A note to Libertarian-leaning Republicans still hanging with the DE GOP. . .

. . . they don't want you around any more:

From Frank Knotts at Delaware Politics:

We must be willing to recognize these RINOs, who are really libertarians in republican clothing and identify them and isolate them, the republican (small r) and libertarian(small l) ideology cannot cohabitate in one party for long. On the surface there seems to be similar views, but when examined more closely, it is easy to see that the two are far apart on how to achieve the goals of conservatism and the role of government.

And, of course, there's this--Will McVay, "political terrorist:

I have often encouraged libetarians to join the Libertarian Party, I believe they would be happier, I know I would, not because I think they shouldn’t have a voice, but because they are singing in a different time signature than is the GOP and neither are able to hit the right notes for their intended audience. 

I was truly troubled by the likes of Will Mcvay who is most certainly a Libertarian, yet he chose to run as a Republican for no other reason than to hi-jack the GOP machine and to create confusion. That is not democracy, it is political terrorism. 

I did remind Frank that the GOP is not exactly friendly toward anybody else:

Frank, if that’s your definition of “political terrorism” we do have a problem. While I have come to believe you’re an honorable guy, the same thing cannot be said for the GOP leadership with respect to third parties over the past several years. It was the DE GOP leadership that killed fusion candidacies and raised the registration totals necessary for third parties to have ballot access. It was the GOP candidates and leadership who agreed to exclude all third parties at the UD debate, and then Sigler whined during the Brian Pettyjohn replacement furor that “no political party in Delaware should be disenfranchised” (that’s a close paraphrase). It was the national GOP in collusion with state parties that brought lawsuit after lawsuit to keep our presidential candidate off the ballot in Wisconsin, and barely failed to have him removed in Iowa and PA. 

It was the DE GOP that had the Party State Treasurer registered as a Democrat for purely political advantage. 

It was your state chair, Sigler again, who tried to get at least two of my candidates this year to change their party registration and run as Republicans AFTER they had already announced or filed as Libertarians. 

So I do not have much sympathy for the “GOP wounded by the political terrorism of Will McVay” line, because the Republicans in Delaware routinely try to play “take no prisoners” politics. 

Again, I do believe that you would act more appropriately if you were in charge, and I do believe there is room for some occasional tactical alliance and coalition building between the two groups. 

But please don’t try to sell the “evil Will McVay” and the “victimized GOP” line when your party has engaged in far worse tactics. 

Frank didn't like this, but (perhaps not too strangely) didn't want to deal with it, either:

Steve Newton, it is not the responsibility of the GOP or the Democrats to create or support your third party. It is up to you to build the support. 

My view of the “Will McVays” of the world comes from my perspective of being a Republican, from wanting to protect the brand, the same as you would be well served to protect your Libertarian brand. Any cross, or fusion of the two dilutes both messages. You do not win by becoming that which you oppose. 

Frank's original message stands.  Ironically, emerging as one of the saner voices in Sussex, Frank wants to put on notice both Tea Partiers and Libertarians that they should get the hell out of his party . . . at the same time the State GOP Chair John Sigler repeatedly tries to coax Libertarian candidates to re-file as Republicans.

Libertarian-leaning Republicans in Delaware, find the next Libertarian Party of Delaware meeting in your area (here) and come home to a place that will welcome you.