4 ms·

How can one be a libertarian and support Trump? Meanwhile someone being Republican [or Democrat to a lesser extent] and supporting Trump makes sense in terms of

How can one be a libertarian and support Trump? Meanwhile someone being Republican [or Democrat to a lesser extent] and supporting Trump makes sense in terms of the core principles of each party.

refurb 5y ago
You choose the candidate/party that best aligns with your views even if they don't align very well.
- skinnymuch 5y ago
  There’s a big difference between choosing and publicly loudly and financially supporting said parties specific politicians like Trump who do not align at all except in one aspect (taxing the wealthy and corporations less). In this specific case it isn’t “don’t align very well”. The best equivalent would be socialists strongly, publicly, and financially advocating for Hillary like Thiel to Trump in 2016. That didn’t happen. A preemptive note: Bernie is a democratic socialist. That’s what he himself says he is. Not a socialist.
  - refurb 5y ago
    “The Squad” seemed pretty happy to stump for Biden despite it being clear their interests barely overlap.
    - Talanes 5y ago
      Does "The Squad" refer to the actual politicians or their bases? Because those groups are playing two different games. The only people I've ever met who were enthusiastic about Biden were hardcore Democratic Party mega-volunteers or staffers.
      - CalChris 5y ago
        Biden has grown on me. Exiting Afghanistan helped. Were it not for Manchin and Sinema, his BBB package had a lot of progressive goals stitched in its fabric. He is, like Carter before him, an utterly decent man.
        skinnymuch 5y ago
        Biden as a symbol is everything I dislike. However you just made me realize he has grown on me too. In practical terms, people are being incredibly hard on him. Even I’m thinking whoa now. Exactly as you stated. He did leave however flawed. And he can’t do much with the two senators there. I draw the line on him being an utterly decent man. He wasn’t chosen as Obama’s running mate for being someone who could stitch a few progressive goals together. He was chosen because of how conservative he was. Never apologizing for his rabid support of tough on crime (disproportionately affecting lower socioeconomic and minority people/men)
        CalChris 5y ago
        Biden has regretted the 1990s crime bills. https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/01/21/biden-says-he-regrets-1990-s-crime-bill-calls-big-mistake-mlk-day-event/2639190002/ https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/01/21/biden-s...
        skinnymuch 5y ago
        That’s nice. To do it on MLK’s commemoration is very off putting. It’s fine with the white washed MLK version. Not for the actual MLK.
- the_only_law 5y ago
  I mean I just choose not to participate, but I guess this is what we get with what’s effectively a 2 party system.
alvah 5y ago
I think you'd be surprised how many votes for Trump in 2016 were actually votes for "not Hillary".
- skinnymuch 5y ago
  Thiel didn’t just vote for Trump. The OP stated he did more than that. And from what I’ve read he has done more than that too.
  - alvah 5y ago
    I'm not arguing "Thiel is a good guy", but if he didn't want Hillary elected (assumption), using his public profile to boost Trump pre-election != actual MAGA hat Trump true believer.
    - skinnymuch 5y ago
      I’m not referring to Thiel’s morality. Only on actually being libertarian. Sure what you wrote is technically plausible. However he continues to work with the Trumps. Recently he’s working with Trumps to oust Liz Cheney. His own PACs focuses include many non-libertarian focuses. Immigration control, strict border control, supporting the military as it is now, are some of the top issues of the PAC. These actions are of a conservative Republican, not a libertarian.
      - throwawaylinux 5y ago
        Wanting to oust Liz Cheney does not make someone not a libertarian. And military and border control are among the few things that many libertarians believe to be a valid function of a national government. None of those things prove he's not a libertarian.
        skinnymuch 5y ago
        Supporting huge military? Right immigration control? The Liz Cheney stuff was about working with Don Jr. The reason why is unimportant. The entire point of all this is for there not to be one smoking gun. It’s a collection of everything. The entire way the right has obfuscated things is by getting by with “no one thing proves I am or am not X or Y”

