. I'm sure more and more of them (and independents in general) will abandon that train as time wears on.

This is a good point. I think the biggest days of the Tea Party are behind them. Only 33% of the candidates won and they are all now part of the Republican Party. 200+ years ago, the Tea Party was a one time rebellion...we will see the same thing with this "Tea Party" again. It will go away. Look how quickly Republican cast aside that nutty Bachman (sp?) woman from Minnesota when she ran for a leadership position. Palin is getting cast aside as well. If the liberals at FOX News would just stop putting Palin on TV, she would quickly be forgotten because she really doesn't have much interesting to say and is really not that bright. The Tea Party will change into a group of people who use the name to get attention in order to continue their life as media whores.