Is the Madam Eliot Spitzer Used Really a Libertarian?

The former Manhattan madam, Kristin Davis, whose services Eliot Spitzer used on a weekly basis  for five years, is running against him for the NYC comptroller seat. She is running on the Libertarian Party ticket. But what kind of libertarian is she?

Her supporter (paid adviser?) Roger Stone tweeted this out about her:

Only one candidate for NYC Comptroller supports legalizing and taxing 420 to solve the coming $2.2 B deficit-Kristin Davis
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) July 13, 2013

Now, there is certainly nothing wrong from a libertarian perspective in calling for the legaliziation of marijuana, but the goal should be shrinking government intrusions into people's lives, not increasing them by taxing marijuana use and "regulating" marijuana. There is nothing libertarian about that

In a libertarian candidate for comptroller, one should look for someone who will shrink government spending and government revenues, not attempt to reduce a deficit by increasing government revenues. And to the degree a comptroller doesn't have the power to stop revenue flow,one should look for a comptroller who plans to direct revenues away from the most intrusive areas, little money, say, for any type of government enforcement agents and increased spending for all kinds of wasteful efforts such as "government art".  The idea is to create an impotent government, not an efficient totalitarian machine.

Given this view, I responded to Stone's tweet, this way:

@RogerJStoneJr This is a libertarian position?
— Robert Wenzel (@WenzelEconomics) July 13, 2013

He replied:

@WenzelEconomics A realistic Libertarian.
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) July 13, 2013

And there we have it, the "realistic" Libertarian must run with a non-libertarian platform to get elected, according to the political crowd. And this is probably correct. Every "libertarian," outside of Ron Paul, runningfor office has shaded his libertarian positions to get elected. But, getting back specifically to Davis, just what good is a "libertarian," who wants to increase our taxes and make government more efficient? Hell, Spitzer would be in favor of higher taxes on some goods and more efficient government. I suspect Davis is not much of a libertarian, at all. Indeed, in a recent press release, Davis backed Mayoral Candidate Joe Lhota’s proposal to have the NYPD print the names of Johns when women are arrested for working as prostitutes in NYC.

The libertarian position is, of course, that transactions between consenting adults should be legal, including prostitution, not arrests of hookers or the public naming by government of Johns. Doesn't she, as a former madam, even get this?

One has to ask, what true libertarian positions does Davis actually hold? It doesn't seem like there are many. It appears that she is using the Libertarian Party as a vehicle to run for office without having a clue about libertarianism.  It's bad enough that there are libertarians out there who shade their libertarian principles to get elected and, thus,  muddy the concept of what libertarianism is, but having a person run on the Libertarian ticket who doesn't seem to promote any libertarian positions is advancing the muddy water concept to even greater depths.

Politics and libertarianism are two concepts that work together about as well as military intelligence. Liberty is about freedom from government, not some "realistic libertarian" politician deciding what liberties should be taken away so that he/she can get elected on the preposterous idea that he/she is advancing liberty.

Stone sent me one more tweet:

@WenzelEconomics Von Mises not running.
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) July 13, 2013

This tweet tells us how little Stone knows about the history of libertariainism. Ludwig von Mises knew the answer wasn't in politics and the thought of Mises running for comptroller, if here were alive today, is absurd.

Leonard Read wrote about Mises:

The first experience I had with him began 32 years ago when I was General Manager of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. It was his initial visit to the West Coast. That evening I had a dinner at my home and present were at least a dozen of the best thinkers of our philosophy in Southern California — such men as Dr. Benjamin Anderson, Dr. Thomas Nixon Carver, the business genius Bill Mullendore, and the like.

We listened to Ludwig von Mises until midnight, and then a question was posed. "Professor Mises, we will all agree with you that we are in for parlous times. But suppose you were the dictator of these United States and could effect any changes that you think appropriate. What would you do?" And quick as a flash came the answer: "I would abdicate."