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Johnny Bardine has a lengthy analysis of Dean's candidacy from the pragmatic libertarian perspective (note: not to be confused with the ideological libertarian perspective). It's exactly independent people like Johhny to whom we need to make the case for Dean. If the message is sound, it will draw support.

Johnny has a number of points but the one I want to excerpt is probably the biggest barrier to drawing in libertarian support, and I think his reasoning is one of profoundly enlightened self-interest:

Universal Healthcare
I am a libertarian, and have been for as long as I can remember. But I now firmly reside on planet Earth, and I think that is a fairly new occurrence. In the realm of governance, there is Democratic turf; there is Republican turf. There is not, however, Libertarian turf, so then the libertarian -- when he is not off stockpiling beenie-weenies and starting militias -- must choose which turf makes the most sense. I do not believe that people have the right to health care. But an inescapable fact of reality is that we have a welfare state. America has a government that provides various social programs; they fund these programs through taxation. It is time for reasonable libertarians to give up the fight for a taxless society. Instead, we should work toward spending what we must pay in a cost-effective fashion. That's exactly what Governor Dean's health care plan accomplishes. Health care may not be a right, but it certainly is a desirable thing. And if we can do it in a reasonable way, we should. Dean's does that, which is a far cry from the unworkable monstrosity that is Gephardt's plan. Dean's idea is much less complicated and has actually been implemented on the state level. As he writes, "This plan is affordable and simple, relying on three existing systems -- one for children, one for seniors, and one for those in between -- which all Americans can understand." There are many flavors of libertarianism, but I think this plan sits well with most in the Jeffersonian vein.

He summarizes, "Libertarians wondering who to support should ask themselves: Which candidate will be devoted to fiscal responsibility, peace and security, and the protection of our fundamental rights? The answer is Howard Dean". Do you know any libertarians? People who hate big government? Or who are just reflexively against any kind of taxation? Try out these arguments and let us know how you fared!