The Humble Libertarian original

At least one thing can be said about Kevin Williamson’s National Review cover story about Ron Paul: It could have been worse. It’s not difficult to understand which candidates National Review prefers. In late 2007, the conservative movement flagship endorsed Mitt Romney and pasted a dignified, stoic looking painting of the former Massachusetts governor on its cover. Their March 7, 2011 issue featured a boyishly handsome Tim Pawlenty in a hockey uniform. In the April 4, 2011 issue Williamson himself penned a fawning essay on the Republicans’ latest savior, Rick Perry. There the Texas governor is grinning and kneeling in his cowboy boots Captain Morgan -style which have emblazoned upon them “Liberty” and “Freedom.” Ron Paul, on the other hand, is depicted haggardly carrying an olive branch and a cracked greenpeace shield astride a petrified-looking horse. There is no gray area over who National Review considers acceptable and unacceptable Republicans. Indeed, the article is ...

Someone in Ron Paul's 2012 campaign staff is seriously earning their paycheck. These are the kind of campaign ads Ron Paul should have run the last time around, and I certainly hope that his answers in upcoming debates reflect the quality and substance of these new campaign ads. Though he is wary of appearing to be exploiting his service to his country for political gain, Ron Paul owes it to himself to let Americans know just how qualified he is to be their next president, and he owes it to Americans too: Ron Paul - TRUST 2012 Presidential Campaign Ad Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Ad "The one who can beat Obama" Ron Paul - He Served 2012 Presidential Campaign Ad Wes Messamore , Editor in Chief, T H L Articles | Author's Page

At best, I consider myself to be a political philosopher. I am not a pundit. I don't understand the intricacies of running a primary campaign, and sadly it seems I don't even understand what the American people are looking for in a Republican candidate right now. But, I know stupid when I hear it. And no, Herman Cain will not take away some of the "black vote" from Barack. Sure, if chosen as the Republican nominee, Hermain Cain would assuredly garner some black support. Specifically, the exact same individuals who voted for John McCain in 2008. We can't out-black Obama with Cain. We can't out-minority Obama with a woman like Bachmann. We can't out-speak Obama with Romney's subpar eloquence. Our only chance is to outthink him. And the only individual with the game-changing ideas to do so is the one who's been spouting them consistently for the last 20 years. Eric Olsen , Regular Columnist, T H L Articles | Author's Page Chri...

The clock is ticking on Rick Perry. Indeed, Perry is the candidate Republicans and the activists of the Tea Party Express stripe probably deserve. He is brash, unapologetic, unreflective, and ignorant. He is a political chameleon who says anything. Then again, should we have expected anything else from someone who has never lost an election by running as both a Democrat and a Republican? When Perry is on his talking points and repeating Republican boilerplate rhetoric he is clearly more comfortable. But it’s getting easier to notice that Perry struggles whenever he has to resort to any specific data. He finished poorly at last week’s Reagan library debate when he was asked to explain why he doesn’t subscribe to the theory of man-made global warming. He wasn’t necessarily wrong but he clearly hadn’t thought about the issue beyond the talking point. All that mattered was that he said what he knows the base wants to hear. This makes Perry the dream candidate for Republicans. Repub...

In the mail: September 22, 2011 Tonight is the big GOP Presidential debate, and I couldn’t be more excited. It begins at 9 PM ET and will air on Fox News. Please make sure to tune in – and encourage your friends to watch, too! I arrived in Florida last night after a great trip to New Hampshire. There’s a full account of my last few days – with plenty of pictures – on the "Truth for a Change" campaign blog . There’s nothing more exciting to me than a blood-boiling debate, and I’m truly humbled for this opportunity to serve as your representative on stage. Tonight is a great opportunity for us to have our voices heard, and to introduce our powerful ideas to many, many new people. I’ve been told that there will also be a live debate chat event for those who are online. Here’s the link: http://www.rlc.org/2011/09/21/join-the-rlc-for-a-live-chat-event-during-thursdays-presidential-debate/ Thank you for the outpouring of financial support you have shown me this week...

During the Republican "Tea Party" debate in Tampa, FL, our good friend Ron Paul had them in the palm of his hand. After all, like Jon Stewart has said, Ron Paul is "Tea Party Patient Zero". And he had them. Hanging on his every liberty-filled word. Then Rick Santorum began to speak. Now, I've read Santorum's, "It Takes a Family", and believe he has some extraordinarily intriguing philosophies regarding the power of familial expectations on a child's future outcomes. But, in a split second, he completely pulled Paul's swagger out from under him by cornering him into some 9/11 craziness - bewildered that Paul didn't seem to believe in the notion that 9/11 happened because Al-Qaeda hated "American exceptionalism. " (hyperlink goes to video clip) Rather than getting defensive, Paul then made the outlandish claim it might be necessary for us to try and understand the motives of terrorists if we truly desire stopping them - ...

In the run-up to the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks Americans were drowned with reminders of that fateful day. For over a week leading up to the anniversary, USA Today ran a series of front-page stories entitled “How 9/11 Changed America.” Americans have been told that they cannot forget 9/11. The implication is that Americans should not forget about the ghastly images from that day or how they felt. But this is a silly statement. No can forget 9/11 because no one is allowed to. 9/11 is a part of daily American life. Anyone who flies in a US airport is reminded of the terrorist attacks. Take off your shoes. No liquids. Assume the position. China-made American flags are still ubiquitous. The obligatory singing of “God Bless America” is as much a part of baseball games as arguing with the umpire and American soldiers are given public spectacles of reverence that are perhaps only outdone in their vacuity by parades in communist countries. Who could po...