Where Do Libertarians Go From Here?

When George W. Bush ran for president in 2000 as a "compassionate conservative" most people assumed that meant he would somewhat soften the hard edges of libertarianism. Libertarians believe the federal government long ago entered into areas that rightly should be left to the states. They cite such programs as Social Security, federal funding of education, Medicare and Medicaid, and the Environmental Protection Agency as examples of the feds treading on rights that should be left to the states and the market economy.

While many pundits have attributed Bush's victory to the rise of evangelical conservatism, I believe the libertarians have been given short shrift. I believe hard-core, Barry Goldwater, principled libertarians provided the very foundation upon which modern conservatism rose to power. And I believe George Bush has taken them for a ride.

Let us count the ways in which George Bush has been anything but a libertarian conservative:

Libertarians, above all, believe in fiscal responsibility. When George Bush entered office, the federal government was enjoying a rare budget surplus. Today, Bush presides over the greatest expansion of budget deficits in U.S. history. Bush's government has borrowed more money from foreign sources than the combined governments of every U.S. president in our nation's brief life.

Libertarians believe in a strong national defense combined with an unwillingness to use it unless provoked. Bush gave us an enormously expensive preemptive war against an "enemy" that posed us no threat -- a war with no apparent plan, no apparent purpose and no end in sight.

Libertarians believe in liberty, that the Bill of Rights is sacrosanct. Bush has trampled the bill of rights, suspending Habeas Corpus -- keeping so-called "enemy combatants" locked up with no due process -- and he's spied on citizens without the necessary warrants in place.

Libertarians believe the federal government should stay out of such arenas as education, health care and the market economy. Bush signed the "No Child Left Behind" bill that bullies state's educational systems and is largely unfunded. He also signed into law a prescription drug benefit for seniors costing us billions of dollars per year. This in particular must irk libertarians because they see "entitlements" as one of the most insidious forms of governmental intrusion. Government hand-outs like the millions in subsidies provided to the oil industry must be likewise abhorrent to libertarians.

Libertarians believe in smaller government. With his Homeland Security Agency Bush has overseen the largest increase in the federal bureaucracy since the EPA was formed.

Libertarians believe in the separation of powers. With his bid to form a "unitary executive," Bush has centralized power to an extent not foreseen by the framers of the Constitution and has appropriated numerous powers that were to be left with other branches of government.

On issue after issue Bush has pushed away libertarianism. That he still maintains a 28% approval rating stems from much of his base either not facing reality or not paying attention.

The question, then, is where do libertarians go from here? Do they splinter off and try to push back against the egregious actions of Bush and his ilk? Do they stay with the Republican Party and try to reclaim true libertarian conservatism from the Neo-conservative usurpers, hoping, against all odds, that the current crop of presidential candidates might turn out to be a true believer? Or do they just give up and go home? Only time will tell. I do know one thing: Barry Goldwater must be doing back-flips in his grave.