I’ve been thinking about the approach to spreading the message of liberty. There are a few archetypal voter bases that I’ve discerned, some of them with a greater “window” than others. I am going to generalize and I’m not entirely comfortable with it myself. If you don’t like that, then that’s fine. I’m describing groups from my personal experience and don’t intend to blanket anyone who identifies with any of them. Tell me what you think and specifically what group you think would be easiest to inform/convert/brainwash.
The Libertarian Right - These ones are easy and understand the hypocrisy of violence.
The Conservative Right - This group of people has a dedication to lower taxes and gun rights. This is fine, but it seems to be only a residue of liberty resting on a foundation of nationalism, subservience, and xenophobia. Frequent references to Islamo-fascism. Almost an extension of the crusades into modern times. I don’t think this group is the right one to approach because they don’t have an innate passion for justice, but they do have a passion for patriotism. Explaining America’s foreign policy for the past 60 years would only implicate yourself as a pinko anti-american. Limbaugh, Levin, Hannity types who think that Democrats want to shrink the military because they want to see America fall. They identify terrorists or criminals as the people with cops/soldiers bullets in their torsos. Generally not productive to try to change this person’s opinion. Voting: Santorum, Bachmann, etc.
The Boomer Right - This group of people lives in fear. They fear an Obama presidency, terrorist attacks, and tax hikes. They have a sense of national pride but perhaps not to the extent of the previous group. They will vote to try to keep lefties out. This means they will vote for whoever they think the biggest and most well funded Republican is i.e. the most corrupt undeserving Republican. This is important because it shows that they fundamentally do not honestly practice any principle as a citizen, they roll over quickly out of fear. They like a nice smile, a sharp joke, and a well-fitted suit. Trying to convince this person to vote for an underdog is ineffective because it does nothing to quell their fear. Voting: Romney, Gingrich, etc.
The Boomer Left - I don’t really understand this group. I think that they fancy the left fashionable. Out of some pity-bone deep down they think that the government must correct the unfairnesses inflicted on blacks, hispanics, homeless, single mothers, women, etc. Mostly I think they just like to think of themselves as ‘sensible’, ‘balanced’, or ‘rational’. Much is assumed to these people, i.e. “Well of COURSE we should have the Federal Reserve! Who else would run the money? Greedy Wall Street guys? It would be chaos!” I’m kind of scraping the bottom of the barrell to write about this group and I’d appreciate some input from people who know better. Voting: Pelosi, Clinton, ‘sensible’ choices
The Progressive Left - This group is key to me. Basically I think that they’re all libertarians that don’t understand economics or history. They understand how terrible the War on Terror is. They understand the increasing police/surveillance state, the Halliburtons and Bechtels always getting their way, the wanton bloodshed in the east, and the dangers those actions pose to themselves. They’re definitely pretty focused on the “war for profit” aspect of it, but generally they understand the damned injustice of the whole thing. That’s really what sets them apart, they have a feel for the injustice. Some of them may be unshakeable; Marxists who believe that equality is the final task of mankind. But some of them I think would readily become Libertarians if they understood a little bit about corporatism, free markets and environmentalism, how regulations effect small businesses and employers, etc. The essential seed of idealism, the drive for a better future is what distinguishes this group. I’m not sure why Rothbard gave up on the left and went to the right. Maybe it had to do with all the drugs that the lefties were into back then, I don’t know. To get this group of people requires some education and motivation on the part of the progressive, but what group wouldn’t require that. Something I think that’s important is the disavowal of right-wing culture (christianity, homophobia, country music, etc.). Progressives think that libertarians are just tea-partiers that are even further right of the basic conservative block and it’s just not true. Maybe showing them how their party contributes to corporatism would be a good idea as well (insurance mandate, FED, lightbulb mandate, etc.)