Principle or Pragmatism? The Tulsi Gabbard Question

Tulsi Gabbard is looking more and more like the one that can topple the Trump regime. It's early stages, and things could always change, but she seems to be pulling the anti-war left, anti-war right, and anti-war libertarians together. That's a potentially powerful combo. Her outspoken anti-war stance brings echoes of Ron Paul on the issue, just as powerful when viewed through the lense of their shared service in the military. And like Ron Paul, the corporate media is doing everything they can to paint her as a fringe lunatic that is disconnected from the public pulse.

Granted, Tulsi is a pretty hard left on economic issues, no doubt. She's a younger, savvier Bernie Sanders. However I see that as a potential opportunity. If you have media connections, or operate media, reach out for interviews. If you chair a county or state party, reach out to her campaign to see if she'll engage. Get her in front of an audience. Get her talking to economics gurus. At least sound her out to see if she's willing to change her ideas based on new information.

With rare exception, none of us started as libertarians; we all came from somewhere else. We should absolutely be staunchly married to our principles; pragmatism has to come in where we're willing to talk to people that may not align right now. It's the same seed-planting exercise that we've been engaged in.

The fact is that the libertarian party infrastructure is notoriously weak. The schism between our various caucuses makes it extremely difficult for us to build out that infrastructure. Personally, I'm a firm believer that one should use all the tools that are available. Mises Caucus is building infrastructure; use them. Local parties are building non-partisan grassroots at the muni/county level; support them. And if we can't get a radical candidate on the stage at the national level; concentrate on planting seeds.

Even if the seed is going into ground that you don't like the look of, it doesn't behove us to descend back into tribalism. We have to be willing to be pragmatic with our coalition building in order to advance on changing hearts and minds through our principles.