I'm Richard Fields with this week's Report From the Fields. Libertarian Party Chair Angela McCardle beclowned herself (she actually put on a clown nose) after the Libertarian Convention by saying that Donald Trump, who she invited to speak to the LP Convention, was close to being a Libertarian. Because he said he was, I guess. Well, now that Trump's ear was grazed by a would-be assassin's bullet, he has risen to martyr status. He will almost certainly win against a demented Joe Biden. Even if, at this late date, the Democrats manage to ditch Biden and replace him with someone else, Trump will probably still win.
So, how has the supposedly libertarian-sympathetic candidate displayed his alleged libertarian credentials? First, he had a labor boss, Teamster President Sean O'Brien delivering the keynote address to the Republican National Convention. Oops. Then he picked Senator and Hillbilly Elegy author, J. D. Vance as his pick for Vice-President. Let's check out Vance's libertarian credentials. He's an unapologetic drug warrior. Oops. He wants to finish the border wall and opposes every attempt to grant amnesty. Oops. He wants broad-based tariffs, especially on imports from China. In other words, higher prices for American consumers. Oops. He wants to continue supporting the war between Israel and Gaza. Oops. He supports Lina Khan's anti-business jihad at the Federal Trade Commission. Oops. He supports a higher minimum wage which would inexorably lead to higher youth and minority unemployment. Oops. He wants to raise corporate taxes. Oops. He promises to protect funding for MediCare, the single biggest contributor to the Federal government's continuing obscene and ruinous deficits and the inflation deficits always cause. Oops. On the Nolan chart, J. D. Vance is a hard core conservative.Not a libertarian. Oops.
Let's see, that's 10 oopsies. And that's just a quick scan of his public record. To be fair, Vance is against the quasi-criminalization of cryptocurrencies. And he's a skeptic of the climate warming narrative. But, last time I looked, Chase Oliver is on the presidential ballot. Beats me why a libertarian would ever vote for Trump/Vance or Weekend at Bidens/Harris tickets whose economic policies are essentially the same. Not when one can vote for an actual Libertarian. That's this week's Report From the Fields. See you again next week.