Can You Still Be a Libertarian While Endorsing a Republican Candidate?

Austin Petersen is running for Senator from Missouri as a Republican. I am endorsing him. I even changed my Facebook profile picture to show solidarity with his campaign. The image is taken from the larger painting   "A Happy Day at the Libertarian Convention". It was based on my experiences in Orlando last year.

But now Austin Petersen is running as a Republican. So what does that make me? A liberty lover, as always. It's no different from that time not too long ago when Ron Paul was running for president as a Republican. I did everything I possibly could for him, including serving as a delegate to the local Republican Convention. We never got out of our County, though, because the local Republicans voted for Rick Santorum. Later, after the huge disappointment that Ron Paul was not even allowed to speak at the National Republican Convention, our local group of Ron Paul supporters split up. It turns out that some of them went on to vote Democrat, and some voted Republican, and some voted Libertarian. I was one of the latter.

 The first time I voted for Gary Johnson for president, it was because Ron Paul lost the Republican primary. The second time I voted for Gary Johnson, it was because Austin Petersen lost the Libertarian primary. I never voted for Gary Johnson as a first choice, but only as a last resort, when all else was lost.

But now I am supporting Petersen in his run to win the Republican nomination for Claire McCaskill's senate seat. I would have supported him if he were running as a Libertarian. Or as a Democrat. Or an Independent. My support does not mean that anything about my beliefs, my ideals or my politics has changed. I am just as Republican now as I was back when I did my all for Ron Paul. And I am just as libertarian as I was then!

Some people are now criticizing Petersen for having too many out-of-state supporters. They seem to be gearing up to smear him for that, the way Trump is now criticized for having "Russian support." I, however, am not an out-of-state supporter. I am local. I live right here in the Missouri Ozarks. I am proud to support one of our own.

And if you would like to hear what I think about taxation (and how it is theft), you can come hear me talk at the Missouri Libertarian Convention in Jefferson City, MO, on July 22! I am an invited speaker.

The event will take place at the Hilton Doubletree in Jefferson City.

Come hear me talk, and feel free to ask me anything you like about libertarianism -- or how principles are more important than parties.