Why the Libertarian Party Fights with Itself

Kuznicki on Why the Libertarian Party Fights with Itself:

I’m reading some issues of Libertarian Forum from the late 70s and early 80s. In my defense, it’s work-related.

But I’m finding that it’s just sad, ugly reading — lots of infighting about issues that seem tangential or irrelevant, with little to offer an outsider about the value of having a Libertarian Party at all. Sometimes the articles don’t even explain why these people are fighting each other in the first place, leaving me rather mystified. And that’s saying quite a lot, coming from a guy who has just spent the last year of his life helping to edit the Encyclopedia of Libertarianism.

Yeah, ugly "infighting," such as the outrageous smears of heroic libertarians at LewRockwell.com and the Mises Institute by his buddies Palmer (also part of that encyclopedia project) and pseudo-libertarian Tim Sandefur.

Sandefur the Lincoln Hack Promotes Republican Hack McClintock

In Tom McClintock for Congress, Li'l Tim promotes Tom McClintock for Congress. Gotta love Tom's creds: "Tom McClintock is a man of integrity with a passion for freedom and our constitutional traditions. I’ve rarely met a political leader more sincerely devoted to the principles of liberty and respectful, not only of soldiers, but of the political leaders who have fought for our freedom in the past. The man quotes Jefferson and Lincoln off the top of his head, for crying out loud—and actually understands what they mean."

So Li'l Tim likes McC b/c he's "respectful of soldiers" and quote Lincoln. Kinda disgusting Sandefur puts Lincoln up on Jefferson's level. Ugh. Anyway, it's strange Tim praises McC as a man "sincerely devoted to the promises of freedom" ("and opportunity"?), even though--or is it because?--he is a "principled and serious believer in the principles of Goldwater and Reagan". And even though he is "completely wrong on gay marriage" and he supports medical marijuana but not real drug legalization.

Of course, Sandefur and McClintock have both worked for the Claremont Institute, devoted to the thought of Lincoln idolator Harry Jaffa. This is exactly what Claremont specializes in: teaching Republican political hacks a few buzzwords from Lincoln's speeches. That's what the "Lincoln Fellow" program is for. Sandefur and McClintock are both former "Lincoln Fellows" at Claremont. Very libertarian--not!

For more of McClintock's "libertarianism" see California's Coming 100-Year Political Storm.