Jeff Dulgar, a columnist at the 'Daily Nexus' at the University of Santa Barbara has created a snit piece about third parties and the Libertarian Party particularly. While this appears to be the indulgence of a youthful prattler for the status quo, as a former Californian, I have many Republican relatives on the left coast who feel the same as Mr. Dulgar, even if it is based on vague assumptions and chocked with common platitudes. 
While it may be acceptable to engage in Limbaugh tactics when it comes to smelly liberals and the like, Dulgar displays his ignorance of the Third Party fight as well as any apologist for the Red & Blue. It may indeed be inevitable that the two parties will win based on the winner take all aspect of the system, but it is by no means certain that alternative issues and concerns will be well placed in the mainstream sensibilities. Asking activists to play in the muck of pluralism is one thing, but projecting one's own failure is another. The Ron Paul campaign is evidence that any 'libertarian' spirit in the GOP tops out at 3-7% of those eligible voters. Mr. Dulgar really ought to check with his comrades in the duopoly about the battle for ballot access, the war on drugs, the national debt, creeping Empire and the free bottle of pills in his grandmother's medicine cabinet. Sorry, but I remember Jim Jones in the seventies and I'd rather not be associated with the ultimate ruin of the country at the hands of mealy mouthed politicians who will do anything to get elected.
There is a reason that mainstream politicians and people are turning to the LP. Witness the recent presidential forays by Mike Gravel and Bob Barr. People are hungry for change and they know it won't be coming from the Red & Blue. As adults in the LP, we can certainly choose with whom we spend our time and send our money to. While Mr. Dulgar's sympathies may well place him in the path of success of a wandering elephant, he'll never be too far from the roaming jackass.
Suffering Empire and the culture of entitlements may be acceptable in the land of fun and sun, but those of us who see the cost of the two, take little succor in the recognition of the GOP as our leader in smaller government. There simply is no evidence of the latter. As a big L libertarian I can assure Mr. Dulgar there are no two of us who accept everything that each other says or holds true. So to say;
"so unless you believe exactly what Libertarians say, there is no reason to join their party"
is simply based on youthful inexperience. The equivalent retort might be,
"unless you vote GOP there will be no smaller government".
A bold face absurdity if there ever was one.
You see Mr. Dulgar, the liberals you hate and vilify have won your soul. They have convinced you that minimal regulation is necessary for a just society. You admit that minimal social programs equate to the public good. And you get your Empire against the bogeymen terrorists that Sean Hannity tells you are behind every Seven Eleven. There is nothing that is being 'accomplished' by your GOP that is any different than the average Donkey in the room. Each of you has excused pre-emptive war and each has burdened the next generation in unfunded liabilities and mandates as far as the eye can see.
While I may disagree with some tactics, reasoning and assumptions that my colleagues in the California LP engage in, I stand with them in terms of resistance to your sensibilities and the venal transference of hate on those of us who stand up to and against what you believe and ultimately force upon me. Stomp your feet and holler all you want against us, we will continue to be a monkey wrench in your plans, ideas and 'success'. We choose to stand proudly outside your jack boot thuggery and will defend unlimited freedom and responsibility.
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