Reason in Wash Post: Meeting Every "Libertarian-as-Bacchus Fantasy You've Entertained"

Nick Gillespie | December 23, 2007

That's Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, agriculture, and the theater, not Jim Backus, a.k.a. Mr. Magoo, James Dean's father in Rebel Without a Cause, and Thurston Howell III.

The Washington Post's Style journeys to the end of the political night with the magazine of Free Minds and Free Markets and files a dispatch, titled "Reason's Libertarians, in Pursuit of Happiness."

Snippets:

Four minutes into Reason magazine's monthly bash at the Big Hunt lounge, and every Libertarian-as-Bacchus fantasy you've entertained plays out before your widening eyes....

"D.C. is a city of young fogies who think the only way to be pious is to wear ill-fitting suits" and obsess over politics, [reason editor Nick] Gillespie, 44, says later. "We're the only people that want to have fun."...

Reason['s] articles rang[e] from the expectedly wonky ("Is Rudy Giuliani a new Barry Goldwater or a new Bobby Kennedy?") to the snarkily cultural ("Say You Love Santa: Pop Culture's War on Secularists"). A recent issue lambasted the District's zero-tolerance drinking and driving policy -- cops can book anyone with a blood alcohol content over .01 -- and postulated that the Onion might be the best newspaper in the country....

Libertarianism is a hard sell for young, majority-Democrat Washington. Its free market philosophy must be carefully tempered with swinging promises: "Yeah, baby, I do oppose the minimum wage, but let's talk about it over an illegal substance or two, hmm? Bring a friend."...

It's not that they don't do politics. Of course they do politics. They are a political magazine. But they want you to know that they do politics far less than the other political magazines do politics. "Too often the conversations here are all about 'Oh, can you believe Al Gore did this?' " says Welch.

Adds Gillespie, "It's such a tedious debate. It's like how many Bill Buckleys can dance on the head of a pin."

To prove they are above all that nonsense, they have parties.

"We want to have interesting conversations about things," says Welch. "We want to drill home that culture matters."...

Several other times each month, Reason brings culture in the form of an afternoon roundtable, or a wine-and-cheese Q&A with Someone Controversial....

Reason's goal in Washington is not to agree with everyone, says Welch, but rather this: "We want to add a new bacteria to the culture."

And are you sure, they ask, that you wouldn't like a drink?

Read the whole thing here. Comment at the Post's site here.

Comments

M|12.23.07 @ 12:26PM|#

"We want to add a new bacteria to the culture."

But if the government doesn't control us, society will go wild...

|12.23.07 @ 12:27PM|#

"We want to add a new bacteria to the culture."

Reasonoids want to Genetically Modify culture.

Rotter|12.23.07 @ 12:33PM|#

If Kerry Howley didn't show up, then every fantasy entertained by Reason readers didn't play out...

Bingo|12.23.07 @ 12:39PM|#

Damn, beaten to the creepy Kerry Howley comment :(

|12.23.07 @ 12:52PM|#

Libertarianism is a hard sell for young, majority-Democrat Washington.

Because you, you ignorant, stinking prole, can't handle the freedom; freedom is only for the political elites, in their hand-sewn, custom fitted Mao Suits.

Edward|12.23.07 @ 1:16PM|#

Libertarians are just too fucking precious for words. Jesus, you guys really put the C in cult.

|12.23.07 @ 1:16PM|#

"Because you, you ignorant, stinking prole, can't handle the freedom; freedom is only for the political elites, in their hand-sewn, custom fitted Mao Suits."

Maybe freedom should be illegal, then it would be more popular. Then we could have cool names for freedom.

Commercial Grade Freedom
Hydroponic Freedom
Chronic Freedom

Wow man, I'm really f*cked up on this freedom I just got. Cool.

|12.23.07 @ 1:17PM|#

"To prove they are above all that nonsense, they have parties."

I too believe that the more parties we have, the better off our country will be. Having only a jackass and an elephant in the race each time is getting stale.

|12.23.07 @ 1:30PM|#

All your freedoms are belong to us.

|12.23.07 @ 1:38PM|#

All your freedoms are belong to us.

And will be administered in appropriate, non-intoxicating doses; provided your demeanor is acceptably subservient and appreciative.

|12.23.07 @ 1:51PM|#

Yes, obviously libertarians need more stable, mature leadership. Say people like Wilbur Mills, or Charlie Wilson, or ...

I also suggest a modification of the rules for this thread. Any NON-snark post and we all drink.

|12.23.07 @ 1:59PM|#

Well, to paraphrase a certain ex-Veep (who was a bit of a schmuck, but aren't they all): "We should wear their scorn like a badge of honor..."

(Snarky enough?)

miche|12.23.07 @ 2:11PM|#

My two cents at WaPo:

As a female subscriber to Reason, I know that it's an exquisitely written magazine. If Reason is using seduction, then it's tapped into the most erogenous zone ever- the mind. Now that I think of it, WaPo might take a pointer or two from that leather jacket wearing Gillespie.

TLB|12.23.07 @ 2:13PM|#

I think "Rick" says it best in the WaPo comments:

So, another backdoor attempt to discredit Ron Paul who is always referred to by the MSM as "the libertarian." I hope your readers don't confuse the morally conservative branch of libertarianism represented by Dr. Paul with the bunch of slugs you describe here.

Of course, there's one topic on which Reason and the WaPo agree. Guess what it is.

