The Libertarian Party Must Die

Bruce Bartlett makes a compelling case that the Libertarian Party must die in order for libertarian ideas to have a greater impact on both parties. While the Libertarian Party cannot win, the existence of the party does reduce the number of libertarians working in both parties where they might have impact. He recommends that the Libertarian Party be replaced with a libertarian interest group which works with both major parties:

In place of the party, there should arise a new libertarian interest group organized like the National Rifle Association or the various pro- and anti-abortion groups. This new group, whatever it is called, would hire lobbyists, run advertisements and make political contributions to candidates supporting libertarian ideas. It will work with both major parties. It can magnify its influence by creating temporary coalitions on particular issues and being willing to work with elected officials who may hold libertarian positions on only one or a handful of issues. They need not hold libertarian views on every single issue, as the Libertarian Party now demands of those it supports.

I believe that this new organization would be vastly more influential than the party and give libertarian ideas far more potency than they now have. As long as the party continues to exist, unfortunately, it will be an albatross around the necks of small-L libertarians, destroying any political effectiveness they might have. It must die for libertarian ideas to succeed.

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