Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

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  1. with no good options.  I don’t think Mike Gravel is a Libertarian, and I think David correctly wonders whether Mike Gravel will be welcomed with open arms.  Although much of what he says is representative of mainstream beliefs and even progressive ideas, there is no party that is fully hospitable.  I can understand his anger and frustration at not having a voice.  I give him credit for devoting so much of his energy to making that point.  There are very few people who would have the guts to do what he has done.  He is quite remarkable.

    • The NDP could open some branches in the provinces south of the St. Lawrence. Jack Layton, do you hear us?

        • The NDP and the Canadian Greens don’t represent barely any overlapping ideological space. The Canadian Greens are decidedly centre-right on the economy (a sort of environmentalist libertarians), between the Liberals and Conservatives. The NDP are decidedly economically left. I think they both draw from the Liberals, but different parts. Though I’m a big fan of both parties đŸ™‚

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          p>As for Layton himself, I had hoped a NDP-Conservative gov’t would’ve achieve real election reforms up there, but haven’t followed much since then, and wouldn’t be surprised if the Harper government forgot that part of what took down the Liberal government. I’m a fan of Layton, but not surprised that he hasn’t been able to get much done with the Albertan in charge.

  2. Gravel is not really a traditional progressive and definitely not an NDP style socialist, rather he is a social libertarian. If you look at his main criticisms of the Bush administration they come from a libertarian perspective i.e curtailing of civil liberties and violating the constitution. His criticism of the national security state and the military industrial complex is in that same vain. His criticism of both the Vietnam and Iraq Wars were due to his isolationist beliefs that the US should only go to war when it is attacked and should reduce its presence in the world.

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    p>Lastly even his most recent campaign had him endorsing the National Democratic Initiative or creating national ballot questions and he also supported both the fair tax (Mike Huckabee did too, eliminate the IRS, 23% national sales tax) and the GMI (guarunteed minimum income an idea Nixon had) so I would not entirely peg him to the left of center vain, rather like most free thinking individuals his beliefs cannot be pegged to one party.

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    p>What is more interesting is that he might run with Bruce Barr who had a semi notorious record as a social conservative wignut under the Gingrich congress but later had a change of heart before getting defeated. He went from being a pro basic civil liberties but anti gay rights, anti drug, anti flag burning type of Republican to one who has now become a libertarian on even those issues.  

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