Choosing the Evil of Two Lessers

by Matthew McCaffrey
Mises.org

For a group of people who reject political power and even the state itself, libertarians sure seem to care a lot about the election. In the past few months, there’s even been a kind of desperation in libertarian circles to find something, anything that could vaguely connect one of the candidates to a philosophy of liberty or economic sanity. The leaps of logic required to make these endorsements defy all attempt at parody: warmongers, democratic socialists, and economic and human protectionists have by turns been suggested as the most viable options for libertarians.

Of course, endorsements are always qualified. “I know X isn’t really a libertarian, but at least he promises that someday, maybe, his government will advance the cause of liberty on one margin.”

These qualifications are little more than carte blanche for politicians. In the next four years, corpses will be piled high on phrases like, “but at least he’s good on this one issue!”

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