Reasoners on the Tube: Nick Gillespie, John Stossel, & Virginia Postrel with Judge Napolitano

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie joins an all-star libertarian panel with John Stossel and former Reason Editor in Chief Virginia Postrel on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch to discuss the libertarian influence on contemporary American politics, on July 17, 2010.

Approximately 6 minutes.

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Comments

[Suki]

Can you bring Virginia Postrel back so things will be the same around here?

[Nick]

I'm gonna need a faster way to consume alcohol.

[Libertarian Contrarian]

No! Keep it the same! Where else can we get wall-to-wall commentary on anal squirters and the men who film them?

[Kroneborge]

Wait he said something possible about Beck? That's probably good for 100 posts, lol.

Seriously, even though, I don't agree with everything said, it's great that these ideas are starting to get some more visibility.

[Nick]

I'm OK with Glenn Beck getting the terminology out there. One of the problems with the libertarian movement has been a lack of the word in our public conversation. I didn't know it until just 6 years ago when I couldn't stomach voting for Bush or Kerry so I went online, found a candidate who was saying what I had always been thinking and it so happened he was the LP candidate for president.

Beck may not be a libertarian at all, but if his viewers and listeners hear the term more than once they may seek it out to learn more. That is when they will read essays by libertarian thinkers that give more explanation than a 60 second soundbite as to why something is, rather than just what something is.

[abc]

+1

[The Other Kevin]

Love that shout out to the Jacket.

[Clich? Bandit]

THE JACKET IN 2012!!!!

WOOT!

[abc]

The jacket sends an important message to the kids: it's who is emperor that matters, it's what he wears.

[Matt Karls]

Of course Libertarian views are on the rise, we are in the midst of a government takeover of every aspect of our lives. In eighteen months, this administration has managed to cement the idea in everyone's mind that big government is really bad. I actually want to thank them.

[Steve]

These people are self-delusional if they think for a moment that they will ever get a seat at the Republican table.

The Republican Party (at least the modern version) is based on hatred and intolerance. Most so-called Republicans laughed at Ron Paul.

Poor libertarians. Still chasing after the a Republican party that really doesn't want them, but will take their votes.

Libertarians are much more in line on social issues with the Democrats.

They're faced with a tough choice: lower taxes or a socially tolerant society...

[Thorbie]

I disagree. I think the most influential libertarians involved in either elected office or working for an administration have been Republicans. Ron Paul, Milton Friedman, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, Gary Johnson, Jeff Flake...etc.

I think it is entirely debatable whether libertarians are better off on their own or by working within the GOP, especially when you have people like Mike Huckabee very high in the running for 2012, who probably represents everything that is not libertarian.

However, I completely disagree with the notion that the Democratic Party could ever be a place for libertarians by any stretch of the imagination. For one, libertarians are not more in line with Democrats on social issues. Maybe that sounds a bit odd, but think about it. Democrats are against drug legalization, against gay marriage (the 2008 election showed us just how different the Democrats are from the GOP on that), free speech, school choice, and most civil liberties. Their abortion policy is about all they have that's remotely libertarian and even Harry Reid is pro-life.

I'm not saying that means the GOP is therefore where libertarians should go, I think it's up for debate. I do think the Democratic Party is the last place libertarians will be welcome. The only libertarian Democrat I can think of is Grover Cleveland.

[Jake]

Steve

The main difference between liberals and libertarians on social issues is government's role wrt social legislation.

Libertarians believe that the government should not try to legislate social mores and leave the social issues as an individual right and responsibility,...i.e. liberty.

Most liberals think that social mores can be regulated by legislation.

In that respect, liberals aren't that much different from the Republicans in our eyes.

[80sfan]

Really nice to see Postrel again. There is some BRMC clown, recycling Punk(tm) reviews from SPIN magazine, who is dragging the whole thing down with his late-night TV stunts

[Thorbie]

I really liked this discussion. I'm glad the Judge has a show. Hopefully he'll put his show on hulu like Stossel so I won't miss another episode.

I think Postrel had a great view on parties. Libertarians anywhere and everywhere. Not a bad idea. I remember when I was temporarily excited about Senator Gillibrand, thinking she might be the closest thing to a libertarian Democrat that ever existed...but it turns out she was just a total shill for whoever would give her support. Lol.