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Michael Badnarik on Principles & Values
Libertarian Party nominee for President
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Support entire Constitution; other parties support parts
“[Libertarians] believe,” Badnarik says, “that Democrats and Republicans both support the Constitution, but only in certain areas. The Democrats strongly support the First Amendment and want restrictions on the Second, whereas the Republicans in general
support the Second Amendment and think that certain obscenity laws should be viable restrictions on the First Amendment.”The Libertarian solution to this patchwork approach to constitutional interpretation is simple: Honor the whole hog. So long as
leaders value one part of the Constitution over another, the intention of the Founding Fathers is subverted, and the people get gypped.
It’s this steady devotion to the idealism of the country’s creators that underpins the party, the notion that if
left alone by their government, people will prosper to an extent previously unseen. Indeed, asked whether governmental interference is the principle obstacle between Americans and the American ideal, Badnarik responds, “I think that’s very clear.”
Source: Joe Keohane, Boston “Weekly Dig”
, Jun 30, 2004
We believe in individual rights and personal responsibility
[When asked to define what a Libertarian is:] “We believe in individual rights,” he explains. “We believe in private property ... we strongly support personal responsibility. Yes, you can make your own decisions, but you must then be responsible
for those decisions ... and that is a message that resonates with people. I think people are prepared for a presidential candidate that actually knows the Constitution.”
Source: Joe Keohane, Boston “Weekly Dig”
, Jun 30, 2004
Not voting your conscience is a wasted vote
On Third-party candidates: “Not voting your conscience is a wasted vote. If you are in prison and there is a 50 percent chance you would get lethal injection,
45 percent chance you would get the electric chair, and five percent chance you could escape, would you vote for lethal injection because that is the one you are most likely to get?”
Source: Michael King, The Austin (TX) Chronicle
, Jun 11, 2004
Page last updated: Oct 01, 2016