Is George W. Bush a libertarian? - Democratic Underground

BurtWorm

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Fri May-21-04 02:50 PM
Original message

Is George W. Bush a libertarian?

If not, how can he realistically expect to get the libertarian wing of the Republican Party to stick with him? Any theories about that?

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Mattforclark

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Fri May-21-04 02:53 PM
Response to Original message

1. Only when he's drunk

"If not, how can he realistically expect to get the libertarian wing of the Republican Party to stick with him? Any theories about that?"

Because they are crazy. That is how he can expect them to stick with him.

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noahmijo

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Fri May-21-04 02:54 PM
Response to Original message

2. Bush is to a Libertarian

Edited on Fri May-21-04 02:55 PM by noahmijo

As Pat Roberton is to the Catholic church.

On a sidenote I'm sympathetic to a few Libertarian beliefs as I'm sure many others on here are as well (mainly in the social issues department)

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BurtWorm

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Fri May-21-04 02:55 PM
Response to Reply #2

5. And Libertarian Republicans are to libertarianism

as Moral Majority members are to the majority.

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curlyred

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Fri May-21-04 02:54 PM
Response to Original message

3. his wife was a librarian

that's as close as he'll ever get.

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jono

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Fri May-21-04 02:58 PM
Response to Reply #3

6. Prezactly. (nt)

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OneTwentyoNine

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Fri May-21-04 04:54 PM
Response to Reply #3

16. What?? I though she was a Liberian......nt

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dolo amber

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Fri May-21-04 02:55 PM
Response to Original message

4. He may be a Libertarian

if you're going with the "I'm really a Republican, but don't want to seem intolerant or money-grubbing so I call myself Libertarian" definition. If you're going with the actual definition, with the pre-supposition that people will help out their fellow man in times of need out of their own kindness, thus negating the need for gov't run 'social programs', then 100% no. He wouldn't piss on the downtrodden if they were on fire. (Except in the metaphorical sense, which he does quite frequently. ;))

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slor

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Fri May-21-04 03:03 PM
Response to Original message

7. Of course not, he is a...

Ignoramisarian.

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Leilani

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Fri May-21-04 03:05 PM
Response to Original message

8. He is an authoritarian control freak!

Patriot I, PatriotII, no stem cell research, amendment against gay marriage, partial birth abortion, increased drug prosecutions, going after medical marijuana, growth of govt spending.

I think the Libertarians will vote libertarian, or stay home.

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BurtWorm

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Fri May-21-04 03:14 PM
Response to Reply #8

10. I'm betting that they'll view Bush as the lesser of two evils.

Edited on Fri May-21-04 03:43 PM by BurtWorm

I don't understand the logic, because to me and probably most DUers and Democrats, Bush looks like a raging fascist, as anti-liberty as you can imagine without being Hitler. But to the average Libertarian, they probably overlook his crackdown on civil liberties and his dictatorial--"tendencies" is too weak a word--essence and focus in on those massive tax cuts and the fact that his VP loves to shoot birds, and they'll pick those guys because they're not the French "socialist"-looking Kerry.

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livinginphotographs

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Fri May-21-04 03:05 PM
Response to Original message

9. No real libertarian would ever vote for Bush....

Libertarians are supposed to support minimal government intrusion into the lives of citizens and small government. That's the exact opposite of the deficit-creating, fiscally-irresponsible culture warrior squatting in the White House. None of the people I know who claim to be libertarians would ever vote for him, and most didn't even vote for him in 2000.

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JHB

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Fri May-21-04 03:19 PM
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11. One theory coming up: "Tax-and-Spend, Gun-grabbing Democrats!"

They'll sing those tunes until they choke on them.

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blindpig

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Fri May-21-04 03:23 PM
Response to Original message

12. he's certainly the result of libertarian economic concepts n/t

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PurityOfEssence

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Fri May-21-04 03:33 PM
Response to Original message

13. I believe he's an "Enslaveatarian"

All that aside, though, he's too intrusive into personal lives to be a Libertarian. He's also bent on world domination, which is against their core values. Nope, just your basic Feudal Mercantilist Theocrat, nothing more.

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Kiliki

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Fri May-21-04 03:46 PM
Response to Original message

14. The Patriot Act took all his rights to claim libertarian away. n/t

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TO Kid

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Fri May-21-04 04:53 PM
Response to Original message

15. Not by a long shot

Libertarians are no fans of corporate welfare.

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DaveSZ

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Fri May-21-04 04:57 PM
Response to Reply #15

17. No way!

Libertarians believe in the Constitution, and are against the imperialist neocon policies. At the very least that makes them better than BUsh.

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