P.S. Fun quiz. What mode of transport do we think bad boy Nick Gillespie arrived at the event in:

1. A Harley
2. A public bus
3. A licensed cab
4. A Saturn
5. A Miata

Nutter|12.23.07 @ 2:25PM|#

Public bus? Licensed cab? He better not have...

Bingo|12.23.07 @ 2:31PM|#

6. High-altitude parachute drop wearing nothing but a pair of star-spangled briefs and a bowtie

|12.23.07 @ 2:31PM|#

Of course Nick Gillespie drives a well-maintained 12 year old Saturn, like I do. Great minds think alike, never park your money in the driveway.

Guy Montag|12.23.07 @ 2:46PM|#

5. Miata

|12.23.07 @ 3:09PM|#

"His replacement is Matt Welch, a former Los Angeles Times opinion writer who wears pink vests with rhinestone buttons..."

I always liked Nick's man in black media persona, black leather and all.

I haven't seen the garb in question, but I sure hope this isn't Matt's version of that.

ed|12.23.07 @ 3:31PM|#

Enjoyable article.
I still don't know whether Reason is the new cool kid or still a nerd in DC.
Best wishes.

Rotter|12.23.07 @ 4:05PM|#

I notice the party animals were back at their blogs Sunday morning, so I'd say still nerd.

Also missed creepy Kerry Howle|12.23.07 @ 4:26PM|#

As a female subscriber to Reason

So, how *you* doin?

|12.23.07 @ 4:28PM|#

ed,

I was in DC.

The cool kids are nerds, too.

|12.23.07 @ 4:31PM|#

ed,

Look at this sentence from the WaPo article:

Those high on the masthead had decided a 202 area code was necessary for clout; the new location is low on office equipment but high on sex -- flat-screen TVs, granite countertops and a large shag rug. Beige, yes, but shag.

That's what the word "sex" means in Washington, ed.

Daniel Reeves|12.23.07 @ 4:32PM|#

To prove they are above all that nonsense, they have parties.

Remember when Karl Rove wanted to prove that he was a hip dude?

TLB|12.23.07 @ 4:39PM|#

OT: Here's another Ron Paul smear that Reason would probably agree with.

ed|12.23.07 @ 5:36PM|#

"...the new location is low on office equipment but high on sex -- flat-screen TVs, granite countertops and a large shag rug."

-That's what the word "sex" means in Washington, ed-

I'm afraid. Very afraid.

Joshua Holmes|12.23.07 @ 5:50PM|#

We libertarians have the unmitigated gall to enjoy life. The nerve.

In all seriousness, was this "Who can say the stupidest things about libertarianism?" week? The candidates are legion here recently.

miche|12.23.07 @ 5:57PM|#

-That's what the word "sex" means in Washington, ed-

I'm afraid. Very afraid.

Well it stopped meaning blowjobs a long time ago.

|12.23.07 @ 8:55PM|#

Don't misunderstand, ed. People have intercourse in Washington, D.C.

It's just that it's slightly less sexy than the countertop/shag rug thing.

|12.23.07 @ 9:01PM|#

I keed, I keed.

The best nookie I ever got was in Washington, DC.





I'm going to start drinking now.

BC in DC|12.23.07 @ 10:04PM|#

I'm intrigued. When's the next party?

|12.23.07 @ 10:32PM|#

Wait a minute -- Roger Stone? I don't remember an invitation to an event with ...

Oh. Ohhhhh.

Never mind. Smart move, that.

PT Barnum: No one ever went b|12.23.07 @ 11:44PM|#

Surely someone here has a use for this.

|12.24.07 @ 12:26AM|#

Lonewhacko, a question for you:

Are you still a virgin?

Edward|12.24.07 @ 1:22AM|#

Okay, let's hear it for theat great cornucopia of wealth--THE MIXED ECONOMY! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Nobody is going to opt for your fucking libertarian utopian fantasy, you marxists of the right, so settle in for a lifetime of cultish delusion. HAhahahahahahahahahahahaha!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

BakedPenguin|12.24.07 @ 7:27AM|#

Actually, Washington used to have a rep as the nookie town (at least for guys). The reason was that there were so many young female secretaries in town, there was a huge female-to-male ratio.

ed|12.24.07 @ 8:12AM|#

DC is still the belly of the beast, regardless of how many parties Reason throws. I don't think even a lucky nuke could kill it. It would just separate into smaller beasts, each one desiring to grow larger than the other. Next year is really going to suck. Merry Christmas.

Episiarch|12.24.07 @ 8:56AM|#

I'm going to start drinking now.

So late? I was drinking at 5.

His replacement is Matt Welch, a former Los Angeles Times opinion writer who wears pink vests with rhinestone buttons...

As a proud wearer of Elvis sunglasses, I compliment Matt on his style.

Howard Doark|12.24.07 @ 11:29AM|#

The Washington Post has dropped its standards so low that it will print anything. Monica Hesse would make a fine member of the Vapid Response Team.

|12.24.07 @ 1:15PM|#

So Sayeth the Fonz, "It's such a tedious debate. It's like how many Bill Buckleys can dance on the head of a pin."

Yea verily!

Drink!

LarryA|12.25.07 @ 5:16PM|#

Nobody is going to opt for your fucking libertarian utopian fantasy, you marxists of the right,

Wow.

I'd comment, but that about says it all.

|12.25.07 @ 8:27PM|#

We all know that's you, Edward, but "Vapid Response Team" gets an LoL.

I am so stealing that.