Ask a Libertarian Lightening Round: Recalls, Libertarian Paternalism, & Tea Party v. Libertarians

Welcome to Ask a Libertarian 2012 with Reason's Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch. They are the authors of the book, The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America, coming out in paperback with a new foreword covering Occupy Wall Street and more, on June 26.

In this lightning round, Matt and Nick discuss recalls, libertarian paternalism, and Tea Party v. Libertarians. 

Produced by Meredith Bragg, Jim Epstein, Josh Swain, and Tracy Oppenheimer with help from Katie Hooks.

To watch answers from 2011's Ask a Libertarian series, go here.

Comments

[Spiny Norman]

"Lightening"?

[Pagan Priestess]

Racist!!

[JeremyR]

Stunt Rock is a terrible movie

[Fist of Etiquette]

WRONG: 100% of Reason contributors voted for Obama. Don't bother looking it up, because Snopes doesn't have it yet.

[Keith3D]

obviously a majority of ALL libertarians voted for Obama. How could he possibly have won without carrying this block?

[Spiny Norman]

I find Nick more convincing when he wears his jacket like a cape.

I don't know why.

[Fist of Etiquette]

For someone who supposedly liked The Incredibles, he should know better.

[Pro Libertate]

No capes!

[AlmightyJB]

Not without one's top hat and monocle, that's just not done. Even then it must be an actual cape and not just a jacket draped over on'es shoulders. It's like he's poor or something.

[Pagan Priestess]

The Jacket is god and Gillespie is his prophet.

[Sevo]

What I want to know is: Who in the hell is buying all the damn T-shirts?
No matter what else is there on the right, there's always some outfit selling T-shirts with 'clever' graphics/copy. They can't be paying the freight for Reason.com ad space without some return.
None of us with decent monocles would be seen in one. 'Fess up; which one of you low-lifes is buying the Ts?

[Bill]

The question is how many click on the pictures of the teenie-boppers in the T's, hoping to see more such pics?

[Sevo]

So the Reason.com ad rates are so low, companies pay for the clicks?
They better be cheap; I pay for results.

[tarran]

It's Warty...

He probably thinks that if he buys enough shirts the company will invite him to one of their gatherings and that will allow him to carry off the Meh girl to his secret lair.

It's doomed to failure. She was animated by some 350lb photoshop whiz with a cheetho's goatee. Nobody is carrying him off anywhere.

[Sevo]

OK, Warty, you been outed!
But the rest of your explanation brings to mind the South park episode where the fat fart finally loses the MPG.

[Mr. FIFY]

"Libertarian paternalism" is as valid as "libertarian socialism"... both are equally impossible combinations of words.