When will the Libertarians gain power?

[Rockefeller GOP]

Much more likely that as the bulk of the anti-gay marriage, anti-immigration reform folks eventually die off, the GOP will move to the center and fix some of its image problems on cultural issues.  If the last 150 years have taught us anything, it's that the two major parties are eventually more than willing to change to stay viable.

[Rockefeller GOP]

When the GOP ceases to exist.

And I think if the GOP survived through the FDR years, and the Democrats survived the '80s, they'll both certainly make it through most anything.  We haven't had a permanent new party since 1854, LOL...

[Rockefeller GOP]

The Libertarians might get past 5% in an election one year but the Republicans will get their sh*t together and fix themselves.

OK, please. The Libertarian movement is not derived out of the Republican Party, that will never be the case. They are explicitly running against the republicans on 50-60% of issues.

I agree that they are fundamentally different ideologically. However, this is irrelevant. It's about how they will be perceived. Their fiscal conservatism will attract dissatisfied Republicans more than it will ever attract Democrats.

I tend to agree with that, but its still not a movement a conservative will get themselves into if they know what its all about. Anti-NSA spying, Anti-Patriot Act, Anti-racial profiling, non-interventionism, and things like that can attract left leaning people. We're also against special handouts to billionaires and corporations. These are important issues to many libertarians, its not only fiscal issues and governing style that matters.

Sorry if it seemed like I was mad at you or something in the first response - I wasn't.

All you have to do is look at your endorsements to know that Libertarians easily have more in common with (at least a significant portion of) Republicans than they do with Democrats.

[Rockefeller GOP]

The Libertarians might get past 5% in an election one year but the Republicans will get their sh*t together and fix themselves.

OK, please. The Libertarian movement is not derived out of the Republican Party, that will never be the case. They are explicitly running against the republicans on 50-60% of issues.

But those 50-60% of issues, to Libertarians, carry about 5% of the weight of things they care about. The 40-50% of things they agree with the GOP about is about 95% of what's important to them. Libertarians are Republicans who are liberal on social issues, but don't actually care enough about social issues to vote on them.

Spot on.  Plus I'll add that (at least as of now, looking at polls of young Democrats and young Republicans) it seems a lot more likely the GOP moves in a socially liberal direction than it is likely the Democrats move in a fiscally conservative one.

[Rockefeller GOP]

The Libertarians might get past 5% in an election one year but the Republicans will get their sh*t together and fix themselves.

OK, please. The Libertarian movement is not derived out of the Republican Party, that will never be the case. They are explicitly running against the republicans on 50-60% of issues.

But those 50-60% of issues, to Libertarians, carry about 5% of the weight of things they care about. The 40-50% of things they agree with the GOP about is about 95% of what's important to them. Libertarians are Republicans who are liberal on social issues, but don't actually care enough about social issues to vote on them.

Spot on.  Plus I'll add that (at least as of now, looking at polls of young Democrats and young Republicans) it seems a lot more likely the GOP moves in a socially liberal direction than it is likely the Democrats move in a fiscally conservative one.

The Democrats have already become way more fiscally conservative since the 60s/70s.

Let's say that's true.  Do you really see it continuing?  I certainly can't see the GOP becoming any MORE socially conservative.  Most younger Republicans support things like ending the war on drugs, legalizing gay marriage, etc.  I don't see a lot of evidence that an increasingly diversifying Democratic Party will suddenly quit preaching economic populism.

[Rockefeller GOP]

The Libertarians might get past 5% in an election one year but the Republicans will get their sh*t together and fix themselves.

OK, please. The Libertarian movement is not derived out of the Republican Party, that will never be the case. They are explicitly running against the republicans on 50-60% of issues.

But those 50-60% of issues, to Libertarians, carry about 5% of the weight of things they care about. The 40-50% of things they agree with the GOP about is about 95% of what's important to them. Libertarians are Republicans who are liberal on social issues, but don't actually care enough about social issues to vote on them.

Spot on.  Plus I'll add that (at least as of now, looking at polls of young Democrats and young Republicans) it seems a lot more likely the GOP moves in a socially liberal direction than it is likely the Democrats move in a fiscally conservative one.

The Democrats have already become way more fiscally conservative since the 60s/70s.

Let's say that's true.  Do you really see it continuing?  I certainly can't see the GOP becoming any MORE socially conservative.  Most younger Republicans support things like ending the war on drugs, legalizing gay marriage, etc.  I don't see a lot of evidence that an increasingly diversifying Democratic Party will suddenly quit preaching economic populism.

Do you think it's not true? Just asking out of curiosity.

I think it's true as a whole, but I think it's WELL "overplayed" as a meme.  Also, I'd say there are more far-left Democrats now than the '60s or '70s.