Oklahoma Republicans Not Welcome, To Some Libertarians

Part 1 in a series on Libertarian Party Growth

  With the overt help of some Republican Lawmakers, the Oklahoma Libertarian Party is back in the election business. Several Libertarian candidates will appear on the 2016 primary & general election ballots. Their April state convention was one of the biggest in recent history and the recently lowered thresholds for voter support means that they could stay on the election rolls going into the next round of state elections, in 2018.

  But some noted Libertarians are trying to take down the figurative 'Welcome' sign. They fear that social conservatives disenchanted with Donald Trump may come into the Libertarian Party in overwhelming numbers and turn their party into a vehicle of the Evangelical Right.

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Dawkins was a panelist, along with several Oklahoma Libertarian Party leaders, at the state Libertarian Convention, in April.

  College professor, Craig Dawkins of Rose State, in Midwest City, is one such Libertarian expressing some of these concerns. Dawkins posted a Washington Post article by Aaron Ross Powell of the Cato Institute; on social media sites, with a hearty 'AMEN!'.

​The Washington Post article concludes;
'If all that these converts see is a safe house where they can ride out the storm, they’re missing the point: The libertarian ideal and the Libertarian Party stand as reminders that neither of the two major parties is committed to the principle that individuals are superior to the state. And in this election year, if fear of a President Trump results in libertarianism morphing into Republicanism-lite, it would cease to serve that purpose. While I’m not active in Libertarian Party politics, as a small-“L” libertarian, I want no part of diluting this core principle just to boost electoral success.'"  

80% Isn't Good Enough

 Professor Dawkins also commented on SoonerPolitics Facebook Group;
"The point is that libertarian activists have certain views regarding liberty that are going to be offensive to right leaning "Randy Brogdon" types in the GOP. Brogdon was rabidly anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim. While he may agree with 80% of our issues, it is absurd to think he's a libertarian. He's a religious conservative. He should be that if that's his views.
​   I object to perverting liberty as some kind of right leaning ideology, it's not. In fact, there are many on the left who like some of our liberty views. The last thing the liberty movement needs for future growth are a bunch of disaffected conservatives jumping aboard and sinking the future of the LP."