Rand Paul has carried on his father's libertarian legacy into the next millennium, a millennium ready to embrace any philosophy that gives the people more freedom and less of the status quo politics.
Libertarian philosophy seeks to minimize the one size fits all solutions, in areas of morality, education, and of government regulation. Some misconstrue Libertarianism as having an "anything goes" ideology, but that isn't exactly the case as Jacob Hornberger, president of The Future of Freedom Foundation explains. An anything peaceful approach to conducting society to put it in simpler terms.
Yesterday, Time Magazine posted an article entitled, "Libertarianism Is on the Verge of a Political Breakout" from David Boaz of the Cato Institute. He points out that the Libertarian rise is aided by the educational outlets and publications like, Reason.com and The Cato Institute to help spread their message to larger audiences. The other being a response to the growth of government under the last two administrations, especially after 9/11 and the rise of the security state. Other signs he points to are:
That libertarian revival manifested itself in several ways. Sales of books like Atlas Shrugged and The Road to Serfdom soared. “Tea party” rallies against taxes, debt, bailouts, and Obamacare drew a million or more people to hundreds of protests. “Crony capitalism” became a target for people across the political spectrum. Marijuana legalization and marriage equality made rapid progress. More people than ever told Gallup in 2013 that the federal government has too much power.
From poll data he cites that only 2-4 percent of Americans label themselves libertarian, but many Americans, 15-20 percent hold Libertarian views on a range of questions. The startling statistic in the article is from a Zogby poll from Cato that reveled 59% of Americans say they are “fiscally conservative and socially liberal."
Many of the Libertarian ideas are in step with many Republicans like lower taxes, limited government, less regulations, gun rights, school choice, and opposing Obamacare. Libertarian ideas supported by the left are same sex marriage , and marijuana legalization. Strictly Libertarian ideas are upholding a strong military with less foreign wars, restricting the surveillance state, and opposing wall street bailouts.
A key demographic for Libertarians are Millennials. who helped elect Obama both times (around 2/3 for Obama) have since quickly turned on him (democrats) for failing to deliver on a number of issues.
The New York Times explained it like this last summer, before the midterm election to prove it:
"Meanwhile, the age group most responsible for delivering Obama his two terms may well become a political wild card over time, in large part because of its libertarian leanings. Raised on the ad hoc communalism of the Internet, disenchanted by the Iraq War, reflexively tolerant of other lifestyles, appalled by government intrusion into their private affairs and increasingly convinced that the Obama economy is rigged against them, the millennials can no longer be regarded as faithful Democrats — and a recent poll confirmed that fully half of voters between ages 18 and 29 are unwedded to either party."
Figuring out what these issues are is going to be key for the candidates to "speak cleverly on." With both parties spending like wild and government growing tremendously, at least with Libertarians you know what is going to happen. More Freedom.