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Politics

Nick Gillespie in CY Interview: Nothing Will Change if Your Vote for Smaller Government is Taken For Granted.

Nick Gillespie | 8.21.2012 7:58 AM

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I was recently interviewed by Chris Yandek and Jay Bildstein for the podcast CY Interview about libertarianism, Election 2012, The Declaration of Independents, and just what those of us who want to actually cut the size, scope, and spending of government need to do when it comes to voting. Here's a snippet:

"Nothing will change among the plurality or majority of Americans who consistently say they want a government that spends less and does less, nothing will make that happen if your vote is constantly being taken for granted by the Republican Party or by conservatives.

Libertarians and actual small government people are constantly told that, 'You know what? Your ideas are great, we agree with them wholeheartedly.

[But] now is not the time to do this for X, Y or Z reason'…I think what small government [champions have] to do is stand up to the parties they believe in, that they belong to and say, 'You know what? The future starts yesterday and if you do not sign on to a limited government and a limited government spending plan, we're done. You're not getting our vote.' And that's the first and most important thing we can do."

More transcript here and full audio podcast (about 50 minutes).

I highly recommend the site for long-form, engaging, fun, and smart interviews with its beguiling mix of guests ranging from LP presidential candidate Gary Johnson to Tea Party fave Mia Love (running for Congress in Utah) to MSNBC host and author Chris Hayes to various actors, Olympic fencers, and pinups.

And follow CY on Twitter.

And you should be able to listen right here, right now by clicking below:

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NEXT: The Nation: Condoleezza Rice Is Wrong Kind of Female to Break Gender Barrier at Augusta National

Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.

PoliticsElection 2012War on DrugsCultureCivil LibertiesEconomicsPolicyLibertarian History/PhilosophyEntitlementsBarack ObamaMitt RomneyPaul Ryan
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  1. Caleb Turberville   13 years ago

    I've always tried to imagine what Nick is looking at in that pic? A beautiful woman? Off, into space? The Great Libertopian Uprising just on the horizon?

    1. Caleb Turberville   13 years ago

      WHOA CRAP! SOMETHING'S UP WITH HIS RIGHT EYE! LOOK!

    2. SugarFree   13 years ago

      Matt Welch's beard.

      1. Caleb Turberville   13 years ago

        Has Welch's beard and Gillespie's hair ever been seen in the same place at the same time?

        1. SugarFree   13 years ago

          Yes, for they are a single continuous organism.

          1. Warty   13 years ago

            Which give me a single continuous orgasm. Don't forget that part.

            1. SugarFree   13 years ago

              The Scrotum Imploder.

            2. Lord Humungus   13 years ago

              continuous orgasm

              I see you met my wife.

  2. Lord Humungus   13 years ago

    You know who else took smaller government for granted?

    1. sarcasmic   13 years ago

      The South?

    2. Whiterun Guard   13 years ago

      Archibald Buttle?

  3. robc   13 years ago

    [insert John comment about Nick shilling for Obama]

  4. TongReee   13 years ago

    Dude is looking all totally chipper over there. WOw.

    http://www.Private-IP.tk

  5. califernian   13 years ago

    But you're just throwing your vote away if you don't vote for TEAM BE RULED.

  6. James Anderson Merritt   13 years ago

    "You know what? The future starts yesterday and if you do not sign on to a limited government and a limited government spending plan, we're done. You're not getting our vote."

    For me, the future started in 1980. I had the chance to vote for Libertarian-talking Ronald Reagan, but predicted that his rhetoric, even if sincere, would be no match for beltway inertia, in which his GOP was too thoroughly invested. Only a fairly new broom -- as the LP was in those days -- could sweep clean. Now, the LP is a much older broom, but the idea that only an outside force can be credible and successful in making the changes that need to be made, is still a good one. Nice to see NG making that argument as well.

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