mushinnoshin

Fox Business Channel viewers (both of them) were treated to a mini-debate between two of the Libertarian Party candidates, Mike Gravel and Wayne Allen Root. I’m not really sure why they chose these two, since neither is likely to win the nomination, but nevertheless it’s an interesting slice of this season’s sideshow.

Gravel vs Root in 6 parts on YouTube

From my vantage point Gravel pwned Root, though I sadly doubt most lp-ers (or Fox viewers) will agree. (Though I should say that I do disagree with Gravel on the “FairTax”, but not with his reasons for supporting it — I just look towards different solutions altogether.)

Alright so here’s my quick top-of-the-head chance-of-winning breakdown: Ruwart 40%, Barr 35%, Gravel 25%, Root & Others 0% — but don’t take those numbers to the bank. The LP tends to be quirky and unpredictable at times. Now, it’s a runoff vote, so that’s my take on the outcome odds, not the incoming support levels. But basically, the left-libertarian wing that might support Gravel could have partnered with the anyone-who’s-a-celebrity wing to put Gravel over the top, had Barr not entered to divide up the latter group. Barr kills Root, and Ruwart kills Kubby, Phillies, and all the other party insiders and wannabes. In the end, after Gravel is dropped from the ballot, the left-libs partner with the old-time purists, radicals, anarchists, etc, (who I think will be out in force to Restore ’04) supporting Ruwart to (barely) stop Barr.

As for what I want to happen? I’m actually torn. The part of me that wants to see the LP take bold strides towards a left-libertarianism that I can really get behind clearly favors Gravel. The part of me that know it ain’t gonna happen, and wants to see the LP at least try to save its own soul, hopes to see it go to Ruwart as above. The part of me that thinks it’s too late for that wants them to go ahead and give it to Barr — effectively destroying the party — but I’m not the only libertarian radical who thinks that might be a good thing. Go out in a blaze of glory and help us elect Obama. And while I do hate to see the term libertarian itself besmirched with the “true conservative” meme — it already is.

Well, the convention is next week. I’ve been really mulling over a last-minute decision to go. But I think the financial strain of this knee surgery mess has made the decision for me. Besides which, I’m not sure I’d feel right about it, what with my divided loyalties and limited participation.

On a mildly ironic side note — I intentionally let my membership lapse, partly to protest the 2006 convention’s raping of the platform (see the aforementioned Restore ’04), and partly to acknowledge my own shift towards being a middle ground libertarian Democrat. But I made a donation for ballot access and such on Gravel’s behalf, which reinstated my membership. My new membership card arrived in the mail on the very day we received the resignation of now former executive director Shane Cory, one of the right-wingers responsible for some of what I’ve come to despise about the party lately. So there’s that.