You guys are gonna hate me but I'm changing my mind.

[wayne kerr]

After thoughtful consideration of the issues presented in the debates, I can no longer vote for Kerry in good conscience. I have not even considered voting for Bush. Both candidates basically said nothing to convince me that they have any interest in doing anything other than what best serves them. They do not, in any way, represent me, nor do they represent a government under which want to live. Therefore, I am going to cast my vote for Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik if he is on the ballot in California. If he is not on the ballot, I will vote for my second choice, Green party candidate David Cobb.

Some of the Libertarian party platform:

1) Liberty - individual rights supercede "compelling state interest" providing individuals accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. Both major parties actually endorse platforms that discourage individual responsibility and increase the level of government intervention in our lives. From the platform: We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose

2) Crime - Only actions that infringe on the rights or damage the property of others can properly be termed crimes. Activities which do not affect anyone but the actor have been criminalized by government on the basis of encoding a particular morality into law. We favor the repeal of all federal, state and local laws creating "crimes" without victims. Some of those "crimes" from the platform: DRUGS- the repeal of all laws prohibiting the production, sale, possession, or use of drugs, and of all medicinal prescription requirements for the purchase of vitamins, drugs, and similar substances; SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS- the repeal of all laws or policies authorizing stopping drivers without probable cause to test for alcohol or drug use; SEXUAL RELATIONS- the repeal of all laws regarding consensual sexual relations, including prostitution and solicitation, and the cessation of state oppression and harassment of homosexual men and women, that they, at last, be accorded their full rights as individuals; PORN- repeal of all laws regulating or prohibiting the possession, use, sale, production, or distribution of sexually explicit material, independent of "socially redeeming value" or compliance with "community standards"; GAMBLING- the repeal of all laws regulating or prohibiting gambling; SUICIDE- the repeal of all laws interfering with the right to commit suicide as infringements of the ultimate right of an individual to his or her own life.

3) War on Drugs - Drug prohibition causes more harm than drugs themselves. The so-called "War on Drugs" is in reality a war against the American people, our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is a grave threat to individual liberty, to domestic order and to peace in the world. Individuals should have the right to use drugs, whether for medical or recreational purposes, without fear of legal reprisals, but must be held legally responsible for the consequences of their actions only if they violate others' rights.

Those are three biggies for me. They also support:

* Repeal of 'hate crime' legislation.
* Absolute equality for all adult citizens regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.. This includes gay marriage.
* Freedom of speech - ALL SPEECH (this includes the right to protest against the government)
* Oppose any compulsory national service - INCLUDING MILITARY CONSCRIPTION.
* Lower taxes to the point where only necessary government services are funded.
* End defecit spending and the perpetual refinancing of the growing public debt.
* Replacing US WMDs with smaller arms aimed ONLY at MILITARY TARGETS, not millions of innocent civilians.

There's lots more. I can't say I agree with 100% of the LP platform, but it certainly resonates more loudly with me that either of the other two.

Check it out here: http://www.lp.org/issues/platform/preamble.html#toc

Somebody said upthread that Libertarians are "Republicans without god." That is grossly inaccurate. The Libertarians are the party of individual liberty, the Republicans and Democrats are everything BUT.

Fuck Bush. Fuck Kerry. Vote your conscience. But DO vote.

SMH

[eeldip]

my only beef with libertarians is that my personal experience with hardcore libertarians is that they arent so much concerned with liberties and justice as they are greedy fucks who dont like taxes.

not all of them mind you. not really even the majority. just the vocal and annoying minority.

you know, rich dudes who went to fancy schools who drive around in fancy cars and say, "what does the govt owe me? nothing! what do i owe the govt? nothing!"

this coming from people who lived a life of privilege in a system totally propped up by the govt they hate.

of course greens can be annoying too, but they tend to be annoying hippies. i can deal with hippies better than i can deal with self deluded greedy assholes.

[concubine]

my only beef with libertarians is that my personal experience with hardcore libertarians is that they arent so much concerned with liberties and justice as they are greedy fucks who dont like taxes.

not all of them mind you. not really even the majority. just the vocal and annoying minority.

you know, rich dudes who went to fancy schools who drive around in fancy cars and say, "what does the govt owe me? nothing! what do i owe the govt? nothing!"

this coming from people who lived a life of privilege in a system totally propped up by the govt they hate.

of course greens can be annoying too, but they tend to be annoying hippies. i can deal with hippies better than i can deal with self deluded greedy assholes.

i would agree, i've come up against this exact same thing with the more vocal libertarians i've enountered. i've met some libertarians who have some good ideas, but in general, most of what i've seen smacks of greed and is rooted in selfishness. a kind of "get off my back" attitude coupled with a naive and myopic dream of private interests taking sole care of things like the environment, so they can get out of paying taxes.

