The forgotten Libertarian Republicans

Matthew Yglesias reports on a visit to the Ron Paul supporters.

While the Religeous Right may love anti-abortion, book-burning Sarah Palin, the Libertarian wing of the party has much less to cheer about. Palin is pro-guns but that is about it as far as libertarians are concerned.

It is worth pointing out that unlike the Religious Right, the libertarians do have somewhere else to go: bob Barr and his Libertarian Party run.

The establishment media cannot understand the Republican party Authoritarian/Libertarian split, its a split based on policy and principles, not personality.

Ron Paul may be able to keep the Libertarians in the party fold by endorsing McCain, but it is hard to see why he would spend his scarce political capital on McCain when he could generate more by backing Barr.

Democrats should try to do exploit this division by highlighting civil liberties issues and demanding McCain explain whether he supports the 'unitary executive' theory that the Bush administration has promulgated to excuse illegal conduct.

Libertarian Republicans should consider whether they might be able to gain more influence if they adopted the stay-at-home tactics that the religious right have employed to such effect.

McCain Republicans should try to change the subject.