It's pretty much meaningless, but official. Former New Mexico governor and former GOP presidential candidate Gary Johnson became the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee yesterday, later telling BuzzFeed:
I believe the majority of Americans could care less about whether or not there is a gay individual working in the Romney campaign. It speaks volumes to the intolerance that continues to be present [among activists] in the Republican Party. That intolerance is why the world vilifies Republicans.... There is a certain Republican dogma I just cannot defend. Homophobia is one of those issues.
Johnson's is clearly the more virtuous voice of ideological libertarianism--St. Augustine-like, his defection from the grimly depraved GOP may have been belated, but come it did--while the squalid cult of personality, struggling dynastic urges and a sadistic kind of bootless burrowing from within seem to motivate Ron Paul. While Johnson is now free to concentrate exclusively on the evangelism of libertarian ideas, Paul is engaged in a sordid scramble for Iowa delegates to Mitt's wholly orchestrated Tampa soiree.
Rep. Paul couldn't swing a dead elephant without crashing into Johnson's new and improved libertarianism--Now without Republican preservatives!--yet the former's merry little band of ideological purists will most likely remain fanatically faithful to the impure Paul, which does indeed testify to the power of cultism.
I assume Paul believes that the son, at least, will someday reshape the GOP in the father's image. The father's followers must also believe that; so, they stay. But if an apocalyptic GOP resurrection comes, either the Establishment will brutally reclaim its lost territory or the tea partying types will permanently plant their flag of Palinesque obscurantism: the point being, both would leave Paul and Johnson's libertarian brand of militant anti-militarism behind.
Hence those who would follow Paul, or do follow Paul, would be better served by following Johnson--who has already, officially quit the "Republican dogma" in its present and any future form.
Much has been made of the impact of the evolving American demographics on the future of the GOP base. There is another force which is probably somewhat related. I continue to argue that progressives have slowly but surely won every battle of the so-called Cultural War.
At the hazard of of an over-wrought analogy, the progressives are now like the Allies rolling toward berlin in 1945. This war is all but over. Trust me. I live in Nashville have family throughout the rural south. About the only things left are arguing the difference between gay civil unions and gay marriage and whether or not we will speak English. Even around these parts.
My question is what happens when the Cultural war is declared officially over? What of the Evangelicals who were primarily Republicans in service of the war - or more specifically their children and grandchildren?
Posted by: Robert Lipscomb | May 06, 2012 at 01:23 PM