Santorum’s libertarian problem

Santorum’s libertarian problem

Daily Caller
February 21, 2012

Purists would strongly disagree, but the average conservative voter and the average libertarian voter are sometimes difficult to distinguish. Both believe in limited government and free markets. Both revere the Constitution. In fact, polls of Republican voters almost always lump conservatives and libertarians together, making it difficult to gauge the number of libertarians in the party.

Clearly, though, there is a sizable and growing portion of the Republican Party that identifies with libertarianism’s more free-market philosophy. Libertarianism, which Ronald Reagan called the “very heart and soul of conservatism,” is particularly popular among young people.

But there is also a significant number of Republican voters who long for a return of the culture wars. Rick Santorum represents that portion of the party. His nomination could aggravate the tension between the GOP’s libertarian and socially conservative wings.

Santorum’s paternalistic conservatism has free-market conservatives’ and libertarians’ hearts in a flutter. To many, Santorum represents a resurgence of Bush-era compassionate conservatism and a step backwards for the tea party, whose initial goal was to “end to this sort of moralistic big-government conservatism.”

Cato’s Gene Healy explains why Santorum’s voting record alarms libertarians:

By voting for the No Child Left Behind Act, he helped give President Obama the power to micromanage the nation’s schools from Washington; and by supporting a prescription drug entitlement for Medicare, he helped saddle the taxpayers with a $16 trillion unfunded liability.

Santorum voted for the 2005 “bridge to nowhere” highway bill, has backed an expanded national service program, and his compassionate conservatism has the Bono seal of approval: “On our issues, he has been a defender of the most vulnerable.” Rick Santorum: He’s from the government, and he’s here to help.

Santorum’s 2012 campaign platform even includes a pledge to “re-direct funds within HHS, so it can create public/private partnerships … for the purpose of strengthening marriages, families, and fatherhood.”

If you liked what the feds did to the housing market, wait till you see what they can do for your marriage.

It is not just Santorum’s voting record that frightens libertarians; it is his outward hostility to the libertarian movement. On one occasion Santorum stated, “I am not a libertarian, and I fight very strongly against libertarian influence within the Republican Party and the conservative movement.” On another occasion, speaking on the ascendancy of the tea party, Santorum declared, “I’ve got some real concerns about this movement within the Republican Party and the tea party movement to sort of refashion conservatism, and I will vocally and publicly oppose it.”

It is this vocal opposition that causes pundits to fear that Santorum’s libertarian problem will become a libertarian voter exodus during the general election.

As Philip Klein notes, “Nobody expects the Republican presidential nominee to be a libertarian purist, but it helps if he or she at least has a libertarian streak. In Rick Santorum’s case, he’s actively hostile toward libertarianism, and that’s an obstacle not only to him winning the nomination, but also to having a chance in a general election against President Obama.”

In an odd twist of libertarian fate, it is Santorum’s general election run that could most resemble Barry Goldwater’s landslide 1964 loss.

Dbl, you've been pretty silent on this guy. I personally have resigned myself to a HUGE loss by the GOP this fall. Neither Romney or Santorum has what it takes.

Again, this will spell the end of the GOP as we know it.... for even allowing people like this to nab the spotlight to run against Obama this fall.

In hindsight, Perry might have been the best one. But he couldn't debate on the national stage which in turn led me to believe that Obama would've slaughtered him in a debate.

What a crock of shit the GOP is. This is exactly why I left the party in 2005. This is why I will have no sympathy for all the crying and bitching by the right after the November elections.

I thought Newt was best because he would destroy Obama in a debate, but the negative ads ruined him.

Newt was the best of what's left in this bunch. But he is a side-note now. If things remain the same with these four, Obama will win in a landslide. The bad part about that is the liberals will tell everyone that America loves his liberal policies. The truth will be that the GOP squandered what it gained in the 2010 mid-terms (as usual).

The GOP is a prehistoric party. I now believe this. It's done for.

Okay, I'll weigh in here. First, I don't believe the Republican Party is beyond salvaging, but it will take a massive amount of work to put it back on track and purge it of the establishment Republican/RINO elements.

As for Santorum, yes, his socially conservative views will be a problem if he continues to harp on them, and there is no question that Newt would be a much better choice (despite his baggage, which is not free of RINO overtones like Romney's). BUT, in a race between Santorum and Obama, even hard-core libertarians and "independents" would be insane to select Obama.

First, there's no way that Santorum could impose his social views on the nation, second, there is no way that he could be worse than Obama.

In the end, I am going to vote for the person who isn't Obama... period!

I am just hoping like hell that enough voters feel the same way!

Hoping like hell is all we can do I think, I just don't know just how many people are still uniformed and after voting Obama in, I just don't know what to expect. That's what I'm afraid of, are the uninformed, there are so many of them and Obama, the guy is good at deceiving the public with his speeches and pretending to be a nice guy and he is slick, he knows how to fool lots of people.

dblboggie wrote:BUT, in a race between Santorum and Obama, even hard-core libertarians and "independents" would be insane to select Obama.

Those voters could stay home. Witness what McCain got. The percentages show that Obama could have lost in 2008. Many stayed home. People like me voted Libertarian.