[Mr. Dipity]

i would agree, i've come up against this exact same thing with the more vocal libertarians i've enountered. i've met some libertarians who have some good ideas, but in general, most of what i've seen smacks of greed and is rooted in selfishness. a kind of "get off my back" attitude coupled with a naive and myopic dream of private interests taking sole care of things like the environment, so they can get out of paying taxes.

There was an interview on NPR this morning with the Libertarian president candidate. He was a history teacher, with an obsession with the constitution, who's platform mainly involves repealing anything that wasn't covered by it. Since, obviously, nothing of real note has come along since it was written that the 'founding fathers' didn't think of and plan for.

The libertarian obsession with tax repeal is inane, pretty much as nonsensical as these guys

[TrumpsHair]

Therefore, I am going to cast my vote for Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik if he is on the ballot in California.

Kerry's going to take California, so knock yourself out.

[Piotr]

Sissy...

[penelec]

No no no, that's what I'm talking about... 3rd parties can be viable. If only people could read, they'd discover a whole world of representation that's been hitherto hidden from them by the powers of mediocre broadcasting. Sissy, I think you have inspired someone somewhere. I just hope it isn't PA and s/he wasn't gonna vote for Kerry. No, scratch that. I think the Dem's gotta learn that money-grubbin' on their knees is going to cost them yet again.

[Mr. Dipity]

Therefore, I am going to cast my vote for Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik if he is on the ballot in California.

Kerry's going to take California, so knock yourself out.

FWIW, I too am voting for a 3rd party candidate. Any third party candidate. It's a californian thing.

However, I'm rooting for Kerry.

[bedbug]

I'm intrigued by parts of the LP platform, but my big question is:
Under the LP, what's to stop a big corporation from coming and committing horrible environmental attrocities? I know, I know, they already do, but I do think laws restricting corporations are a good thing. What about big evil monopolies? Clear channel anyone?

Also, what about going to the doctor? Not that our healthcare isn't already a joke. But I feel poor people should be able to go to the doctor when they're sick. "Lower taxes to the point where only necessary government services are funded" can be interpreted quite a number of ways. As a public library employee, I can say that not all taxes are a bad thing.

[jdsowa]

Listen..

My beliefs fall in line with the libertarian platform, too. Of course, no libertarian will be president for at least another 150 years.

What you can do, however, is vote for Kerry (a liberal, of course). And vote for conservative congresspersons. This way you have the liberal president selecting supreme court judges and ensuring that civil rights/social issues don't get set back another 75 years. And you get conservatives in congress FOCUSED on cutting back spending. And, since the president is a liberal, you can be sure that he'll be cutting back on defense spending whenever he can--which means the deficit will be reduced significantly (100% of the deficit from Reagan's terms can be attributed to his defense spending and not his tax cuts, as some liberals would have you believe).

There. Now your choice is easy.

[Mr. Dipity]

Nice avatar jdsowa

[TrumpsHair]

This way you have the liberal president selecting supreme court judges and ensuring that civil rights/social issues don't get set back another 75 years.

It's possible that the next President will pick 4 Supreme Court Justices. If Bush manages to hand pick 4, according to his religious doctrine, their tenure will impact generations of Americans.

[wing]

yeah, as people know, I am a Christian, and I have personally said that I most Identify with the Libertarian party... why? Because it's all about the point of freedom and liberties. So whoever said it's like "republicans without God" doesn't know what's up.

[Electricide]

Cobb and Badnarik (sp?) had a debate on CSPAN two weeks ago. Libertarians DON'T feel as though available health care for every citizen is a right. At all. The government has no responsibility to the individual...only to protecting the states, and facilitating commerce.

Their theory goes that if everyone is so concerned about health care for the poor, they'll be more than willing to redirect some of that money they got back from tax reduction towards chartity for the poor.

Of course, America is way too selfish for that, and the gap between rich and poor will only grow. But if that's the will of the people, then so be it.

It IS a valid position, whether or not you agree with it. I see it's positives, but I'm not in favor of corporations regulating themselves. As far as Clear Channel...it would be up to the citizens to decide that they don't want monopolies, and they would revolt by withholding the money from the company...the almighty dollar. But this requires that citizens know what's going on, and without a (mostly) independent government supplying the info, I don't know how you prevent corruption and abuse.

[CaptainAdultDiapers]

I like the Libertarian Party and will consider voting for them only after this election. The current direction of the "War on Terror" is my most important priority right now. I just don't believe that the War on Drugs, Imminent Domain and Lower Taxes are more important then taking control of my countries direction from those that consider the Defense Department a better tool for international relations than the State Department.
I am voting for the lessor of two "evils" as a conscience decision. I don't believe that I have surrendor to the "system".