The only way the libertarian party will become any kind of force in US policy is if they change their platform and how they present themselves.
I agree to an extent.
The childish libertarians, tard it up for the rest of us.
But the same can be said for Conservatives and Liberals.
And they still get elected.
The Libertarian platform is not something that people are going to adopt in numbers nearly as highly as democratic or republican platforms. It goes too far in too many places to be popular. Without popular support, the Libertarian party is dead in the water. The other thing it does is cross common ideological lines. Pro-abortion rights and pro-laissez-faire economics means there is something for every one to hate.
True enough.
But not all libertarians believe in total unregulated markets, which is a common but fallacious criticism.
Presentation is probably the biggest thing however. Lets look at Ron Paul, the most recognizable person associated with the Libertarians. What are the two biggest issues associated with him? Auditing the fed and a gold type standard for currency. Almost no one cares about those issues. Paul starts droning on about the usual crap he talks about and people tune out in droves. If people do not think the LP cares about the same things they do, they are not going to support it.
I agree with this too.
Ron Paul needs to let go of the gold crap and beating up on the fed.
The fed has probably been the one institution that has kept the idiot politicians from royally screwing everything up.
Then again, when anyone goes into deep policy analysis, people tune out.
That's why idiotic campaign slogans and promises are bandied about.
Without those fundamental changes, which would admittedly make it not the LP, then they are never going to be anything more than a fringe group. And that is not the fault of the two big parties, it is not the fault of the media, it is not because people are stupid, it is because the LP simply does not represent the values and issues of many people. It is their own fault.
I disagree with this part for 2 reasons.
The two parties control the most visual political race, Presidential.
They control access to the debates, which can legitimize a candidate.
People are rationally ignorant.
Voters don't really research issues.
This is commonly known, which is were "the people are stupid" comes from.