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Originally Posted by Buster
I'm not sure it would represent a threat to the GOP. It still seems unclear if Gary and Co are pulling support from the Dems or the GOP. Although I assume the conventional wisdom that it is from trditional GOP voters is likely correct
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I think the word "Libertarian" has a fair bit of brand baggage associated with it that makes it impossible to appeal to Democratic voters broadly. This is exacerbated by their generally anti-gun-regulation, lower taxes policy planks. That could change if they got some mainstream exposure, but I don't think it would move the needle all that much.
I actually think this is the same reason that the Libertarians can't fill the role that's most likely to need filling - if the two major parties continue to migrate toward their own fringes on the right and left respectively, there's going to be room for a "straight up the middle" party. But because of that same baggage, it can't be the Libertarian party, in my view.
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However, both parties have a history of re-absorbing splinter groups by adopting some of the policies that interest the public, and abandoning the more fringy aspects. Abolitionists might be a good example of that.
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I was going to say that the Bernie corps is the perfect example of that. The Dems are doing their absolute damnedest to re-absorb that group by introducing some of Bernie's talking points and policy positions into the platform at the convention.