posted by like_that
The libertarian party can't get this own shit together, so it is kinda hard for them to even get a legitimate candidate. Most of the people running that party can't agree on what the party should stand for. Most libertarians can't agree what libertarianism stands for. We make fun of the left for eating themselves, but libertarians are just as bad. I like Sharpe, but highly doubt he ever holds an elected position. The best strategy for libertarians is to continue "infiltrating" the GOP imo. Peterson and Freitas both lost their primary to run for senator unfortunately, however it would be amazing for them to earn a seat at the house or senate.
The Libertarian Party is, indeed, something of a mess. It has even become a joke among a fair number of "small L" libertarians.
In a general sense, though, most libertarians can agree on the basics. Small, limited government with taxation being viewed as theft is pretty homogeneous. Now, certainly if you get into some of the policies on an individual basis, you'll get some disagreement. In my experience, libertarians are pretty divided over abortion and the rights of non-individual institutions with regard to campaign finance (businesses, organizations, non-profits, etc).
Now, of course, I don't mind if the libertarian movement infiltrates either of the two major parties, since I don't really care about affiliations ... sort of a Shakespearean "rose by any other name" position on them ... so maybe that's the best option. I'm not sure at this point, but I wouldn't insist that it categorically is, because I think that's the sort of thing that can too easily get hijacked in its infancy.
For example, look at the Tea Party movement. Started out as a bipartisan movement on reckless government spending. The point of it, even, was to shed the other policies and focus strictly on the government's fiscal policy. it wasn't supposed to be about gay marriage, abortion, drug laws, gun laws, standing for the pledge or the flag, religion, etc.
The problem is that it quickly got hijacked and turned into an almost-extreme version of modern-day Republicanism. It's ANYTHING but bipartisan, and its actual goal of fiscal sanity has been completely lost.
Maybe it's possible for the libertarian movement to accomplish its goals better by infiltrating a current party, but I honestly think you'd need to see something within the party that migrated toward libertarianism at the same time. Something like a irreligious Goldwater-esque movement or a Constitution-adherent Paul-esque movement within the Republican Party mixed with libertarian infiltration at the same time. Otherwise, it wouldn't surprise me to see contemporary Republicans trying to hijack what libertarianism even means.