Tension between libertarian-leaning tea partiers and the GOP’s social conservative base was probably inevitable, but the most interesting part of the Politico’s story on a split within the movement is a disagreement over the protesters’ tone:
A prominent Atlanta evangelical public relations man, Mark DeMoss, recently wrote Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele to denounce as “shameful” a fundraising presentation obtained by POLITICO that advised appealing to “fear” and portrayed Obama as the sinister Joker from Batman, over the word “Socialism” — an image drawn from a poster popular at tea party events.
Land said liberals can be equally faulted for demonizing Sarah Palin, but said that if he were an RNC donor, he’d stop giving.
“What [liberal blogs] do with Sarah is just really unacceptable and dastardly, but that doesn’t mean we should respond in kind,” he said. Obama, he said “provides a tremendously positive role model for tens of millions of African-American men” and “seems demonstrably fond of his wife and children, which is a positive role model for people of all ethnicities.”
“I would want to be free to attack the character of President Clinton — but this guy, he gives every indication of being a decent guy,” Land said.
Very interesting indeed. I’d like to take this opportunity to mention that the indespensible Bruce Bartlett has a post up explaining in elegant detail the relationship between the Chinese and American economies and currencies. I think a lot of the leagues economicly interested peeps would find it interesting.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/11/treasury-securities-national-debt-china-trade-opinions-columnists-bruce-bartlett_2.htmlReport
Thanks, North – I’ll pass your link along.Report
Not to downplay the amount of animosity that exists between libertarians and social conservatives in general, but the vast majority of the evangelicals I know (Colorado Springs, bay-bay!) have less than no problem with attacking Obama. Maybe they won’t attack Michelle and maybe they won’t attack his kids… but being turned off by the Joker sign?
That does not read accurately to me.
Maybe it’s an Atlanta vs. Colorado Springs thing, of course.Report
None of this reads accurately to me. It implies a split between libertarians and social conservatives, then frames libertarians as name-calling, joker sign carrying meanies. I think this is just another excuse to divide and conquer — very poor analysis of the reality of opposition to progressivism. I wrote awhile back about the coming attack on libertarianism — everyone wants to maintain the old battle between social conservatives and liberals, but that’s all changing.Report
Not “everyone”, just the status quo statists.Report
“coming attack on libertarianism”
Has it ever stopped? We’ve been boogeymen for the right *AND* left for as long as I can remember. Everything the Republicans hate about the Democrats and everything the Democrats hate about the Republicans all rolled up into one.Report
JB, I”m a pleasant paleo and I always kinda liked libertarians.
This is bs and the one guy’s opinion and that’s about all!
Re: the differences between Bubba and BO it appears they’re subtle. It doesn’t look like BO runs around on Michelle but his heart overflows with the foul intent of commie bastards everywhere, just as Bubba’s did.For these n’er-do-wells its all about controlling the lives of other human beings and that, my palsies, makes these people wackos, nut balls, and deformed/derailed ideologists! Just because the Republicans are thieves, corrupt, and stoopid is no reason to vote democrat!Report
Oh, Bob. I know that the Paleos don’t mind Libertarians that much. Us fringy guys need to stick together, after all.
It’s the folks with clout, or the folks who identify with the folks with clout, and the folks who imagine that they will someday have clout… they’re the ones who hate Libertarians.Report
What are the differences between Paleo and Libertarian? Immigration, religion perhaps. Where else do they diverge?Report
It’s what they’re the fringes of.
Paleos tend to be the fringy cousins of the social conservatives. Libertarians tend to be the fringy cousins of the fiscal conservatives.Report
I suppose that makes me the bit of fluff at the edge of the fringe.Report
Eh. At the end of the day, we’re all individuals. I do find it useful to categorize people by the self-identifiers of the writers that make them nod to themselves most often, however.Report
Pat Buchanan, Suzie Bright and Gary Snyder. How’s that for a mix?Report
“Useful” probably wasn’t the best term I could have used.
I probably should have said “time-saving”… because, again, at the end of the day, we’re all individuals and I haven’t yet found a Republican who was a stereotypical one, nor a democrat who was a stereotypical one. Ironically, I’ve probably found more stereotypical fringy types than stereotypical mainstream ones…Report
So the difference is more cultural than substantial? (although some would argue that culture is substance)Report
I’m a member of some.Report
…fiscal fringe? I like that!Report
Everybody on the fringe?Report
Freddie, I see you on the fringe of Sean Penn. 🙂Report
Everybody is an individual, yes.
We live in a world of almost 7 billion parties… though I will admit that some coalitions are stronger than others…Report
Yes, Jaybird, I also wrote it’s nothing new, but the intensity and viciousness might increase as the stakes increase. I expect all anti-statism to be framed as violent, libertarian, anti-government radicalism.Report
What drives me crazy is that we’re, like, less than 1% of the population. Less than 1%! John Anderson was the last guy to break 1% in a national election! Ever since then, the Libertarian percentage had to be rounded *UP* to 1!
And we’re still painted as people who are ruining/want to ruin the damn country.
Drives me batty.Report
Hell, the Jews are about .2% of the world’s population, but people still claim we run the whole thing. (The ones we haven’t yet managed to silence or buy off, that is.)Report
Like we all live in Montana cabins with a stockpile of cool weapons, you know. I don’t like the cold weather, so that counts me out. I keep my arsenal at my beach hut. The first black helicopter I see is in real trouble.Report