Azazello1313 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Poll Finds a Shift Toward More Libertarian Views Since 1993, CNN has regularly asked a pair of questions that touch on libertarian views of the economy and society: Some people think the government is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses. Others think that government should do more to solve our country’s problems. Which comes closer to your own view? Some people think the government should promote traditional values in our society. Others think the government should not favor any particular set of values. Which comes closer to your own view? A libertarian, someone who believes that the government is best when it governs least, would typically choose the first view in the first question and the second view in the second. In the polls, the responses to both questions had been fairly steady for many years. The economic question has showed little long-term trend, although tolerance for governmental intervention rose following the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The social libertarian viewpoint — that government should not favor any particular set of values — has gained a couple of percentage points since the 1990s but not more than that. But in CNN’s latest version of the poll, conducted earlier this month, the libertarian response to both questions reached all-time highs. Some 63 percent of respondents said government was doing too much — up from 61 percent in 2010 and 52 percent in 2008 — while 50 percent said government should not favor any particular set of values, up from 44 percent in 2010 and 41 percent in 2008. (It was the first time that answer won a plurality in CNN’s poll.) Whether people are as libertarian-minded in practice as they might believe themselves to be when they answer survey questions is another matter. Still, there have been visible shifts in public opinion on a number of issues, ranging from increasing tolerance for same-sex marriage and Josh Gordon legalization on the one hand, to the skepticism over stimulus packages and the health-care overhaul on the other hand, that can be interpreted as a move toward more libertarian views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeductiveNun Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 meh - doesn't matter The voting public by and large are merely sheep following a political party and will rarely - if at all - vote against that party as a result of the pandering tripe that is laid before them during the campaign process. Once the governing process bogs down and nothing gets accomplished, it's always the fault of the other party, so it has been, so it will always be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I thought this was pretty good news: Obama likely to cut 10K troops from Afghanistan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentastic Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 While I'm all for a Libertarian government, I'm not very optimistic it will happen. Regardless of people's leanings, the big politicians will continue to find ways to trick the public. Has there ever been a libertarian politician make any kind of noise in a major election (governor, senator, president...)? Ron Paul is going to run for President and he's a libertarian at heart (even though he'll run as repub) but the media has already been forming opinions in the heads of the masses. People are too dumb to think for themselves and ultimately that just means more of the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 While I'm all for a Libertarian government, I'm not very optimistic it will happen. Regardless of people's leanings, the big politicians will continue to find ways to trick the public. Has there ever been a libertarian politician make any kind of noise in a major election (governor, senator, president...)? governor and senator, sure. rand paul in '10, for example. when it comes to president, there is always the hope that an incoming republican will make libertarian strides in economic affairs, and hope that they won't do too much to roll back social liberties (I think you could say reagan fulfilled both hopes, and GWB failed at both). and likewise, there is hope with an incoming democrat that they will expand social and civil liberties, while not doing too much harm to economic liberty (clinton as a good example on the economic side, though I'm not sure he did much to actually expand social and civil liberties; obama has to be seen as a major letdown in both respects). in any case, with libertarian values, both socially AND economically, polling higher than ever, politicians will have to start paying more attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 While I'm all for a Libertarian government, I'm not very optimistic it will happen. Regardless of people's leanings, the big politicians will continue to find ways to trick the public. Has there ever been a libertarian politician make any kind of noise in a major election (governor, senator, president...)? Ron Paul is going to run for President and he's a libertarian at heart (even though he'll run as repub) but the media has already been forming opinions in the heads of the masses. People are too dumb to think for themselves and ultimately that just means more of the same unfortunately Ron Paul would be a waste of a perfectly good president because 90% of the things he would want done would be out of his control.... "Permit me to issue and control the money of the nation and I care not who makes its laws." — Mayer Amsched Rothchild, a prominent European banker in the eighteenth century "Permit me to control the decisions of Congress and I care not who is President" - Avernus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Wasnt that founded by Bill Cutting around the time of teh civil war? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 in any case, with libertarian values, both socially AND economically, polling higher than ever, politicians will have to start paying more attention talking about it more during election campaigns then completely ignoring it once elected. Fixed for reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 Fixed for reality. reality is that they are always running for election. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 reality is that they are always running for election. reality is also that they know congress won't go for at least 90% of what is told to the people during their campaign Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliaz Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 How is that the best news you've seen all day? I find that disturbing news. Liberal views are not in the best interest of our nation and when I take control of this country in 2012 I promise to kill all liberals and Pizza Hut owners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentastic Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 How is that the best news you've seen all day? I find that disturbing news. Liberal views are not in the best interest of our nation and when I take control of this country in 2012 I promise to kill all liberals and Pizza Hut owners. I know you are joking but it's Libertarian, not Liberal. Big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 I thought this was pretty good news: Obama likely to cut 10K troops from Afghanistan that is good news, particularly in that it would seem to indicate progress toward military objectives there. but you might want to put that figure in context before you do too much cheerleading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Poll Finds a Shift Toward More Libertarian Views And this is good news because being economically more libertarian than we have been for the past decade or so will result in increased prosperity broadly shared across society??? okay, if you say so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 reality is that they are always running for election. The root of pretty much every problem we have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 not sure if the republican right wing nuts will be able to handle libertarian views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 And this is good news because being economically more libertarian than we have been for the past decade or so will result in increased prosperity broadly shared across society??? okay, if you say so Is that before or after we let the terrorists walk right in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 meh - doesn't matter The voting public by and large are merely sheep following a political party and will rarely - if at all - vote against that party as a result of the pandering tripe that is laid before them during the campaign process. Once the governing process bogs down and nothing gets accomplished, it's always the fault of the other party, so it has been, so it will always be. Pretty much sums it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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