Is Matt Drudge a Libertarian?

Nick Gillespie | August 28, 2007

Philip Weiss, one of America's most entertaining and interesting journos (IMO), asks Where Is Matt Drudge Coming From? in New York mag:

At times Drudge does sound like a conservative. He hates big government, immigration, and abortion rights. When Jimmy Carter criticized George Bush in the foreign press, Drudge questioned his loyalty. But Drudge's ideological heart is libertarian, and many of his anti-corporate riffs would stir a left-wing anarchist. Drudge has been highly critical of partnerships between Google and state governments, and he fears corporations. He believes that people in surgery have had chips implanted without their knowledge, that the day will come when the government will "dart" a chip into you without your permission, and that DNA will be collected from spit on the street, "and then they can impose any rule, even against smiling."

Read the whole thing here.

Hat Tip: Manny Klausner, one of the original editors of reason, and the lawyer who represented Drudge in his legal victory over journalist and former Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal.

Comments

|8.28.07 @ 9:30AM|#

Is Matt Drudge a Libertarian?

no

|8.28.07 @ 9:31AM|#

I think the author of that article missed the mark entirely: The anti-corporate, anti-Big Gov't, stealth-chipping, Uber-moralistic, anti-abortion crew are not Liberetarian at all: They are far-Right Populist Buchananites, and fellow travellers of the Militia folks, with a hat tip to the Christian Identity crowd. Scary folks, all said. About as far from Liberetarian as you can get -

semm|8.28.07 @ 9:35AM|#

Ok I'm just going by the excerpt here, but:

How can someone write an article with the theme 'Is so-and-so a ?' without having the slightest idea what a is?

|8.28.07 @ 9:44AM|#

The part about "fearing corporations" pretty much rules out Drudge as a Reason-type libertarian. However, he might still qualify to those of us who see the acculmulation of power by any group to be a threat to liberty.

|8.28.07 @ 9:52AM|#

He believes that people in surgery have had chips implanted without their knowledge, that the day will come when the government will "dart" a chip into you without your permission, and that DNA will be collected from spit on the street, "and then they can impose any rule, even against smiling."

Sounds like a libertarian to me

|8.28.07 @ 9:55AM|#

Throw in some collodial silver and a return to the gold standard fetish and you're probably correct (big L, that is).

roy edroso|8.28.07 @ 9:58AM|#

Drudge is a Republican operative. But whenever he's trying to get laid, I'm sure he's the biggest libertarian in the whole goddamn world.

|8.28.07 @ 10:01AM|#

roy edroso,

Is there a libertarian way to tap your feet in a toilet stall? If so, I imagine Drudge does just fine.

|8.28.07 @ 10:06AM|#

"Is Matt Drudge a Libertarian?"

No. He's not even a journalist.

norbizness|8.28.07 @ 10:11AM|#

Would libertarians want to claim him?

|8.28.07 @ 10:13AM|#

Maybe I am just skylarking here, but isn't "He hates... abortion rights" a weird sentence? The "rights" sounds like something an editor would stick in to forestall the incredibly boring "I hate abortion but believe in choice" arguments you hear from some pro-choice activists and politicians. It would have been better, though I suppose less exciting (and less, "Isn't this Drudge guy a wacko, my fellow New Yorkers?") to say "He opposes..." rather than "He hates...."

Drudge\'s Boyfriend[s]|8.28.07 @ 10:26AM|#

I agree with Sugarfree, who implies that Drudge isn't a libertarian per se, but a homosexual Republican. The sprinkling of libertarian philosophy that salts his neoconitude is merely the result of his desire to not be arrested for violating sodomy laws when his Palm Beach sexcapades come to light.

Come on, the hat totally gives it away.

|8.28.07 @ 10:26AM|#

Maybe I am just skylarking here, but isn't "He hates... abortion rights" a weird sentence? The "rights" sounds like something an editor would stick in to forestall the incredibly boring "I hate abortion but believe in choice" arguments you hear from some pro-choice activists and politicians. It would have been better, though I suppose less exciting (and less, "Isn't this Drudge guy a wacko, my fellow New Yorkers?") to say "He opposes..." rather than "He hates...."

