Thank you to the Cato Institute and to the other contributors for making possible this enlightening discussion of where libertarians should focus their political efforts. While contentious at times, it is important to remember that we all want to bring libertarian ideas and policies into fruition and share a goal of a world set free in our lifetime.
While we can work on that goal within the Republican or Democratic parties, that is not the goal of those parties, nor of the majority of their members or elected officials. Quite the opposite. In contrast, the Libertarian party platform states explicitly that “[o]ur goal is nothing more nor less than a world set free in our lifetime, and it is to this end that we take these stands.” Individual candidates and campaigns may do better or worse at achieving that goal, but the goal is clear.
When those stances are taken by Republicans or Democrats, it’s due to pressure. Sometimes the pressure comes from within the party, but more often it’s pressure from without. The risk of losing voters who share libertarian goals can be a great motivator for candidates to adopt libertarian positions.
The political marketplace shares some similarities with the economic marketplace. Maybe this discussion convinced you to put the majority of your political investment into the Libertarian Party. Maybe you were persuaded that there are better returns in the GOP, or that the current crisis requires a temporary flight to the Democrats. No matter where you fall, diversification is as wise in politics as investing.
Becoming a sustaining member of the Libertarian Party is an easy way to show solidarity with our shared goals, even if you aren’t ready to break ties with one of the others. You don’t even have to change your voter registration. You can stay updated on our progress and help keep the other two parties honest. Competition makes everyone better.