How can one be a libertarian and support Trump? Meanwhile someone being Republican [or Democrat to a lesser extent] and supporting Trump makes sense in terms of the core principles of each party.

refurb 5y ago

You choose the candidate/party that best aligns with your views even if they don't align very well.

skinnymuch 5y ago
There’s a big difference between choosing and publicly loudly and financially supporting said parties specific politicians like Trump who do not align at all except in one aspect (taxing the wealthy and corporations less). In this specific case it isn’t “don’t align very well”. The best equivalent would be socialists strongly, publicly, and financially advocating for Hillary like Thiel to Trump in 2016. That didn’t happen. A preemptive note: Bernie is a democratic socialist. That’s what he himself says he is. Not a socialist.
- refurb 5y ago
  “The Squad” seemed pretty happy to stump for Biden despite it being clear their interests barely overlap.
  - Talanes 5y ago
    Does "The Squad" refer to the actual politicians or their bases? Because those groups are playing two different games. The only people I've ever met who were enthusiastic about Biden were hardcore Democratic Party mega-volunteers or staffers.
    - CalChris 5y ago
      Biden has grown on me. Exiting Afghanistan helped. Were it not for Manchin and Sinema, his BBB package had a lot of progressive goals stitched in its fabric. He is, like Carter before him, an utterly decent man.
      - skinnymuch 5y ago
        Biden as a symbol is everything I dislike. However you just made me realize he has grown on me too. In practical terms, people are being incredibly hard on him. Even I’m thinking whoa now. Exactly as you stated. He did leave however flawed. And he can’t do much with the two senators there. I draw the line on him being an utterly decent man. He wasn’t chosen as Obama’s running mate for being someone who could stitch a few progressive goals together. He was chosen because of how conservative he was. Never apologizing for his rabid support of tough on crime (disproportionately affecting lower socioeconomic and minority people/men)
        CalChris 5y ago
        Biden has regretted the 1990s crime bills. https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/01/21/biden-says-he-regrets-1990-s-crime-bill-calls-big-mistake-mlk-day-event/2639190002/ https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/01/21/biden-s...
        skinnymuch 5y ago
        That’s nice. To do it on MLK’s commemoration is very off putting. It’s fine with the white washed MLK version. Not for the actual MLK.
the_only_law 5y ago
I mean I just choose not to participate, but I guess this is what we get with what’s effectively a 2 party system.

alvah 5y ago

I think you'd be surprised how many votes for Trump in 2016 were actually votes for "not Hillary".

skinnymuch 5y ago
Thiel didn’t just vote for Trump. The OP stated he did more than that. And from what I’ve read he has done more than that too.
- alvah 5y ago
  I'm not arguing "Thiel is a good guy", but if he didn't want Hillary elected (assumption), using his public profile to boost Trump pre-election != actual MAGA hat Trump true believer.
  - skinnymuch 5y ago
    I’m not referring to Thiel’s morality. Only on actually being libertarian. Sure what you wrote is technically plausible. However he continues to work with the Trumps. Recently he’s working with Trumps to oust Liz Cheney. His own PACs focuses include many non-libertarian focuses. Immigration control, strict border control, supporting the military as it is now, are some of the top issues of the PAC. These actions are of a conservative Republican, not a libertarian.
    - throwawaylinux 5y ago
      Wanting to oust Liz Cheney does not make someone not a libertarian. And military and border control are among the few things that many libertarians believe to be a valid function of a national government. None of those things prove he's not a libertarian.
      - skinnymuch 5y ago
        Supporting huge military? Right immigration control? The Liz Cheney stuff was about working with Don Jr. The reason why is unimportant. The entire point of all this is for there not to be one smoking gun. It’s a collection of everything. The entire way the right has obfuscated things is by getting by with “no one thing proves I am or am not X or Y”