Good point. I wonder if Drudge was pro-choice if his views would have been phrased as "he hates the unborn child's right to live"?

|8.28.07 @ 10:36AM|#

Drudge is a quirky conservative, not a libertarian.

He's good on freedom of speech--thank jeebus for small favors--but otherwise, he's a right-winger.

|8.28.07 @ 10:47AM|#

Drudge is a libertarian, just like Kos.

D. Greene|8.28.07 @ 11:20AM|#

I really hate that the NYMag article does the stupid 'split the story up into multiple pages' thing, it's fucking 7 different pages. I prefer to just scroll, thanks: here is the NYMag printable version of the article, all on one nice low-tech page.

robc|8.28.07 @ 11:23AM|#

collodial silver

I decided earlier today that anytime a GoPer brings up collodial silver to me as a way of mocking the LP, I am going to bring up the fact that republicans solicit sex in airport bathrooms.

I figure I get to win from now on.

Brian|8.28.07 @ 11:24AM|#

"Do we at Reason Like to Pigeonhole People?"

No. He's not even a journalist.

What's that got to do with anything?

If anything I'd say he's a conservative libertarian.

SPD|8.28.07 @ 11:34AM|#

Nice hat. I bet it comes with a free bowl of soup!

Oh, looks good on you, though! (rolling eyes)

TLB|8.28.07 @ 11:56AM|#

Having listened to the Drudge for a while, his problem isn't so much "big government" but taxes, with perhaps government power coming in second after that. I also don't think he "hates... immigration", and the author is, of course, lying about that being a conservative position.

As for cops collecting spit from public places, there was a news report about Buffalo cops doing just that on one of the news shows recently.

|8.28.07 @ 12:28PM|#

tk:

The anti-corporate, anti-Big Gov't, stealth-chipping, Uber-moralistic, anti-abortion crew are not Liberetarian at all.

What?? Anti-Big Gov't is always libertarian. It's implied by the very essence of libertarianism. Anti-corporate can be libertarian if the complaint involves government subsidy and/or government price or territory protection of certain corporations.
With stealth-chipping, it's a question of how real the threat is.

SPD|8.28.07 @ 12:36PM|#

Rick,

Don't forget collusion. Free-market advocates should never condone such an anti-competitive practice.

|8.28.07 @ 12:47PM|#

Rick,

I agree: I misspoke. To clarify, however, I'm not sure if Drudge is really "Anti-Big Gov't". He is certainly against "Liberal" big government, but I'm not so sure if he is antagonistic to what the GOP has been going for the past 7 years or so. Two sides of the same coin to me, but, in all fairness to Drudge, I don't think he is really smart enough to discern the difference.
As for the stealth-chipping thing, that has been floating around at least as long as the UN/New World Order/Black Helicopter boogeymen. Try googling "militia" + "Christian Identity" + "Zog" + "implant". Interesting stuff....

|8.28.07 @ 12:54PM|#

SPD,

Collusion is different cuz it doesn't involve government coercion, or any coercion. I think that the most effective and most ethical remedy for any anti-competitive pricing effects of collusion is to assure that there are no government barriers against new competitors entering the market. And note that government barriers against entry to the market often come at the behest of existing market players.

|8.28.07 @ 1:00PM|#

tk,

Yeah, Drudge seems way too defensive of many of the actions of the Bush administration (like the war) to be a good libertarian.

Judge Smails|8.28.07 @ 1:02PM|#

You take that back about my hat!

|8.28.07 @ 1:13PM|#

Of course, Drudge does seem more libertarian than many of the idiots on FOX news. Smarter too.

|8.28.07 @ 1:50PM|#

""He hates big government, immigration, and abortion rights."""

I'm not sure how the concept of government control over any part of reproduction is conservative. Religious right-wing, sure.

People give me a funny look when I say pro-choice IS a conservative value that falls under limited government.

I've come to believe that limited government is not a value supported truly supported by conservatives. It seems to be nothing but an excuse on why they don't like someone else's idea of a law. Conservatives seem to support the expansion of government for their own ends.

|8.28.07 @ 2:45PM|#

Of course, Drudge does seem more libertarian than many of the idiots on FOX news. Smarter too.

What a pathetically low bar you set for him...

