From: PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu (David Veal)
Subject: Re: New poll results
Organization: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 23:46:54 GMT

In article <BuI70n.Cp0@chinet.chi.il.us>
katefans@chinet.chi.il.us (Chris'n'Vickie of Chicago) writes:

>
>In article <BuFnrA.96E@acsu.buffalo.edu> sulkom@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Philandrs) writes:
>>
>> Libertarians have had to learn how to discuss their ideas persuasively
>
>Not to me they haven't.
>
>>	I'm not making excuses.  I'm just stating reality.  I believe that with
>>hard work and smart campaigning, the Libertarian Party will be the next major
>>party.  (And it won't be a moment too soon!)
>
>I can't even imagine what kind of chaos this country would experience
>if we ever had a Liberatarian president. It would *not* be pretty.
>Luckily I don't think we'll ever have to worry about it.

     Unless there was a Libertarian legislature, something even further
off, if ever, not much would happen.  A Libertarian President would
like be one of those "weak" Presidents they teach about in history
books.  Not push his power beyond the Constitutional limits.
     That is sort of the point, you know.

>The last extended conversation I got into with a Liberatarian was very
>confusing indeed. Even if I forget the fact that he said at one point
>"I spit in your face" (this was a net exchange) I still can't get over
>the fact that he raged at me because I supported the voting system.

     There are people like this of every stripe and political
persuasion.   To the best of my knowledge the Libertarian party
(which should be distinguished from libertarians (little l)) does
not advocate doing away with the voting system.  (But then, I'm
not actually a member, so I may be mis-informed.)
     Please, though, don't assume that this sort of insulting
attitude is inherent in liberatrian philosophy.

>According to him, Libertarians don't believe in voting. Is this true?

     Sounds more like an anarchist than a Libertarian.  Every other
Libertarian I've met have been pretty dead-set on working within
the system to produce change.

>If so, why is there a Libertarian candidate running? It's no wonder
>the Party gets such a small percentage of the vote with such a wacky
>belief.


>If it's not true, then I wonder if this Libertarian is in
>any way representative of the party as a whole.

     A couple of points.  First, again, Libertarian and libertarian
can be two entirely different thing, just like Democract (the Party)
and democrat (denoting a belief in a political system) are two different
things.
     Also, before assuming his views have anything at all to do with the
Libertarian party *ask* them, or at least find out if he is in any way
associated with the Libertarians.  (There are a lot of "Republicans"
and "Democrats" out there that give their parties a bad name, even
though they have no affiliation with those parties other than calling
themselves that.)

>If so, I shudder.
>If not, I still wonder why he would say such a thing. No, I didn't
>ask him because I got fed up with him and broke off contact.
>
>Either way, I hope I'm long dead and gone before Libertarians get
>anywhere near the Federal Government.

     All I can suggest is you listen to others, hopefully more reasonable,
people rather than make your decision based on one rude poster.

========================================================================
| David Veal  PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu                                  |
|             University of Tennessee Division of Continuing Education |
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Newsgroups: alt.politics.elections,alt.fan.dan-quayle