In Libertarian “Anti-Gravity”, Arnold Kling notes that both parties are moving away from libertarian policies:
On economic policy, John Kerry is running as a 1930′s collectivist. He rejects any proposal to reform Social Security, regardless of the long-term consequences. He proposes a large expansion of government health care programs, to be paid for in part by a class-warfare tax on people with high incomes, with the rest presumably paid for by other tax increases, either now or later. His only complaint about the Federalization of education in what I call the No Educrat Left Behind Act is that in his view it is underfunded.On social policy, President Bush is running as a Bible-thumping morality legislator. Positions against stem-cell research and gay marriage are key components of his electoral strategy, as one may discern from just a few moments of listening to right-wing talk radio.
Why are they doing this? Because libertarian voters are hard to herd, and because the war in Iraq has become many voters’ single issue.