Brian|8.28.07 @ 2:46PM|#

People give me a funny look when I say pro-choice IS a conservative value that falls under limited government.

Maybe because they believe in conserving life.

|8.28.07 @ 3:15PM|#

"""Maybe because they believe in conserving life.""

I doubt it, being they are usually pro-war and pro-death penalty.

|8.28.07 @ 3:19PM|#

God believes in pro-life. That's why he said "thou shall not kill" and didn't leave behind any exceptions to that rule.

They are anti-life when it fits their ends.

Brian|8.28.07 @ 3:26PM|#

Well I would look at you funny because I am pro-life, anti-war and anti-death penalty.

Brian|8.28.07 @ 3:32PM|#

Besides, God and religion isn't a necessity when it comes to conserving life or being "a conservative."

|8.28.07 @ 3:48PM|#

"The part about "fearing corporations" pretty much rules out Drudge as a Reason-type libertarian. However, he might still qualify to those of us who see the acculmulation of power by any group to be a threat to liberty."

Corporations don't generally have too much power unless the Government gives it to them.

|8.28.07 @ 3:52PM|#

"God believes in pro-life. That's why he said "thou shall not kill" and didn't leave behind any exceptions to that rule."

That commandment actually applies to Jews killing other Jews. It's ok for Jews to kill Gentiles. Look at all the cases in the Old Testament where God commands the Jews to kill all the inhabitants in the territories that God wants them to take over.

|8.28.07 @ 3:54PM|#

"He believes that people in surgery have had chips implanted without their knowledge, that the day will come when the government will "dart" a chip into you without your permission, and that DNA will be collected from spit on the street, "and then they can impose any rule, even against smiling."

"Sounds like a libertarian to me"

Sounds like a conspiracy theorist to me of which conservatives and liberals have their share of.

|8.28.07 @ 4:17PM|#

"""Well I would look at you funny because I am pro-life, anti-war and anti-death penalty."""

I respect that. You're one of the few that's consistant. However government is not.

"""That commandment actually applies to Jews killing other Jews. """

Someone should tell the Christians that, they think it applies to them too. But then again, it doesn't say that.

Robert|8.28.07 @ 5:16PM|#

From listening to his radio program, I have to say the label libertarian fits him better than any of the other common ideologic labels -- unless you're one of those people who construes "libertarian" much more narrowly than the other ideologic labels.

|8.28.07 @ 6:45PM|#

Is Drudge a libertarian?

No...he's a talk show host, which means his actual convictions are irrelevant; he'll say whatever he has to say to get a rise out of people.

None of which, mind you is necessarily a bad thing...

|8.28.07 @ 6:45PM|#

I think he's a retard, personally.

|8.28.07 @ 8:44PM|#

Its really hard to be anti-corporate in any meaningful way without calling in the state to whittle corporations down to size, so I have a hard time reconciling "anti-corporate" and "anti-big government," myself.

If you're worried about the confluence of corporate cash and government power, then you should work on the government power side of the problem.

|8.29.07 @ 3:30AM|#

RC (Good to see you, btw),

I agree and I think that being anti-corporate in general is pointless. Corporations have to answer to consumers cuz they depend on their voluntary patronage-Unless they are helped out by government intervention.

Market driven corporate activity without government interference brings many wonderful things into folks' lives. With government interference, certain corporations are given an unfair advantage over their competitors, which hurts consumers. Or certain corporations are able to receive tax money that they would not receive if they had to depend on voluntary patronage.

Eric Dondero|8.29.07 @ 10:47AM|#

Drudge's right hand man, and business partner - his name escapes me at the moment - proclaimed proudly two weeks ago to a Hong Kong newspaper that he was a flaming "libertarian."

I would guess that Drudge is, as well. Especially judging by the articles he posts up there every morning.

Probably more libertarian Republican than Libertarian Party.

Dave W.|8.29.07 @ 11:06AM|#

The part about "fearing corporations" pretty much rules out Drudge as a Reason-type libertarian. However, he might still qualify to those of us who see the acculmulation of power by any group to be a threat to liberty.

this deserves repeating -- sometime I get the feeling that T. & his posse think the Reason type libertarian is the only type there is.

|9.8.07 @ 2:47PM|#

Libertarians are Conservatives. They're more conservative than republicans.