resources for traditional constituencies, it is
ernmentless government dichotomies). And
easy to rationalize away libertarians as a low
why would people who want less government
priority.
vote for Kerry? Perhaps because they don't like
Career politicians may be afraid to accom-
Republican attitudes toward gay marriage,
modate more libertarian positions because
abortion, or other social issues; or the Bush
they may alienate traditional constituencies.
administration's intrusions into civil liberties;
Fundamentally, people who want something
or the war in Iraq. A 2004 Wall Street Journal
from government--whether it's farm subsi-
article identified some of those voters: "Anger
dies, national health insurance, faith-based
at President Bush and some of his policies has
initiatives, or bans on your neighbors' activi-
aroused some wealthy Americans who in the
ties--are more likely to be politically active
past were politically ambivalent. Mr. Bush--by
than those who just want to be left alone to
stoking his party's religious-right base on
live their lives and run their businesses.
issues like gay marriage, stem-cell research and
Serving in Congress also takes its toll on lib-
abortion--has pushed toward the Democrats
ertarian-minded officials. Studies show that
some well-heeled people who share a more
the longer a member of Congress stays in
Republican aversion to high taxes and more
regulation."22 The common red-blue story line
office, the more spending he or she tends to
Libertarian
vote for.23 Members of Congress are under
doesn't fit those voters.
voters do exist,
constant pressure to go along with both their
Ignoring Libertarians
party leadership and the Washington estab-
and new poll
In the traditional emphasis on the liberal-
lishment, neither of which is likely to push in
data help us to
conservative continuum and the more recent
a libertarian direction.
discover them.
focus on a red-blue divide, libertarian voters
It may also be that libertarians, who have
have often been ignored. That may be in part
colder feelings toward the major political
because libertarians tend to be less involved
parties and weaker preferences toward politi-
in organized politics.
cians, are alienated from the political process.
Campaign field directors know where to
Lots of libertarians are too engaged with
find other voter demographics. You find gun
their businesses, their families, or their per-
owners at the gun range or through the NRA,
sonal pursuits to care much about politics.
churchgoers at church, business owners
Even libertarians with enough interest in pol-
through the Chamber of Commerce, union
itics to get elected governor don't seem to be
members through unions, black voters in
really committed to political life. Three liber-
churches and neighborhoods, and so on.
tarian-leaning governors--the brilliant lawyer
Where do you find libertarians? There are no
William Weld, the eccentric entertainer Jesse
libertarian equivalents of the Christian
Ventura, and the true citizen-politician Gary
Coalition or MoveOn.org. Field directors in
Johnson--all seemed either to get bored with
search of libertarians may venture into
political minutiae, to be unwilling to play the
Libertarian Party conventions--a tiny slice of
political game with other politicians, or sim-
the libertarians--only to discover a baffling
ply to tire of politics sooner than most elect-
cross section of dissatisfied Americans, and
ed officials do.
quickly reject the whole enterprise.
But political strategists who ignore the
Campaign strategists who instinctively
libertarian vote do so at their peril.
know that libertarians are "out there" may
dismiss them as unwinnable at any reason-
The Libertarian Vote
able cost. Campaigns are about allocation of
Libertarian voters do exist, and new poll
scarce resources--advertising dollars, signage,
data help us to discover them. Some pollsters
door-to-door volunteers, and, above all, can-
have followed the Maddox-Lilie approach:
didate time. If the resources it takes to win
use one or more questions on both econom-
one libertarian vote are more than the
ic and social issues to categorize respondents
7