United Liberty
FreePAC may be the alternative for libertarians
Mon, 07/30/2012 - 1:02pm | posted by Jason Pye
There has been a lot of debate among conservatives whether libertarians should be welcome at CPAC, an annual gathering of right-leaning activists in Washington. The most recent CPAC saw libertarians left out in the cold thanks to a heavier emphasis on social conservatives.
While libertarians are often told by conservatives that we need to get on their “team” in order to beat back government overreach from Washington, they largely want us to take a back seat. Some libertarians have chosen to work inside the Republican Party through the Republican Liberty Caucus, a group that promotes our ideals. However, they haven’t been very effective.
But this past Thursday in Dallas, FreedomWorks hosted FreePAC, a one-day event that brought together activists, both conservatives and libertarians, to help plan a grassroots strategy ahead of the general election in November. Speakers at FreePAC included Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee as well as hopefuls like Ted Cruz and Richard Mourdock. Glenn Beck, Dick Armey, Dean Clancy, and Matt Kibbe also provided attendees with words of encouragement to help get them motivated to fight the growth in government that we’re seeing.
While I wasn’t able to go, what I’ve heard from my libertarian friends who went is that FreePAC is really the shot in the arm that the Liberty Movement needs. They did it with less controversy and no compromise.
We’ve spent some time lately debating fusionism, but if there is a place for libertarians at all in the movement, it’s going to be through events like FreePAC. As libertarians, aren’t too thrilled with Republicans or conservatives. But we can’t separate ourselves from those that share some common-ground. CPAC is obviously not that place, at least not any longer. The RLC, while it serves a purpose, isn’t either. FreePAC may well provide us with a place to share ideas with those who are working to promote free markets.
If you’re like me, and missed the event, here are some videos to give you a taste of FreePAC.
You only mention the RLC once in the last paragraph.
The Republican Liberty Caucus [www.rlc.org] and its affiliated RLCUSA-PAC are indeed focused on bringing liberty ideals to the GOP, not “fusion” with conservative statists. But, it’s open to anyone who shares the principles of individual rights, limited government, and private enterprise.
But it was mentioned in the second paragraph:
Some libertarians have chosen to work inside the Republican Party through the Republican Liberty Caucus, a group that promotes our ideals. However, they haven’t been very effective.
Not very effective? By what measure? Yes, the RLC has not held huge rallies with lots of people at them. However they have held hundreds of campaign events all over the country, endorsed candidates and raised money for candidates through their PAC. Most significantly, unlike many of the candidates supported by FreedomWorks, RLC candidates who have been elected have as a group voted in keeping with the principles they expressed when they campaigned. When the NDAA was voted on in the House, the FreedomWorks endorsees mostly supported it. The RLC endorsees opposed it.
I say that being able to find the real liberty candidates and give them a boost makes the RLC a significant success.
Dave
Im confused by this piece. What exactly was accomplished at this rally? What “strategy” was laid of for libertarians in the GOP? How can we measure the effectiveness of an event like this? How can we compare a convention to a political action organization like the RLC?
I’ve done two FreedomWorks events and found them over run with Tea Party war mongers and rampant islamophobia.
Rampant Islamaphobia means what, exactly? We won’t stop talking about a religion that commands its adherents to kill the infidels?
And a tea party war monger. What ever that is.
“The most recent CPAC saw libertarians left out in the cold thanks to a heavier emphasis on social conservatives.”
Ah! So in order to include you, we have to shut up about the social issues. Big tent means that we give things up to make you guys happy. I thought big tent meant that there was room enough for disagreement.
How about this? At your next FreePAC, a bunch of boorish conservatives will show up. Then they’ll demand that you shut up about the social issues because when you talk about them, they don’t feel welcome. And you should be more welcoming.
“While libertarians are often told by conservatives that we need to get on their “team” in order to beat back government overreach from Washington, they largely want us to take a back seat.”
And you would prefer that the conservatives be in the back seat of the conservative movement? Would you expect libertarians to be in the back seat of the libertarian movement?
“They did it with less controversy and no compromise.”
Only conservatives like me should compromise. Jason never has to.
“As libertarians, aren’t too thrilled with Republicans or conservatives.”
Good. Then hit the road.
You’re right. I want a divorce. Get your own damned political action conference and quit crashing ours. Conservative Political Action Conference means conservative. You don’t like us, you said so yourself. So why do you keep coming into our house and insulting us?
“I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.” - Ronald Reagan
“As libertarians, aren’t too thrilled with Republicans or conservatives.”—Jason Pye.
If libertarianism is the heart and soul of conservatism, then I assume you’ll take me up on the offer of having a bunch of conservatives hijack your FreePAC. Right?
You hijack our events, but we should stay away from yours.
I actually knew you were going to respond with that quote even before you said it.
You’re completely, but unsurprisingly, missing the point. FreePAC isn’t solely a libertarian event, rather a place were we can feel welcome.
C’mon, seriously? The Glenn Beck wing? These people abhor Gary Johnson as much as they do Barack Obama (at least the few who even know who Gary Johnson is).
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